Samsung Gallery proved faster than Google Photos — user ditched Pixel for Galaxy

A Samsung smartphone owner says he has abandoned years of Google Photos usage in favor of the manufacturer's native gallery app. The decision was driven by noticeable differences in speed and handling of sensitive images.

The author, who had long relied on Google Photos on his Pixel 9 Pro, admitted that his loyalty was mainly tied to the Google One plan with cloud storage. However, after actively using Samsung Gallery on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Tab S10 FE, he found the built-in app handled tasks more effectively.

The main frustration with Google Photos was slow loading of large media libraries, especially those heavy with videos. Scrolling through cloud-stored or uncached files suffered from delays, and reopening the app brought back the same performance issues. Attempts to speed things up via preloading or indexing provided no consistent fix.

Samsung Gallery, in contrast, loads thumbnails almost instantly, even for cloud-stored files. Editing photos and searching the library are also faster and more accurate: keyword queries return fewer mistakes and more relevant results.

Another advantage highlighted is integration with Secure Folder, a protected area of One UI. It lets users isolate sensitive images, such as screenshots with account details, without cluttering the main feed. That not only simplifies navigation but also speeds up indexing of the remaining files.

The author stresses he does not want to fully abandon Google Photos but now views it as a secondary tool. Samsung Gallery, he says, has become his primary photo storage on Galaxy devices.