Photos - Samsung or Google?

[anon(10621852)]

Galaxy owners:

Just wondering how you all approach managing your photos. Let's just assume there was no such thing as third party photo management apps, and the two apps you had to choose from were Samsung Photos and Google Photos (which I believe are the two apps you automatically get on a new Samsung device). As a longtime iPhone user, making the jump to Android, at some point I'm going to have to decide between these two apps and stick with one or the other.

The way I see it is, if you use Samsung Photos, and you eventually buy a different phone other than Samsung, now you have all your photos in the Samsung app that's obviously not compatible with your new device. If you use Google Photos, it would be simple because no matter what Android device you use, you can ALWAYS use Google Photos and simply download them from Google Cloud (whereas your photos would be "stuck" on Samsung's app/cloud and no way to access them).

So I'm just wondering, what's the best way to approach this, keeping it simple? It's nice to have a choice in the Android world, but this does seem like sort of a dilemma ... ?

 

[bhatech]

Google photos anyday. Best service available.

Also, Samsung gallery app now backs to microsoft OneDrive which is better than whatever Samsung crap it was and available everywhere. So it shouldn't matter which you choose.

I backup multiple places, Google photos/OneDrive/Amazon photos.

Google photos I pay for Google one plan since I use lots of Google service. I also pay for office 365 so use OneDrive. Amazon photos as part of Amazon prime.

At the end, use something which is available everywhere irrespective of OS/Device brand/web etc. Backup multiple places and which ever is your favorite use that as your main one.

 

[azdmelani]

Google photos.

 

[amyf27]

I have been doing Google photos for years. I use the unlimited free storage method. Have over 50,000 photos on cloud

 

[anon(10621852)]

Google photos.

Do you feel the app is just better? Or the Google cloud service? Or both?

It would seem that by using Google Photos, you'd have the benefit of being able to access your photos literally anywhere (?)

 

[Mike Dee]

Galaxy owners:

Just wondering how you all approach managing your photos. Let's just assume there was no such thing as third party photo management apps, and the two apps you had to choose from were Samsung Photos and Google Photos (which I believe are the two apps you automatically get on a new Samsung device). As a longtime iPhone user, making the jump to Android, at some point I'm going to have to decide between these two apps and stick with one or the other.

The way I see it is, if you use Samsung Photos, and you eventually buy a different phone other than Samsung, now you have all your photos in the Samsung app that's obviously not compatible with your new device. If you use Google Photos, it would be simple because no matter what Android device you use, you can ALWAYS use Google Photos and simply download them from Google Cloud (whereas your photos would be "stuck" on Samsung's app/cloud and no way to access them).

So I'm just wondering, what's the best way to approach this, keeping it simple? It's nice to have a choice in the Android world, but this does seem like sort of a dilemma ... ?

Google photos is not standard on the S20 but it's really no big deal to add it. I run both. I also use Amazon Prime to back up my stuff.

 

[anon(10621852)]

Google photos is not standard on the S20 but it's really no big deal to add it. I run both. I also use Amazon Prime to back up my stuff.

So I'm thinking Google Photos and Amazon Prime would be excellent choices for photo storage. And it sounds like you can simply shut off the backups to Samsung's cloud if you don't want your photos to go there.

 

[anon(10621852)]

I have been doing Google photos for years. I use the unlimited free storage method. Have over 50,000 photos on cloud

Great, thank you! Are all those photos in Google full resolution? I'm assuming they limit you on videos, though (?)

 

[strikeIII]

Samsung no longer uses they're own service for backup, well maybe just the free storage, they have partnered up with Microsoft to use OneDrive as their backup solution. Or they'll eventually migrate everyone to OneDrive. With that being said depends on what service you prefer. Both are good offerings and for me I personally use Google Drive since I've been using it for so long. Both services can be used on multiple platforms so it really depends on with service works best for you.

 

[strikeIII]

Google photos anyday. Best service available.

Also, Samsung gallery app now backs to microsoft OneDrive which is better than whatever Samsung crap it was and available everywhere. So it shouldn't matter which you choose.

