I just lately uninstalled Google Images from my Samsung Galaxy S25+. The photograph administration and enhancing app has grow to be an excessively irritating expertise.
Whereas I valued Google Images for its auto-backup and syncing instruments, in addition to its introduction of useful AI enhancing options like Magic Editor, I have been gravitating away from it.
As an alternative, I have been rising extra keen on my different Samsung apps, similar to Samsung Gallery.
If you happen to’re a fortunate Galaxy telephone person like me, you already know you get the most effective of each worlds from Samsung and Google.
That is why I’ve opted to switch Google Images with Samsung Gallery, and I have been pleased with that call — and have not turned again since.
Google Images takes up over 65% of my main storage
Managing my backups has grow to be a trouble
One of many largest complaints amongst free Google account customers is that 15GB of house is used up shortly.
I just lately re-enabled my Google Images settings to permit backups in order that I can switch my gadget’s photos to my Galaxy S25+. That was an enormous mistake.
Daily, once I logged in to my account, Google would notify me that my storage was full. If I did not clear up some house, I might not be capable of ship or obtain emails (on Gmail) by a sure date.
I panicked, and I began to mass-delete my Drive folders and clear up my Images’ storage. Nonetheless, that did not do a lot, as my storage grew to become full once more inside an hour.
I used to be lastly capable of repair this by disabling my Images backups. Nonetheless, I’ve a variety of cleansing to do, as my storage continues to be round 98% full.
It is a mistake that has value me considerably, as I’ve my Google account arrange throughout a number of units. If I set something to permit backups, each gadget I’ve used to take images will populate my storage.
So I made a decision to disable my Google Images settings and uninstall it on my Galaxy S25+. As a Samsung person, I’ve different choices exterior of Google merchandise.
The best possibility (and most reliable to me) is Samsung Gallery. I have been utilizing this app for years, and it hasn’t let me down but.
Samsung has cut up its free 15GB cloud backup companies with OneDrive. The principle cloud storage by Samsung, Samsung Cloud, would not even deal with your photograph and video backups immediately.
As an alternative, Samsung Cloud focuses on different information sorts, similar to name logs and settings, whereas OneDrive handles Gallery movies and images.
OneDrive at the moment handles Gallery photograph backups, however this will quickly change, as Samsung is shifting away from OneDrive and re-integrating its backup companies with its cloud.
Whereas this at the moment would possibly show to be an obstacle for some, it is really been a large benefit for me.
As I’ve already taken benefit of Microsoft’s regular relationship with Samsung, I linked my Microsoft and Samsung accounts to enhance the combination.
I take advantage of OneDrive instead storage to my different cloud companies. Plus, I already make the most of varied Microsoft apps and instruments, similar to Cellphone Hyperlink and Hyperlink to Home windows, to sync information between my units.
Backing up Google Images takes far too lengthy
General, the app feels sluggish
After I carry out routine backups on Google Images, the complete course of seems to take a particularly very long time to finish. The method slows down my telephone.
It has grow to be such a trouble that I ended routinely backing up my images, and I now want to discover a handbook technique for doing so.
Though performing handbook backups to different units is useful, I additionally want to have it occur passively within the background.
Moreover, navigating by my Gallery app has all the time been sooner for me than navigating by the Google Images app.
And from my very own expertise, Google Images has additionally been considerably slower at importing movies.
General, I want utilizing the Samsung Gallery app once I must ship photos forwards and backwards between my units; the UI is friendlier to make use of, and it is a lot simpler to view my albums. Uploads additionally have not been overly sluggish.
Google Images’ AI options do not curiosity me
I want utilizing Gallery’s AI instruments
Google Images has AI options I do not actually use. I primarily use it as a storage and backup service, together with creating collections for my photos.
Though Magic Editor is kind of helpful for reframing your images and eradicating undesirable objects, I nonetheless do not use it as typically as I ought to (as I want to make mild edits).
I’ve additionally by no means been a fan of pressured AI integration with my apps.
Moreover, the AI integration will see progress in Google Images, because the app will quickly go full Nano Banana.
It isn’t that I’m in opposition to utilizing AI instruments for images. Personally, I believe it has its place. AI instruments can be utilized to assist appropriate poor-quality images, particularly when taking photographs in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Nonetheless, I discovered myself being extra drawn to Samsung’s choices, comparatively, similar to the brand new Gallery Assistant app that rolled out in beta on One UI 8 for the Galaxy 25 collection, Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 — the largest draw is the batch enhancing characteristic.
The brand new app is designed to work along with the common Gallery app.
I additionally recognize that the Gallery app continues to be mild on AI enhancing options, however there are nonetheless greater than sufficient in-house instruments to make fast edits on the go.
I do not all the time want Google to rule me
The much less time I spend with Google merchandise, the higher
Partly, that is why I’ve all the time caught with Samsung, because it offers options to Google.
Whereas I’m nonetheless depending on many Google merchandise (and sadly, that will not change for some time, since I’m already closely built-in into the Google ecosystem), I prefer to discover options that combine effectively with my on a regular basis units.
However since I do not need to give third-party apps permissions to entry my images and movies, I would slightly keep on with a trusted possibility on my telephone.
Samsung Gallery is the perfect different. The UI stays constant, and the choices aren’t buried and hidden in my settings. I can simply view, handle, and edit my images from throughout the app.
I want coping with my media regionally
Google Images depends closely on cloud instruments to course of and retailer your photos, in addition to manage your media on the Google Cloud.
What I get pleasure from essentially the most about Samsung Gallery is that it by no means appears pushy for me to entry the cloud to handle my images. I can handle them regionally with out counting on an web connection.
My workplace house is situated within the outer a part of my dwelling, and I’ve a Wi-Fi extender to make sure I’ve a secure Wi-Fi connection for many of my units when I’m working with them.
In any other case, I take advantage of a wired setup for units I actively want a reference to. However not all of my units are wired, so I nonetheless use Wi-Fi or cellular information.
With the Gallery app, I haven’t got to emphasize if my Wi-Fi connection turns into spotty to handle my images. I can handle my media immediately on my gadget (offline caching in Google Images continues to be restricted).
The native storage in Gallery is simpler to entry, and I can see all my information inside my albums and folders. I take a variety of short-term non-public images, and the Gallery app makes it simpler for me to handle them.
I additionally do not have to fret about my media getting by accident backed up (as I’ve had my photos backed up on a secondary Google account accidentally — this occurred on multiple event).
Strive different photo-managing and enhancing apps
I admit that I’ve a large Samsung bias and perceive that this substitution is probably not appropriate for everybody.
For example, should you’re searching for a extra light-weight substitute that works effectively, considered one of our writers praised Easy Gallery Professional as the right different to Google Images (for $3).
In any other case, you’ll be able to check out different choices from different platforms that do not have built-in backup and enhancing instruments.
One instance is Amazon Images, a platform accessible to Prime members (with limitations for non-Prime subscribers) that lets you simply again up and edit your images.
One other well-liked possibility is Flickr, which serves as one other backup resolution with social media integration.
So be happy to check out your favourite choices. Google Images would not need to be your main media storage and administration app, even when it comes pre-installed on most Android smartphones.