Samsung will end its Gallery app’s automatic sync with Microsoft OneDrive, forcing users to find a new cloud backup solution for their photos and videos.
The integration, which allowed Samsung device owners to back up Gallery content directly to OneDrive without opening a separate app, will be discontinued. Samsung has not publicly disclosed the exact termination date through a Tier-1 verified announcement at the time of writing, but the change is confirmed through in-app notifications delivered to affected users.
What changes for users
Once the sync ends, photos and videos stored solely through the Gallery-OneDrive pipeline will no longer receive automatic cloud backup.
Users who took no additional action face potential data loss if their device is lost, damaged, or reset. Any content already uploaded to OneDrive before the cutoff will remain accessible in that account.
Alternatives available
Samsung’s own cloud storage service, Samsung Cloud, remains available as a native backup option within the Gallery app.
Google Photos is also compatible with Samsung devices and offers automatic backup through its standalone app. Google provides 15 GB of free storage across its services, with paid tiers available through Google One.
Microsoft OneDrive will still function as a storage service. Users can continue to upload photos manually or through the OneDrive app directly, but the hands-free Gallery integration will be gone.
Background on the partnership
Samsung and Microsoft announced deeper software collaboration in 2019, which brought OneDrive integration into the Gallery app as part of a broader push to connect Android devices with Windows and Microsoft 365 ecosystems.
The partnership positioned OneDrive as a default backup path for Samsung users who also worked within Microsoft’s software environment. That arrangement now appears to be narrowing in scope.
Microsoft OneDrive offers 5 GB of free storage, according to Microsoft's official plans page. Expanded storage requires a Microsoft 365 subscription, starting at $1.99 per month for 100 GB.
Samsung has not issued a formal statement explaining the reason for ending the integration. Neither company has announced a replacement feature or a successor partnership to fill the gap.
Users who rely on automatic backup as their sole redundancy layer should act before the cutoff by enabling an alternative service and verifying that existing files are secured in a separate location.
Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI, the company’s Android-based interface, number in the hundreds of millions globally, making the change relevant to a large portion of the Android user base.