I backup multiple places, Google photos/OneDrive/Amazon photos.

Google photos I pay for Google one plan since I use lots of Google service. I also pay for office 365 so use OneDrive. Amazon photos as part of Amazon prime.

At the end, use something which is available everywhere irrespective of OS/Device brand/web etc. Backup multiple places and which ever is your favorite use that as your main one.

Lol, yeah I'm in the same boat as you. Google as my main, OneDrive I have cuz of O365 and Amazon cuz of Prime. I've been debating converting over to Microsoft as my primary since I've been using O365 so much more lately.

 

[buzzy3970]

I use both but would say google is more intuitive. Like that you have the option of clearing your phone of photos that have successfully backed up if you choose too. Also like the collages and videos that they occasionally make. Forgot about the on this day feature where it shows pics from previous years.

 

[DanielLoreti]

I use both but would say google is more intuitive. Like that you have the option of clearing your phone of photos that have successfully backed up if you choose too. Also like the collages and videos that they occasionally make. Forgot about the on this day feature where it shows pics from previous years.

Doesn't Samsung do the collages too?

 

[strikeIII]

I use both but would say google is more intuitive. Like that you have the option of clearing your phone of photos that have successfully backed up if you choose too. Also like the collages and videos that they occasionally make. Forgot about the on this day feature where it shows pics from previous years.

Their facial recognition feature works well too. If you want to search for photos or only choose certain people to show up on a slide show on my Home Hub.

 

[amyf27]

Great, thank you! Are all those photos in Google full resolution? I'm assuming they limit you on videos, though (?)

I do "high quality/free unlimited storage"

 

[bhatech]

Just using Google photos for few minutes and any other app you'll know the difference. Google photos is much faster to load thumbnails, search is vastly superior, navigating photos via app is super quick, backups work reliably. People may hate Google but even the haters I have met agree that Google photos is awesome

And yes do subscribe for a Google one plan, they are cheap anyway and upload in original quality. If you don't want to do that it's fine with high quality unlimited uploads but I feel it's worth spending the few extra dollars per month. Moreover the Google one storage plan is applicable across your Google services so it's worth it IMO.

 

[mogelijk]

Great, thank you! Are all those photos in Google full resolution? I'm assuming they limit you on videos, though (?)

I save in full resolution on Google. I currently have extra storage from a Chromebook; not sure if I'll keep paying for the extra once my extra free storage is over or if I'll lower the resolution to get the free storage. I also use Amazon, they "bought me off," which is why I started using them, giving me money on a gift card for trying them out.

 

[jlangner]

Google photos anyday. Best service available.

Also, Samsung gallery app now backs to microsoft OneDrive which is better than whatever Samsung crap it was and available everywhere. So it shouldn't matter which you choose.

I backup multiple places, Google photos/OneDrive/Amazon photos.

Google photos I pay for Google one plan since I use lots of Google service. I also pay for office 365 so use OneDrive. Amazon photos as part of Amazon prime.

At the end, use something which is available everywhere irrespective of OS/Device brand/web etc. Backup multiple places and which ever is your favorite use that as your main one.

Same here...back up to multiple.

 

[anon(10621852)]

I do "high quality/free unlimited storage"

Great, thanks

 

[buzzy3970]

Not by themselves or at least I haven't seen it. Google randomly makes collages and videos of your pics. Once for my birthday they made a nice one filled with all the locations I traveled to. Thought it was thoughtful but creepy since it of course tracked my location lol.

Doesn't Samsung do the collages too?

 

[buzzy3970]

True most even most iPhone users I know use google photos for backup.

Just using Google photos for few minutes and any other app you'll know the difference. Google photos is much faster to load thumbnails, search is vastly superior, navigating photos via app is super quick, backups work reliably. People may hate Google but even the haters I have met agree that Google photos is awesome

And yes do subscribe for a Google one plan, they are cheap anyway and upload in original quality. If you don't want to do that it's fine with high quality unlimited uploads but I feel it's worth spending the few extra dollars per month. Moreover the Google one storage plan is applicable across your Google services so it's worth it IMO.