Samsung Ends OneDrive Gallery Sync as Cloud Partnership Winds Down
Samsung is preparing to end one of the most familiar features for long-time Galaxy users—the seamless integration between the Samsung Gallery app and Microsoft OneDrive. Galaxy smartphone owners have long been accustomed to receiving prompts to back up their photos and videos to OneDrive, reflecting Samsung's unique position in the technology ecosystem. While its smartphones run Google's Android operating system, its laptops and PCs rely on Microsoft Windows, allowing the company to maintain close partnerships with both Google and Microsoft. That longstanding collaboration with OneDrive, however, is now coming to an end.
For years, Samsung Gallery's OneDrive integration served as a compelling alternative to Google Photos, particularly for users who preferred not to become fully dependent on Google's ecosystem.
The feature also worked seamlessly with Samsung Gallery's exclusive camera capabilities, automatically synchronizing photos with Windows 11 PCs while maintaining a smooth experience across Galaxy devices.
Samsung and Microsoft have now decided to discontinue their cloud storage partnership. The direct synchronization feature between Samsung Gallery and Microsoft OneDrive will be permanently discontinued at the end of September. Samsung has already begun notifying users through in-device alerts, giving them sufficient time to choose an alternative backup solution.
What Will Change from October 1
In a statement released in mid-May, Microsoft announced that beginning October 1, Samsung Gallery will "no longer sync directly with OneDrive," and users will no longer be able to link the two services.
After the deadline, photos stored in OneDrive will no longer appear directly inside the Samsung Gallery app on Galaxy smartphones.
Any Samsung Smart TV or other Samsung smart home device features that rely on OneDrive synchronization will also stop displaying those synchronized images.
Existing photos stored in OneDrive will remain safe and accessible. Users can continue viewing and downloading them through the OneDrive app or website. Before the feature is discontinued, Samsung Gallery users can also restore cloud-stored images to their phones by using the "Download Originals" option.
According to technology publication Android Authority, Samsung has already started removing OneDrive support for new users. Those who have never enabled OneDrive synchronization will no longer find the option in the latest version of the Samsung Gallery app.
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8, expected to be unveiled later this month at Samsung's Unpacked event in London, are also expected to ship without the built-in OneDrive Gallery integration.
How to Continue Backing Up Photos to OneDrive
Although direct integration with Samsung Gallery is ending, Galaxy users can still back up their photos and videos to OneDrive using Microsoft's standalone application.
To continue using OneDrive for automatic backups:
- Download the official Microsoft OneDrive app from the Google Play Store.
- Sign in using your Microsoft account.
- Open Account Profile, enable Camera Backup, and grant the required permissions. Your photos and videos will then continue uploading to OneDrive automatically.
Users looking for alternatives may also consider Google Photos, Dropbox, or Amazon Photos. Those seeking greater privacy and complete control over their data can opt for open-source solutions such as Immich, a Google Photos alternative, or Nextcloud, a self-hosted cloud platform. However, these options require personal hardware, such as a NAS or a home server, to operate.
//DBTech/BMT/OR//
