Guide
Getting Started: Your First Index
Install, grant media access, plug in the phone and let the on-device pipeline index your library. What to expect and how to read the progress screen.
5 min · How-to · Updated September 14, 2026
- 1
Install from Google Play
Install Pixel Gallery from Google Play. A Play install is required for the optional semantic search model later.
- 2
Grant access to photos and videos
Choose Allow all when asked. The app reads your library in place; nothing is copied or uploaded.
- 3
Plug in the phone
Indexing prefers idle time on a charger. Leave the phone connected for the first session.
- 4
Watch the Media Processing screen
Settings → Media Processing lists every step with its progress. People, places and search fill in as steps complete.
- 5
Reset a step if needed
If a step looks stuck, open it in Media Processing and reset it. The app recomputes only that step.
What is happening in the background
The pipeline runs step by step: thumbnails and metadata first, then faces, labels, text, colors, quality scores, places and provenance. Captions and semantic embeddings are added on supported devices and after you install the optional model. Each step is independent, so a slow one does not block the others.
How long it takes
It depends on library size and phone. Most steps are fast. Semantic indexing, if enabled, is the slow one at roughly two seconds per photo. The app is fully usable during indexing; results simply get richer over time.
If something seems missing
Empty People or Places screens usually mean the corresponding step is still running. Check Media Processing before assuming a bug. The FAQ has more.