What you need to know
- Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, and Realme phones can now integrate their default gallery apps with Google Photos.
- After connecting the photo apps, users can back up photos to Google Photos and view their Google Photos library in the default app.
- OnePlus added this functionality as part of the OxygenOS 14 upgrade. However, the official requirements for the integration are an Android 11 phone or later from the above manufacturers.
Google Photos is a premier option for photo storage among Android users, but most OEMs include a default gallery app of their own. Now, if you use a phone from Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, and Realme, you can link the default gallery app to Google Photos. After integrating the two apps, you'll be able to back up your on-device photos to Google Photos and view Google Photos media in your phone's default gallery app.
The new functionality is outlined in a Google support document and was first spotted by Mishaal Rahman at Android Police. Officially, Google says you only need a few things to link Google Photos to a default gallery app. First, only Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, and Realme phones are supported. Then, the phones need to be running Android 11 or later with the latest version of the Google Photos app installed. However, each OEM might have different requirements for using Google Photos integration.
For example, OnePlus started supporting the feature with the release of OxygenOS 14, which is based on Android 14. OnePlus' new flagships shipped with OxygenOS 14, and OnePlus Open users gained widespread access to OxygenOS 14 starting this month. Both the OnePlus 12 series and the OnePlus Open should be able to link OnePlus' default gallery app with Google Photos as a result.
To start taking advantage of this integration, you might only have to respond to a pop-up in your phone's default gallery app. If asked to give the default app access to Google Photos, you can either choose Allow or Don't Allow. After that pop-up disappears, access can be granted in the settings menu of your phone's default gallery app. Under a tab called either "cloud sync" or "cloud backup," follow the on-screen prompts to grant Google Photos access.
Xiaomi has the most robust support for Google Photos integration with its gallery app. Xiaomi's gallery app and Google Photos can work together to provide a thorough two-way sync that includes album sharing.
To revoke Google Photos access, you can go to the same page in your phone's default gallery app. Alternatively, the gallery app will appear in the list of apps with Google Photos access in the Google Photos app, and the connection can be terminated there.
For now, this functionality is limited to the aforementioned four OEMs, but it could be extended to more brands in the future.
