A photoinduced nickel-catalyzed reductive carbonylative coupling from organohalides and N-(acyloxy)phthalimide esters with phenyl formate as the carbonyl source has been developed. This reaction could perform smoothly under mild conditions, and a series of aryl–alkyl and alkyl–alkyl unsymmetrical ketones were produced without the need of stoichiometric metal reductants. Mechanistic studies indicate