Not many people know that Samsung’s built-in Gallery app has long been a solid Google Photos alternative. That’s thanks to one feature: cloud photo backups. However, later this year, Samsung is making some big changes.
In the words of Ferris Bueller, “life moves pretty fast.” Earlier this month, we published an article about how the Samsung Gallery app is a legitimate Google Photos replacement. One of the reasons we were able to make that claim is the OneDrive integration.
Lots of people love Google Photos’ cloud backup feature, but not as many people knew Samsung had an equivalent since 2019. It was probably better than Google Photos, too. Galaxy owners got 1TB of OneDrive storage, and the integration was built right into the Gallery—no extra app needed.
Sadly, that integration is coming to an end this Fall. Microsoft and Samsung have both confirmed the change:
Starting September 30, 2026, Samsung Gallery will no longer sync directly with Microsoft OneDrive. New users will not be able to link their Samsung Gallery and OneDrive accounts. All existing Samsung Gallery and Microsoft OneDrive-linked users should use OneDrive camera roll backup to ensure continued backup and access to their photos. Learn more about the changes to Samsung Gallery.
Those who already have the option enabled will still be able to continue syncing to OneDrive directly from the Gallery until the end date. However, after that, Galaxy owners will need to use the OneDrive app just like everyone else if they want to continue using it for photo backups.
- In the OneDrive app, tap the account image at the top left of the app.
- Tap Turn on below the “Camera backup is off” text.
- Tap Confirm.
- Provide OneDrive access to your Photos and Videos as prompted so camera backup can run continuously in the background.
The Samsung Gallery app is still a surprisingly full-featured app, but the lack of direct cloud storage backups makes it a tougher sell as a Google Photos replacement. If that’s not something you care about, you can continue to enjoy the organization tools, powerful photo editing, and Samsung’s own version of “Magic Eraser.”
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
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6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x
Source: Android Authority