How to handle Gallery sync with OneDrive ending

Alexandros Konstantakopoulos 0 Reputation points
2026-09-29T07:47:18.8533333+00:00

Hi all. I have been really stressed with the ending of Gallery sync with OneDrive, because I had stored in the cloud a large amount of photos from my old phone which broke down and didn't allow me to physically pass them over to the new one. Now I am using the download originals option to download them on my phone (which already causes issues because on other apps the downloaded photos will appeas as more recent, even if this isn't an issue in the gallery) but then I am anxious on how to work with OneDrive back up to not get my storage filled with doubles in different locations. My first question is, since it stated that photos from gallery sync will remain in OneDrive, in which folder would that be? Then, how should I handle this situtation in order to retain my photos and control of my storage and in general not make a mess. Thank you.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Android
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  1. Lychee-Ng 28,915 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-29T13:14:36.1766667+00:00

    I completely understand the concern here, Alexandros Konstantakopoulos,

    And the good news is: Photos already stored in OneDrive will remain the same (they will not be deleted, if that's what you're worried about). Refer to: Changes to Samsung Gallery sync and OneDrive | Microsoft Support - the images will just no longer appear automatically in Samsung Gallery.

    For your folder question, I unfortunately cannot give you an exact name because it can be different to each account. The easiest way to identify where yours are actually stored is to use OneDrive web/app and inspect the folders containing the older photos. For the situation, here are your options forward:

    • Leave the old photos in OneDrive: You can continue viewing them from onedrive.live.com or the app.
    • If you specifically want those old photos physically back in Samsung Gallery:
      • Open Gallery on your phone > Settings > Gallery sync with OneDrive
      • Click Download Originals (any time before the service ends)
    • If you still want to backup to OneDrive in the future:
      • Open the OneDrive application on your phone > select Profile
      • In Camera backup, choose the correct account > turn Camera backup ON.

    Note: Camera backup and Samsung Gallery sync to OneDrive can sometimes overlap, so when switching between the two, it can cause eligible photos already on the device to be uploaded again. You can safely

    So if storage space is your main worry, don't download every old photo to the phone unless you actually need them in Samsung Gallery. Leaving the existing cloud photos in OneDrive and using OneDrive Camera backup for new photos is the cleanest approach.

    Also, don't start deleting apparent duplicates yet. While the current Gallery synchronization is still connected, deleting synchronized files can delete them from the other side as well. Leave the cleanup for after September 30, 2026, when the service has ended!

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