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Google is rolling out a powerful new way to access and share content in Google Photos, but iPhone users and most major Android brands will be missing out.
As detailed in a recent Google Photos support document, Google has begun rolling out a new feature called “Default Gallery Access.” This feature gives selected smartphones two-way access to your Google Photos library directly from the default Gallery app.
Unfortunately, this feature is currently only available on OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, and Xiaomi devices, and iPhone and Samsung Galaxy users are excluded for now.
When default gallery access is enabled, users can easily access their Google Photos library without having to switch to the Google Photos app. This means you can view, download, edit, and share content stored in Google Photos without leaving the system-provided Gallery app. However, Google Photos must be installed for this feature to work. This is especially useful if your default Gallery app offers features that Google Photos doesn’t support.
How to use
For example, when you enable default Gallery access on your Xiaomi 14 smartphone, the Gallery app will start syncing images with Google Photos in the background. If you have a large photo library, this process may take a significant amount of time, but you can continue using your gallery while the process continues.
Once connected, you’ll be able to edit photos and videos stored in Google Photos directly in the Gallery app without having to switch to and download the Google Photos app. When you select Album view in the Gallery app, you’ll see separate albums of your favorites, videos, screenshots, and images taken locally with your device’s camera.
Unfortunately, the Gallery app doesn’t display existing albums created in Google Photos Library. Anything that isn’t included in the categories above is grouped into an album called “All Photos.”
When testing the default gallery access on an older Mi 11 Ultra smartphone, we found that the setup process was slightly different. Users are given the option to freely switch their backup provider between Microsoft OneDrive and Google Photos. Google says default gallery access works on devices running Android 11 or higher.
Important notes
In addition to the lack of support for Google Photo albums, the default gallery access has some other significant drawbacks.
One big caveat is that for Google Photos sync to work, your device must remain set to back up your photos to Google Photos. If your Google Account is low on storage, you may want to maintain access to your library without automatically adding new photos to it. Unfortunately, turning off Google Photos backup completely disables access to the default gallery and disconnects all synced images.
While this may be frustrating for some users, it makes sense from the perspective of ensuring that any edits you make locally are reflected in your Google Photos Library.
Additionally, the synchronization process may not be completely seamless. Google’s documentation states that edits made on another device or via the Google Photos website may sync correctly with the connected Gallery app. Album names and duplicate images may not be synced correctly.
For these reasons, we recommend that you continue using the Google Photos app whenever possible until the above issues are resolved.
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