5 reasons I prefer Samsung Gallery over Google Photos

If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone and still clinging to Google Photos, you are missing out on a world of photographic possibilities. After using both gallery apps side-by-side, I keep going back to Samsung’s solution for several reasons. From lightning-fast performance and an arsenal of editing tools to robust ways to protect your privacy and seamless cloud integration, Samsung Gallery redefines what a gallery app should be.

While Google Photos is a popular choice with its own advantages, Samsung Gallery sits proudly on my phone’s home screen. Here’s why.

5 Integration with Secure Folder

One of the standout features of Samsung Gallery is its flawless integration with Secure Folder. It’s a secure and encrypted space on your Samsung phone that adds an extra layer of protection for your confidential photos and videos. I can select photos and videos, tap More at the bottom, and move them to Secure Folder.

While Google Photos offers a locked folder, it’s basic at best. Besides, it’s available within the Collections menu. On the other hand, Secure Folder is a separate Knox-powered app that you can hide from the app drawer menu. It goes beyond your media files and lets you store private documents and apps.

With Android 15, Google has started offering Private Space on eligible devices. I took it up for a spin and found it inferior to Secure Folder. The only limitation of Secure Folder is its local-first approach. When you store private memories in a Secure Folder, you don’t want it to sync across other devices.

4 Blazing fast speed

In my daily use, I found Samsung Gallery constantly outperforming Google Photos in terms of speed and responsiveness. Navigating through my extensive photo library, which spans thousands of images and videos, feels smooth and snappy in Samsung Gallery. Scrolling is fluid, and there’s no noticeable lag or stutter, even when dealing with high-resolution images or 4K videos.

Google Photos often felt sluggish when dealing with large video files. Furthermore, the image editing process in Samsung Gallery feels more responsive and efficient. Applying filters, cropping, and making adjustments happen in real time, providing instant feedback. Many editing features in Google Photos are cloud-based and take a while to execute.

Samsung Gallery shines when it comes to the number of editing features. It isn’t limited to basic adjustments. Samsung offers a comprehensive toolkit to transform your photos and videos like a pro. You will find a range of options, from adding fun and youthful stickers and utilizing markup tools to precise editing with the lasso tool.

One of the standout features is the Style mode, which lets you apply artistic effects like Comic, Watercolor, Blue Ink, and Pastel to your photos. It gives your memories a unique and creative flair. These effects are better than simple filters and deliver stunning and attention-grabbing results in no time.

While Google Photos offers advanced AI-powered features, they are locked behind a Google One subscription paywall. In contrast, all AI features in the Gallery app are accessible to all users without extra cost.

2 A smooth integration with OneDrive cloud storage

Samsung partnered with Microsoft to integrate the company’s apps with Windows maker’s services. For instance, you can sync Samsung Notes to OneNote, view your Microsoft To-Do tasks in Reminders, and utilize the company’s OneDrive cloud solution to store your memories. OneDrive creates a dedicated folder for my Samsung Gallery content and keeps photos organized and separate from other files in cloud storage.

Being a Microsoft 365 subscriber, I have 1TB of OneDrive storage in my account. I set up OneDrive integration in Samsung Gallery to store and sync my photos and videos across all the devices. Besides, I use a Windows laptop as my primary device, and thanks to OneDrive’s flawless setup, I can access my memories from File Explorer.

Related

Samsung’s productivity apps aren’t bloatware, and I wouldn’t dream of deleting these 4

My One UI must-haves and replacements

1 Doesn’t rely on cloud storage entirely

Google Photos encourages users to upload their entire library, treating the cloud as their primary storage. While it has benefits like easy accessibility and automatic backups, it also means many of Google Photos’ best features rely on cloud connectivity.

Search functionality, AI-powered editing tools, and automatic creations like animations and collages often work optimally when your media is stored in the cloud.

Samsung Gallery takes a more local-first approach. While it offers cloud backup through OneDrive and other services, it functions seamlessly even without constant internet access. You can browse, edit, and organize your photos and videos stored on your device without limitations.

This difference is evident in the user experience. For example, accessing your device folder is straightforward in Samsung Gallery. The same action in Google Photos requires multiple steps.

Easily the best gallery app on Android

The choice between Samsung Gallery and Google Photos comes down to personal preferences and priorities. The One UI Gallery app wins for me due to its feature-rich and tailored experience on Samsung devices.

If you are a Samsung user seeking a gallery app with a comprehensive suite of features, I encourage you to try the default Gallery app. It’s the perfect solution for managing your visual memories. If you are new to Samsung Gallery, check out the top tips and tricks from our dedicated post.