Pixel Gallery Android

Comparison

Pixel Gallery vs Simple Gallery

Verdict: Pick Pixel Gallery if you left Simple Gallery over ads and want a smarter gallery that still keeps photos on the phone. Pick Fossify Gallery if you want the open-source continuation of the original app.

Simple Gallery was a favorite open-source gallery until its 2023 sale. The free app now shows ads and the current code is closed. Pixel Gallery is ad-free and adds on-device AI.

Last updated . Simple Gallery website

Pixel Gallery vs Simple Gallery at a glance

Pixel Gallery vs Simple Gallery feature comparison, data as of November 8, 2026.
Capability Pixel Gallery Simple Gallery
Photos stay on the phone Yes Pixel Gallery never uploads your photos or videos. Yes Policy says photos are processed on device; Play data safety lists shared crash logs, diagnostics and device IDs
Works without an account Yes Yes
On-device smart search Yes SigLIP2 model, ~375 MB optional download. No Not advertised
Face grouping Yes Runs on the phone. No Not advertised
Duplicate and similar cleanup Yes No Not advertised
Encrypted metadata database Yes Not documented
No ads Yes No Play listing marked "Contains ads"; privacy policy names ad networks such as AdMob and AppLovin
No subscription Yes Free, plus an optional one-time Premium purchase. Not documented Free with ads and in-app purchases; whether purchases include subscriptions is not documented
Cloud backup No Pixel Gallery has no cloud. Backup is up to you. No
Open source No No Pre-sale code remains on GitHub (GPL-3.0, last release Oct 2023); current builds are not published
Analytics off until you consent Yes No Data safety label: crash logs, diagnostics and device IDs shared.
Hidden folders and per-item locks Partly Biometric app and collection locks, plus a vault that blurs sensitive media. Yes
Map and places Yes No
Stories and memories Yes No
Sources (6)
  1. Simple Gallery on Google Play, accessed
  2. Simple Gallery data safety (Google Play), accessed
  3. Simple Gallery privacy policy (amended 2023-12-19), accessed
  4. Simple Gallery Pro on Google Play, accessed
  5. Android Authority: Simple Mobile Tools acquired by ZipoApps, accessed
  6. Simple-Gallery GitHub repository (pre-sale code), accessed

Yes. Many people chose Simple Gallery because it was clean, local and ad-free. Since the 2023 sale the free app carries ads and shares diagnostics and device IDs, according to its Play data safety section. Pixel Gallery keeps the local, ad-free part and adds an on-device AI pipeline on top.

  • Hiding and locking. Hidden galleries and per-item PIN, pattern or fingerprint locks.
  • Customization. A very configurable interface and toolbar.
  • Familiarity. If you used it for years, it still looks and works the same.
  • No ads. And analytics stay off until you consent.
  • On-device AI. Face grouping, semantic search, text recognition and captions on supported devices, computed on the phone.
  • Cleanup. Duplicates, similar shots and low-quality photos with swipe review.
  • Active development. Regular releases with new features, not only maintenance.

Who should pick which?

Pick Pixel Gallery if you want an ad-free gallery that also organizes your library for you. Pick Fossify Gallery if you want the original Simple Gallery experience as open source. Simple Gallery itself only makes sense if the ads do not bother you.

Install Pixel Gallery and allow photo access. Your folders appear as they are. Folders hidden with a .nomedia file stay hidden from every gallery, so unhide anything you want indexed.

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

19 more things Pixel Gallery does

The table sticks to where Pixel Gallery and Simple Gallery 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 Simple Gallery: questions

What is a good Simple Gallery alternative without ads?

Pixel Gallery has no ads and adds face grouping, semantic search and cleanup on the phone. Fossify Gallery is the open-source fork of the original Simple Gallery code and also has no ads.

What happened to Simple Gallery?

Simple Mobile Tools was sold in late 2023. The free Simple Gallery now shows ads and in-app purchases, current builds are not published as open source, and the paid Pro listing has not been updated since October 2023.

Is Simple Gallery still open source?

The pre-sale code is still on GitHub under GPL-3.0, but current releases are not published. Fossify Gallery continues that code in the open.

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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