Why can't you change the default Gallery app on the S24?

[userlp85n6dggW]

I used to have an S22, and S23 and both of them would allow you to change the default Gallery app. However the S24 won't. And before anyone tries linking to any generic support article on how to change default apps, The S24 DOES NOT have that menu option.

The closes thing I can do is install other 3rd party gallery apps, and then if I use File Browser to open a photo, it will ask me which app to use to open photos, and I can select a 3rd party and and even select to use that every time, HOWEVER that only changes what app opens, when selecting a photo from the file browser.

There are other "open a photo" functions that you can't change what the default app is. The most annoying is from within the camera app, if you take a photo, then tap on the tiny preview image in the corner, it will ALWAYS open in the Samsung Gallery app, and never asks which app to use.

You also can't disable or remove the Samsung gallery app. the best I can do is remove all the permissions from the app, so now instead of it opening an app I don;t like or want to use, it will just pop up a message asking me to give the Samsung gallery app permissions again, which just acts as a reminder that I have to manually open the photo in the correct app.

WHY WOULD SAMSUNG REMOVE SUCH A BASIC FEATURE? I am surprised no one has opened a class action law suit or tried to sue them for anti monopoly laws for forcing their gallery app on people without giving an option to change it.

[realaud]

I truly don't understand the hatred of the gallery app. It's a perfectly functional photo viewer. If you don't like the editor, you can just use a third-party editor. You buy a Samsung phone, you get Samsung software if you don't want to use it, nobody's twisting your arm but those are usually the default apps. You don't want to use the Samsung apps buy a different brand of phone.

BTW, an app called "gallery" is inextricably linked to the camera on every brand Android phone, not just Samsung (even has the same icon). I had it on my Asus, Motorola, etc.

[MisterB2024]

My Google Pixel 3A only came with the default Google Photos app. No Gallery software. And now that I have the S24 interestingly the Photos editing options are grayed out and Google wants a subscription! Samsung Gallery is fine though I wish the camera photos were saved into the Camera folder like my Pixel did, rather than saving them in a subfolder of a subfolder as syncing with my Windows 11 desktop via OneDrive created a nested subfolder of the Photos app. Very confusing at first. And one is unable to specify storage location of camera images.

Also, I am enjoying the Samsung Galaxy Enhance-X app (free download) for editing images. I highly recommend it.

[AKJaxx]

That's what I want! Google Photos as my default - auto open 'gallery app'. I don't hate Sammy's but I've used Google Photos for 15 years+ now, pay for 2TB of Drive space and I'm not excited to hold every picture redundantly, including locally considering the price today for storage upgrades.
If you try using it, every picture and video is duplicated.

It's ridiculous and I agree with the OP. I've been on the line with a service dude that worked on my phone remotely for 10 minutes and finally said, "welp, I Guess you don't have that option on this one". ..
First time he'd seen it. Very very frustrating and the OneDrive deal is a SS! While I already had 365, I don't get it. Samsung chooses OneDrive as the backup vs Photos?

Makes zero sense. I don't need four copies of cloud collections of my media but I don't have a choice anymore. Not if I wanna keep it safe. (My data)

[skrinklydoo]

Sammy's doesn't have a "save to gallery" button when sharing from 3rd party apps. I don't hate it, I just wish the button was there.

[RT10]

Because of the auto optimization on photos that Gallery does. And there is no way to turn it off. It makes photos look crappy. They are perfectly fine, then it auto optimizes it into a blurry **bleep**. Samsung has not fixed this when using 200mp & 50mp. People hate that there is currently no way to turn this stupid setting off. I have contacted Samsung & they just tell you to submit feedback to them so they can fix it in a future update. There have been multiple and still no fix to this. 

[Members_lKDAzui]

Realaud, because its bloatware. When the original default was google. Before samsung decided they no longer wanted to be under google. Program settings were changed and communication wasn't given. So the freedom of choice now gone (welcome to whats called an ecosystem) and users now forced to figure out why if they used google theyre pictures are opening in a different app. This is justifiably attributes to folks hatred for this app. I truly dont understand how this coldn't make sense.

[realaud]

I wouldn't consider it bloatware.  I don't know what the original default was, because my 1st Samsung phone was whatever they had back when Samsung first started making smart phones. It had the gallery app as default, while it also had Google photos app on it. My 2nd was the S10 lite and it also had the gallery as default.  As a matter of fact, the 5 phones I had in between -- BLU, Doogee (don't ask), Asus all had both Google Photos and a gallery app which was the default on all the phones.  I think the gallery app is really a generic app (because it had the same familiar icon) and not made by Samsung, but the editor contained within it is all Samsung.  I do think, however, that regardless of which app is the default, when you are on a website and want to upload a photo, they should let you choose where you want to upload it from - some people have photos in Google, some have some in One Drive and now Amazon has photo storage so some people have photos there.  You should not only be allowed to choose from what's in your gallery.  If I want to upload a photo to FB when I am on a computer from a web browser, I can choose whatever location I want to upload from.  If I use the FB app on the phone, and want to upload something, I can only choose the gallery.  I have not tried going to FB from a web browser on the phone and trying to upload from there.

[userZNnTdcqwZP]

I have S23 and there is no such option to change default Gallery app that you were talking about

[userEeevLBO7qp]

Samsung you need to fix this pay over $1000 for a phone fix it