[Android Central Question]

So if you don't know the story: Cheetah Mobile bought the best Gallery app on Android and ruined it. I've tried finding an alternative, but I found that none of them were as good. Even worse, the App Store has become over-saturated by bad knock-offs. I was thankfully able keep a version of QuickPic from before the buyout, but its tragic and disheartening to know that these ripoffs have tarnished the reputation of one of the best apps out there.

I already tried asking on Reddit, which of course got me nowhere since that website is useless. They kept on shilling Simple Gallery, which not only has a generic name and unoriginal logo, but there's actually a ripoff of this app that's ad free and doesn't cost 99c.

My question is what is the best freeware, ad-free, gallery app on Android that isn't just another blatant copy of QuickPic (basically any app that recycles the QuickPic logo or use a sunflower as an icon)? I'm content to stick with the old version still on my phone, but I'm curious to know if anyone has developed a different, decent gallery app.

[mustang7757]

Which phone /device you have?
I'll leave a Link to register so you can communicate here as a guest account you can only post questions but can't reply.
https://forums.androidcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=409154

[ManiacJoe]

As a QuickPic refugee, I am a big fan of "piktures" by Diune
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...diune.pictures

[Mooncatt]

Simple Gallery has an official free version with no ads. It is only slightly limited in features (not enough to bother paying for), but I have noticed it doesn't always pick up on newly created folders and an occasional nag that it'll no longer get updates (yet I have had at least two updates anyway). If you want to give it a try, it's this one.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...etools.gallery

[Kizzy Catwoman]

This is my favourite third party gallery app. Unfortunately not ad free but I paid to remove ads and it has a beautiful interface.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...eheart.gallery

[Ry]

Wondering when Francisco Franco is going to release an update for Focus and Focus Go

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...focus&hl=en_US

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....lite&hl=en_US

[Golfdriver97]

testing, testing.

I think you are new. Welcome to the forums. If you want you can post an intro thread here: https://forums.androidcentral.com/ne...yourself-here/

[52220201136amEDT]

I'm the one who posted this question

[52220201136amEDT]

Galaxy J3 Prime

[52220201136amEDT]

Piktures is another ripoff that contains ads.
Simple Gallery, as I've said before, is just another QuickPic ripoff. Not only is the app itself takes longer to load hidden folders then the version of QuickPic I have (5.0.0), it has its own ripoff in the form of "Gallery Ad Free" by Prixel.Studio.
There's really no point in trying Smart Mobile Tools' Gallery because it has ads, and there's no ad-free version on their profile page.
And, finally, Focus is a freemium app model after Google Photos, which isn't as customizable or flexible as QuickPic.

[B. Diddy]

Gallery apps are fairly similar -- after all, how many iterations of a gallery can there be? So calling those apps "ripoffs" is a bit unfair, IMO. Also, are you a developer? If not, then keep in mind that these devs have put a good amount of time making these apps, and for some, it may be a significant source of revenue -- they're not doing this for free. So if there aren't any good absolutely free options around, then you tolerate the ads, or support the devs by paying for the ad-free version. (Or, you learn how to develop apps and make the app that you want.)

Gallery apps are also a bit notorious for having sneaky adware and potential malware hidden in them, since so many people are interested in alternative galleries. So if you did find an absolutely free gallery app somewhere, I'd take it with a huge grain of salt -- make sure it has a lot of good reviews, and more importantly, focus on the bad reviews. If you see rationally written bad reviews talking about sneaky adware, then stay away.

[52220201136amEDT]

how many iterations of a gallery can there be?

My point exactly. If these apps can't do anything different from the stock Gallery apps, Google Photos, or QuickPic, then why bother in the first place? The answer: because if QuickPic is no longer on the Play Store, that means anyone can rehash the app (and cram in ads) to cash in on its absence. Meanwhile, if any Gallery app exists that's actually innovative, original, and unique, it's drowned out in a sea of oversaturation; THOSE are the apps that deserve the support.

And don't play the "why don't you try it?" card; that's no excuse. You might as well tell someone who doesn't like Netflix to try to make their own streaming service. If I could develop my own Gallery app, I wouldn't be asking this question in the first place. Meanwhile, the developers who can make their own apps, who could have created something better than QuickPic, are taking the lazy route.

[Mooncatt]

If I could develop my own Gallery app, I wouldn't be asking this question in the first place.

As has already been pointed out, there's very few ways one can layout a gallery app. Heck, not a lot has changed with them since the early days of Android, so it's arguable that Quickpic was a ripoff of those. Since you brought this up, what sort of new or innovative features would you like to see?

[B. Diddy]

And don't play the "why don't you try it?" card; that's no excuse

I'm not making an excuse -- that's a legitimate option, if you feel that every app out there is a ripoff or every dev is either just trying to be a moneygrubber or being lazy.

[mustang7757]

Galaxy J3 Prime

What's wrong with Samsung stock gallery app?

[Ry]

What's wrong with Google Photos?

[belodion]

What's wrong with Google Photos?

That’s exactly what I thought when I read the opening post, but I tend not to question people’s choices.

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Did you look at the app I suggested?

[B. Diddy]

What's wrong with Google Photos?

Personally, I swear by Google Photos. But I'd say that the most common complaints about it would be (1) the apparent lack of organization, since the main screen is the main cloud feed, and you have to dig in to the menu to get to the Device Folders (it's really best if you rely on the Google Photos cloud to store and organize your photos) and (2) the fear that Google is steeling ur dataz and soul.

[B. Diddy]

I posed this question to JR Raphael, my favorite Android tech writer, and he suggested the following:

Gallery Go, which is Google's own stripped-down version of Google Photos (so no cloud syncing)

F Stop Gallery, which is free and ad-free, but which isn't as fully featured as their Pro version

Simple Gallery, which has been deprecated in favor of the paid Pro app, but it's still available on the Play Store (I'm not sure what you mean that there's a ripoff of this app that's free and not $0.99 -- maybe you're thinking of this deprecated free version that the dev no longer actively supports)