topic Re: Re: Re: Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery in Mobile Apps & Services

Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

JTWoodfield — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:02:23 GMT

For reasons only known to Samsung, the constant prompts to use the Cloud backup from Gallery are an invitation to disaster. Bluntly, no sane person would have invented their system, and no sane person once aware of how it works, would want to use it. Hence this message.

Samsung have implemented a backup which is not a backup at all, but a two way sync. Why is that bad news? It means that if you delete a photograph on the phone then you also delete it from OneDrive. Apparently soon to be Samsung Cloud, but using the same two way sync. Likewise, if you delete it from OneDrive, then the copy on the phone is deleted.

Thus, say you want to save space on your phone? Many do. Every photo that you delete will be deleted everywhere. That is two way sync.

OneDrive (go into the OD app and turn on photo backup) along with Google, Amazon etc. are one way. They are true backup systems. If you delete photos from the phone then they are truly backed up. They remain in OD or any other sensible system you choose.

So, whatever you do, ignore the constant nags from Samsung to use their system and ensure that that line through the Cloud icon in Gallery remains firmly in place. It only relates to the inexplicable choice Samsung has made.

I discovered this by using AI. You can check my information by asking if Samsung Gallery through Samsung uses two way sync.

Hopefully Samsung will come to their senses over this.

Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

arianwen27 — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:36:28 GMT

It does say "gallery sync" and not backup. Nowhere in the menu does it actually use the word backup.

The "free up phone space" should delete the photo from the phone and keep it on onedrive.

If you accidentally delete something, onedrive does have a recovery feature too.

True backups are done using smart switch

Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

Moiramon — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:37:07 GMT

Google photos is not quite one-way. True deleting photos from your phone does not delete them from Google photos. Be aware though if you delete them from within the Google photos app it also deleted them from your phone.

Re: Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

JTWoodfield — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:40:20 GMT

I suggest that you look up how the Samsung system works. As you say, sync is not backup. And that is precisely the problem and the danger.

Re: Re: Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

arianwen27 — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:48:52 GMT

I know how it works. It doesn't call itself a backup. It calls itself a sync. Meaning it's working correctly, for a sync

Re: Re: Re: Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

JTWoodfield — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:08:55 GMT

And how many real world users know the difference between backup and sync? Hence the danger. They want to reclaim space on their phones using the insane Samsung offering and end up deleting their data. They do not know about recycle bins. Or that many of those auto delete after a set period of days.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

arianwen27 — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:20:20 GMT

There is a big button on the sync menu that says "free up space". I imagine people not familiar with how things work would probably press that

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Do NOT use Samsung Backup from Gallery

JTWoodfield — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 21:45:00 GMT

Possibly. But you are a bit like the person who says that an industrial cutting machine does not need a guard because nobody is going to put their fingers in and get them cut off. Perhaps try and think what happens in the real world rather than persisting in defending an unsafe system of work.