Samsung Gallery finally gets Google Photos sync — here’s what you need to do

What you need to know

• Samsung is officially ending its long-standing OneDrive integration on September 30 in favor of direct Google Photos backup inside Samsung Gallery.
• Starting with Gallery app update 15.9.01.7, you can link your backup by tapping Menu > Settings > Sync photos and videos and connecting a personal Google account.
• You can selectively sync specific local folders (like Screenshots or Camera) or toggle off main camera roll uploads entirely.

I’ve been using OneDrive integration with Samsung Gallery for years, so seeing that setup disappear in a few weeks feels a bit strange. It was one of those Galaxy features I hardly ever thought of. I'd just take a picture, let Gallery back it up, and move on with my life. Now Samsung is giving that job to Google Photos, and frankly I’m more intrigued than irritated.

Samsung has already started rolling out the Google Photos integration with the latest Gallery app update, version 15.9.01.7, as per Ice Universe on X. Once you open the app, you may see a new “Sync photos and videos” option to connect your Google account and backup photos and videos without leaving Samsung Gallery.

The move comes as Samsung’s more than decade-long partnership with Microsoft winds down. OneDrive integration has been part of the Galaxy experience for years, allowing users to automatically upload their Gallery content to Microsoft’s cloud in a convenient way. But that arrangement officially ends September 30, after which Samsung Gallery won’t provide the same direct OneDrive sync.

Google Photos makes more sense to me simply because I already have a Google account on my Galaxy phone. That means I can use Samsung Gallery as my daily photo app and let Google handle the cloud backup.

How to enable Samsung Gallery Cloud Sync with Google

• Open the Samsung Gallery app on your Galaxy phone or tablet device.
• Tap Menu in the bottom-right corner, then tap Settings.
• Tap Sync photos and videos.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to choose your Google Account.
• Grant Samsung permission to sync your photos and videos with Google.

The feature, however, is only available on Android 13 or later, a compatible Samsung device, and a personal Google account.

Synced albums also let you have some control over what gets backed up. You can select specific device folders like Camera, Screenshots, or Downloads, and even disable syncing of the main camera roll while still syncing other folders. You can disable syncing for individual local albums, but if Gallery Cloud Sync is enabled, Samsung Gallery will behave as a read-only cloud gallery. It will display synced media but will not upload any new photos from that device.

There's one caveat: don't expect Samsung Gallery to become a full Google Photos browser. Google's documentation says the integration is meant for backing up photos and videos, not for browsing your entire Google Photos library within Gallery.

If you’d rather not use the new Google Photos sync, Samsung makes it easy to switch off. Open Samsung Gallery > Menu > Settings, then turn off Sync photos and videos. This prevents new backups, and photos already backed up to your Google account remain accessible in Google Photos.