I ditched Google Photos for this lightweight app; my Pixel finally feels right

I ditched Google Photos for this lightweight app; my Pixel finally feels right — here is a clear breakdown of what happened and why it matters right now.

The details below put the news in context: the key points first, the background after.

I am not the biggest fan of Google Photos, partly because it’s exhausting to manage my cloud storage since I depend on my 15GB of data for other apps like Gmail and Google Drive.

Google Photos tends to be the culprit behind the space filling up, mainly because I have used it to enable cross-device syncing when I snap pictures or to turn on backups while testing some features.

Basically, it’s just a photo management app that doesn’t work for me — I prefer offline, localized solutions, but without worrying about third-party options.

I found a very simple solution for my trusty Google Pixel: the Gallery by Google app. It’s lightweight, simple, and best of all, offline.

These unique features make Google’s under-the-radar photo app a must-have for Android users who value speed and reliability.

Gallery by Google is not available by default. You need to download the app from the Play Store to use it.

The app has smart organization, so you don’t need to worry about a huge mess of images or manually sorting through them.

I don’t love moving photos to albums unless they are specialized images I plan to share with multiple people.

I sometimes do it if I need to keep my photo album private for my own viewing (only on my primary driver). Google Photos has a vault that can work to a similar effect.

I will say that one feature I missed in Google Photos was the locked folders, which you won’t find in the Gallery by Google app.

If you want to consider privatizing your collection, there are some decent options, like Private Spaces (which creates a separate, hidden profile) or the safe folder option in Files by Google.

On my Google Pixel, that’s a compromise I am more willing to accept, since the Gallery by Google app is a local solution, meaning I can maintain my privacy by keeping anything from going to the cloud.

Also, for other devices that use a microSD card for external storage, you can move photos between them using the app — so everything is controlled only through your device.

I do not use the Magic Editor on the Google Pixel, mainly because when I am serious about post-image processing, I stick to the tools from Galaxy AI built into the Samsung Gallery app — that’s usually my primary driver.

Photos I take on the Pixel are pretty simplified for the most part.

But I can see the appeal of having access to the Magic Editor in Google Photos. I’ve seen some impressive images edited to change the style and mood, and even generate new surroundings for the photo.

Object removal is also a very nice perk, especially if you take the perfect shot, only to have it ruined by someone photo-bombing the image at the last second or by a piece of ugly furniture sticking out in a nicely composed photo.

Or making use of Google Photos’ built-in conversational editor to save a little time for more complex editing.

Sadly, the Gallery by Google app’s editing tools are sparse.

You have access to an auto-enhance feature that does a quick rebalance of the photo by fixing brightness and some coloring — it isn’t too crazy.

I sometimes use it because of the awful lighting in my home — but it never drastically changes the look.

It’s also not possible to manually tweak anything if you don’t want to use the auto-tool, since the best you can do is add some filters, which I never touch or use.

Cropping and rotating images, another common function, can also be done there.

I do use this a bit more frequently than everything else — which is why the very basic editing toolset works — but I can see why others would be disappointed by the limitations.

But this isn’t a photo-editing app; it’s more for management. So basically, it works a lot like how Samsung Gallery used to be before AI took over.

I worry that Google will phase this app out, since it already isn’t a default option and Google is known to abandon some projects midway.

So while I am satisfied with the lightweight alternative for my Pixel, I don’t expect it to be a permanent solution.

From smart albums to AI magic — how well do you really know Google’s beloved photo platform?

In what year was Google Photos launched as a standalone app, separate from Google+?

Google Photos ended its free unlimited original-quality storage policy in June 2021. What storage cap applies to free Google accounts?

What is the name of Google Photos’ AI-powered feature that automatically groups photos by the people who appear in them?

Which Google Photos feature allows you to remove distracting objects or people from a photo using generative AI?

What is the name of the Google Photos feature that automatically shares relevant photos with friends or family members it recognises in your pictures?

Which Google Photos editing tool uses AI to suggest brightness, contrast, and color adjustments tailored specifically to each photo?

Google Photos allows users to lock sensitive photos behind biometric authentication. What is this protected space called?

While I may not have highlighted them in this article, third-party options exist to replace Google Photos.

for example, my colleague liked using Fossify Gallery as another simplified, privacy-focused gallery app, much like Gallery by Google Photos.

While I worry about trusting third-party apps with my data, Fossify Gallery is an open source app that has been around since 2023 and was later released on the Play Store in 2024.

It has been a few years since then; nothing suspicious has been reported, and there are no ads or trackers.

So this is the one I plan to try next if Gallery by Google doesn’t pan out on my Pixel phone.