Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR OPPO, OnePlus, Realme, and Xiaomi smartphones now feature Google Photos integration in their gallery apps. This integration allows users to access their Google Photos library within the OEM gallery app and set up photo backups directly from the app without needing to open Google Photos. Many phone manufacturers offer both their own gallery app and Google Photos on their devices. With this new integration, users can seamlessly view and manage their Google Photos library within the OEM app.
According to Android Police, OPPO, OnePlus, Realme, and Xiaomi devices have integrated Google Photos into their gallery apps. This feature is available on OPPO, OnePlus, and Realme phones running Android 14, with Xiaomi gaining basic integration in late 2022. The Realme 12 Pro Plus also offers this feature, allowing users to easily access Google Photos within the gallery app. To set up the integration, users can open the gallery app, go to settings, select Backup to Google Photos, and then tap Backup.
The integration not only enables photo backups through the OEM app but also allows users to view their entire Google Photos library within the gallery app. Users may need to wait a few minutes for their Google Photos library to appear in the app. Realme’s gallery app displays the Google Photos library in a “restored” folder, with videos streaming from Google Photos and photos being downloaded automatically for full resolution viewing. The gallery app also handles photo edits well, offering the option to replace the original file or save a copy.
Google’s support page notes that only Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, and Realme phones currently support Google Photos integration in their gallery apps, with a minimum requirement of Android 11. Hopefully, Samsung Gallery and other OEM gallery apps will also receive this integration in the future, reducing the need to switch between multiple gallery apps.