Samsung Dumps OneDrive for Photo Backups
In a major shift for its mobile ecosystem, Samsung is ending its long-standing partnership with Microsoft for photo and video backups. An APK teardown of a leaked One UI 8.5 build reveals that the company is preparing to discontinue OneDrive integration in its popular Gallery app, instead steering users toward its own proprietary cloud service.
The move, uncovered by a teardown from Android Authority, marks a significant change from the current status quo, where the Samsung Gallery app seamlessly syncs with Microsoft’s OneDrive. Code strings within the leaked firmware explicitly state, “Sync with OneDrive ending soon” and “support for OneDrive will end %s,” indicating a clear end to the collaboration.
The code suggests a transition to a “new cloud solution,” with a description promising to “Keep your pictures and videos safe and synced with all your devices.” This new service is believed to be a revamped version of Samsung Cloud, which previously handled photo backups before the company pivoted to OneDrive in 2021.
While the exact date for the discontinuation of OneDrive support remains unconfirmed, the language in the leaked code points to the change being implemented in the near future. This development will have a direct impact on millions of Galaxy smartphone users who currently rely on the OneDrive integration to automatically back up their media.
The change comes as part of a larger set of revelations from the leaked One UI 8.5 build, which is also rumoured to include features such as automatic call screening and design tweaks to the user interface.
For existing users, the transition raises questions about data migration. Samsung will likely provide a clear path for users to transfer their data from OneDrive to the new Samsung Cloud solution. However, users who wish to continue using OneDrive for their photo backups will still be able to do so via the dedicated OneDrive app, which operates independently of the Samsung Gallery app’s internal syncing capabilities.
This strategic decision by Samsung to bring photo backups back in-house could be seen as an effort to further strengthen its own ecosystem and reduce reliance on third-party services. As the mobile cloud storage market intensifies, Samsung’s push for a proprietary solution could offer new opportunities for monetising its user base and differentiating its services from competitors like Google Photos and Apple’s iCloud.
