Pixel Gallery Android

Comparison

Pixel Gallery vs Gallery by Google

Verdict: Pick Gallery by Google for a tiny, simple gallery on an entry-level phone. Pick Pixel Gallery if you want search by what a photo shows, cleanup, stories, a video editor and an encrypted index.

Gallery by Google, formerly Gallery Go, is a small offline gallery that groups photos into people and categories. Pixel Gallery is also local, with semantic search, cleanup and much more.

Last updated . Gallery by Google website

Pixel Gallery vs Gallery by Google at a glance

Pixel Gallery vs Gallery by Google feature comparison, data as of November 8, 2026.
Capability Pixel Gallery Gallery by Google
Photos stay on the phone Yes Pixel Gallery never uploads your photos or videos. Yes Offline gallery with no cloud library.
Works without an account Yes Yes
On-device smart search Yes SigLIP2 model, ~375 MB optional download. Partly Nightly on-device grouping into People, Selfies, Nature, Animals, Documents, Videos; free-text content search not documented.
Face grouping Yes Runs on the phone. Yes On device; Google says face grouping is not available in all countries.
Duplicate and similar cleanup Yes Not documented
Encrypted metadata database Yes Not documented
No ads Yes Yes Play listing carries no 'Contains ads' label.
No subscription Yes Free, plus an optional one-time Premium purchase. Yes Free; no in-app purchases listed.
Cloud backup No Pixel Gallery has no cloud. Backup is up to you. No Designed to work offline; no backup feature.
Open source No No
Search by what a photo shows Yes Not documented Category browsing; free-text search is not documented.
Runs on older phones (Android 8.1+) No Needs Android 13 or newer. Yes
Video editor Yes Not documented
Map and places Yes No
Stories and memories Yes No
Sources (4)
  1. Gallery by Google on Google Play, accessed
  2. Google blog: Gallery Go, organize your photos offline (2019), accessed
  3. GSMArena: Gallery Go drops the Go name (2022), accessed
  4. Android Authority: Google's Gallery app surprises Pixel owners (2025), accessed

Yes, if your phone runs Android 13 or newer and you want more than the basics. Gallery by Google, formerly Gallery Go, is a light offline gallery that groups photos into people and categories such as selfies and documents. Pixel Gallery is local too, and adds semantic search, cleanup, stories, places, statistics and a video editor.

  • Size and reach. A very small app that runs on Android 8.1 and entry-level phones.
  • Simplicity. Few screens, nothing to configure.
  • SD card tools. Copy and move files to an SD card.
  • Search by content. Type what you are looking for; the SigLIP2 model runs on the phone.
  • Cleanup. Duplicates, similar shots and low-quality photos with swipe review.
  • Much more to do. Stories, places, statistics, collages, photo and video editing.
  • An encrypted index. The metadata database is encrypted on the phone.

Who should pick which?

Pick Gallery by Google on an older or low-storage phone. Pick Pixel Gallery if your phone is recent and you want your library organized and searchable for you.

Install Pixel Gallery, allow photo access and set it as the default gallery. Your folders are already there; people are grouped again on the phone.

What makes Pixel Gallery different

  • On-device AI

    Faces, semantic search, text recognition and captions run on the phone. Gemini Nano captions on supported devices.

  • Never uploads your photos

    Pixel Gallery never uploads your photos or videos. No account, no cloud library.

  • Encrypted metadata database

    The index of faces, places, text and embeddings is encrypted on the device.

  • No ads, no subscription

    Free to use with no ads. Premium is a one-time purchase.

Beyond the table

18 more things Pixel Gallery does

The table sticks to where Pixel Gallery and Gallery by Google differ most. This is the rest of the app, all on the phone. Features marked Premium are part of the one-time purchase.

On-device AI

Search & discover

Organize

Create & edit

Insights

Sharing

Experiences

Gallery basics

All features What's in Premium

Pixel Gallery vs Gallery by Google: questions

Is Gallery Go still supported?

It was renamed Gallery by Google in 2022 and is still on Google Play, last updated in June 2026. Its feature set has changed little since launch.

Gallery by Google or Google Photos?

Gallery by Google is offline and simple; Google Photos is a cloud service. Pixel Gallery sits between them: local like Gallery, with smart features like Photos.

Does Gallery by Google upload photos?

No. It works offline with no cloud library. Pixel Gallery also never uploads your photos or videos.

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Free on Google Play

Requires Android 13 or newer. No account. Optional one-time Premium upgrade.

Get it on Google Play Details & requirements