Since I previously relied on Pixel devices, Google Photos was the only option available for handling photographs. However, after getting a Samsung device, Samsung Gallery has quickly become my go-to application, and it has some advantages over Google Photos.
Superior Photo Organization and Management
I was attracted to the Samsung Gallery app for the first time because of its clean, no-nonsense interface. It’s precisely the user experience you expect from such an application as Gallery.
For instance, there is Samsung Gallery, which lets me sort albums in ascending and descending order by name or by the number of media files the album contains. Also, one can bypass unwanted and cluster-related albums, features that make it easier to go through my library.
Next on the list is an option to suggest applying to Samsung Gallery, which I found quite handy. One of them is that it can sort out the identical and irrelevant pictures in a few moments and offer them for deletion. The level of organizing and optimizing photos that is provided at this level is not possible using Google Photos.
OneDrive Integration
As someone who has to use Microsoft 365 and has it included in my subscription, I found this integration with OneDrive through Samsung Gallery beneficial. OneDrive comes in handy because I have 1TB of storage in my subscription, and backing up all the photos is easy, so I do not have to worry about space.
In the case of my photos, I get a copy on OneDrive that I can access when I am on my Windows PC without having to move or download. As mentioned earlier, this means I do not have to transfer files between my phone and computer, which saves time on all the photos.
Although I could have the same experience by configuring Google Drive on my Windows PC, then again, it would cost me more space to buy Google Photos.
Seamless Search for Both Backed-Up and Local Photos
No other service can contest that Google Photos is equipped with a powerful set of search tools, including face and location recognition and searching for photos with particular tags like “sunset” or “birthday.” However, there’s a major caveat: these features are only available on photos uploaded to the Google cloud.
Therefore, if I have not synced everything or if I do not want some pictures to be uploaded to save space or due to some reason or the other, I am unable to search for such images using Google Photos.
This isn’t an issue with Samsung Gallery since I can search this app for photos without necessarily having to consider whether the image is saved on my device or backed up online. This means I can hunt down what I want without much problem, no matter where the photos are on my computer. This is such a relief for me that Google Photos does not provide.
Powerful Photo and Video Editing Tools
Samsung Galaxy and Google Photo are two of the most popular photo and video editing apps that I have tried many times. The basic editing functions are workable in both these applications; however, Samsung Gallery is highly loaded with power and flexibility.
Using Samsung Gallery, I can always quickly delete any shadow or reflection from any of my photos. There are also easy-to-use features like removing red-eye and Face Effects, which include Smoothness, Tone, Jawline, and much more. Google Photos’ photo editor does not have these options.
The video editor in Samsung Gallery also contains a number of helpful settings. For instance, Samsung Gallery, apart from letting me remove sound from a video, also enables me to add new background music from my phone under the video in the app. Still, Google Photos allows me to mute only video files.
Another option I saw in the Samsung Gallery video editor but did not see in Google Photos is the option to shrink the size of the video file. This is most advantageous when I do not wish to trash a particular video completely but do not need it to occupy a lot of space.
AI-Powered Photo Assist
Apart from common photo enhancement tools, Samsung Gallery has extra advanced AI features that Google Photos does not have. The Generative Edit is probably the most useful for me, and it enables me to add size to images smoothly. It does not matter if I want to add more background or, as I did today, extend a landscape; it seamlessly integrates the new elements.
Another amusing and innovative option is the sketch-to-image function, which generates my handwriting into a 3-dimensional object and allows me to put it into the image naturally.
Another unique feature available through AI is Photo Assist, where I can also crop, erase, and place objects on or off the picture. That said, Google Photos’ Magic Editor provides this capability, although it only allows me to apply up to 10 monthly corrections with the free version, which requires me to sign up for Google One. Samsung Gallery, on the other hand, allows an infinite number of edits without charging the user a single dime and, therefore, is way more flexible for creative photo and video juncting.
Option to Copy and Paste Edits
Another nice thing about Samsung Gallery is that you can copy changes from one picture to another. It’s so convenient, especially when I want to tweak one picture and another similar one a little and don’t want to redo everything.
Here’s how it works: If I have tweaked a photo in some particular way, such as increasing its brightness or applying filters, there is a handy button for copying the changes. I only have to go to the three dots in the top right corner and then choose Copy Edits. Finally, I can then go to other photos, and I’d also like to make those exact adjustments as well. After I have chosen all the images I want, I go back to the three-dot menu and then click on Paste Edits.
However, Google Photos doesn’t provide the same option again. As it stands, it may not be a big deal, but it is one of those ‘bells and whistles’ that put me on the side of Samsung Gallery.
Copy Images to Clipboard for Easy Sharing
With Samsung Gallery, I can conveniently copy images and other data into the clipboard for sharing. All I have to do is click on the picture, go to the settings by right clicking and choosing ‘copy image address’. After that, I can quickly copy and paste it into any application – whether a messenger or an email. Even better is that there is an option to pin that image to my clipboard, and thus, I do not have to search for it in my gallery every time I need it.
This is a feature that I often employ than not in my tutorials. The one downside is that Google Photos, while an excellent application, does not offer the same level of integration, so I’ve had to use Samsung Gallery more on my Galaxy phone.
