Samsung has officially introduced Google Photos backup integration in its Gallery app, giving Galaxy users another way to store and access their pictures and videos across devices. However, the feature is not available to everyone yet, as it requires a newer version of Samsung's software.
The rollout began in September 2026 but has now expanded to more Galaxy devices. Samsung is making the feature available in phases, with initial access limited to supported phones and tablets running One UI 9.0.
The integration also marks a change in Samsung's cloud storage approach, replacing the previous Microsoft OneDrive connection for Gallery syncing.
The new Gallery Sync option allows users to connect their Google account directly to Samsung's Gallery app. Once enabled, photos and videos can be backed up to Google Photos and accessed across supported Samsung devices.
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The feature uses the storage available through the user's Google account. This includes the standard 15GB free allowance shared across Google Photos, Gmail and Google Drive, as well as additional storage purchased through Google One.
Users can also select specific albums and device folders for backup instead of syncing everything automatically. Another useful addition is the Free up space option. After media files have been backed up, users can remove their local copies to recover storage on their phones. The backed-up content remains accessible through Google Photos.
However, the integration does not bring an entire Google Photos library into Samsung Gallery. Only media synced through the new Gallery integration appears within Samsung's app.
For now, the feature requires One UI 9.0 or later, which runs on Android 17. According to Samsung, availability will expand to additional Galaxy devices in phases, depending on the model and region. Users can check for the option by opening Samsung Gallery, tapping Menu, selecting Settings and choosing Sync photos and videos.
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A personal Google account is required; Google Workspace accounts are not supported. The change gives Galaxy owners a more direct connection between Samsung's native Gallery and Google's cloud storage. However, users should remember that synced deletions can affect both services, so managing backed-up photos requires care.