Use Google Photos instead of Gallery?

[reecehart]

Is there a way to use Google Photos instead of Samsung gallery by default?

I have over 10 years of pictures in Google photos. I want to use Google photos by default on my new s24. Is that possible?

Right now, actions like trying to select wallpaper use Samsung Gallery which is empty and therefore useless to me.

I don't want to switch photo services.

[BDub]

Uninstall Gallery and just use Google Photos.

[Robin621k]

You can not uninstall Gallery, nor disable it without jumping through hoops

[reecehart]

At least on my phone, Gallery cannot be uninstalled.

[realaud]

Just take the gallery icon off your home screen and add the google photos. All your photos will be there. Presto! It's now your default. As long as you have your photos being backed uo to google photos

[ricketypumpkin]

Yes the person above me stated, there is no real default for photos in android. It's kind of just whatever app you want to use. All photos taken from the camera app will show up in any of your gallery apps including Google photos automatically so long as they have the correct permissions. I would do as he suggested and hide the gallery app or put it in a spot that you don't visibly see it, then put Google photos in an easily accessible area. I too have about 10 years of photo storage through Google, I have over 500 GB on their cloud and I have the five terabytes storage plan. I use a mix of both apps, I use the gallery for day-to-day photo viewing or small tasks and then I use Google photos as my backup and storage for photos as well as my photo editor since I have the premium editing unlocked being subscribed to 5 TB plan.

[reecehart]

Here are the two specific outcomes I'd like:

- When selecting wallpaper, have it show Google photos albums. Right now, I see only Gallery albums.

- When clicking on the most recent photo in Camera, use Google Photos for editing rather than Gallery.

Hiding icons doesn't address either of these.

Is there a way to do this? From the previous comments about the lack of the notion of a default photos app, I'm assuming that the answer is probably no.

[realaud]

I really do not understand what difference it makes.  It's a Samsung phone, so Samsung will make the Gallery the default app for opening photos. It does not prevent you from using any other photo gallery or editor if you so choose.  You just have to open that app manually.  

Also, everything in your gallery is also in Google Photos, so making your wallpaper from your gallery shouldn't be a big problem.  If you are looking to add a specific album or set of photos as wallpaper, and they are years old and not showing in your gallery, just copy them back to your phone and gallery will pick them up. 

I know it's personal preference for most people, and others just don't care.  I am in the latter category, as I have my photos backed up to Google photos and have since my very first phone.  And since to Google photo apps come with most phones, I can access my older photos when I need to.  I also keep my photos on an SD card (which I understand the S series no longer has), so they don't take up space in my internal storage.  I use the Samsung Gallery for everyday browsing and editing., but then I am not paying for the editing features in Google.

I guess since the features/outcome you want is not available on Samsung phones at the moment, you will have to live with the limitations.  You can flag your post as a suggestion in the apps forum, maybe a moderator will see it and pass it on to the development team. It may also happen that some time in the future, Google Photos will be the default since Samsung seems to be easing out of the software/apps business in favor of the tech.

[Craig Mc]

Can you use the AI photo editing features with Google Photos? Or only Gallery?

[AKJaxx]

Having same issues as OP and I empathize
It's a complete PITA for those of you who don't understand what the question is
I. Too. Have 15 years of GPs and I have a dozen pictures in Sammy's gallery. It's worthless and another issue when making redundant apps across the entire system. Phone. Calendar. Text. Gallery. Please just let us choose which to use. I just got off with support and gave him access to my phone
There's no Google camera. Pixel yeah. Any other Android. Nope. I am going to buy an app or two - cameras - and I'll let you know if I'm able to pick default library for repository and for editing etc