For years, viewing your Google Photos library on a truly large screen felt a bit awkward. Casting worked, mostly. HDMI cables worked too, technically. But neither option ever felt especially smooth or permanent. You always had to think about it, which kind of defeats the purpose when you just want to casually relive photos.
That finally changes in 2026. Samsung Electronics and Google have partnered to introduce a native Google Photos integration directly into the 2026 lineup of Samsung AI TV models. And honestly, it feels like something that probably should have existed years ago, but better late than never.
This guide walks through how the new native features work and also covers a couple of alternative methods for older TVs. The goal is simple. Get your memories from your Samsung Galaxy phone onto the biggest and best screen in your home, without friction.
Understanding the key pieces involved
Before jumping into setup, it helps to have a rough idea of how everything fits together. None of this is especially technical but knowing what does what makes the process feel less mysterious.
Google Photos
Google’s cloud-based photo storage and sharing service. It relies heavily on AI to organize photos by faces, locations, and events, often without you really noticing it happening.
Samsung AI TV
Samsung’s 2026 smart TV lineup powered by the Vision AI Companion. These TVs are designed to surface content intelligently, whether that’s shows, artwork, or now, personal photos.
Samsung Galaxy Gallery
The built in photo app on Samsung Galaxy phones. It now acts as a kind of bridge between your local photos and cloud services like Google Photos.
Vision AI Companion (VAC)
Samsung’s proprietary AI system that controls features such as Daily Board and Daily+. This is what decides which photos appear and when.
Method 1: The 2026 native integration
This is easily the cleanest option, and it’s clearly what Samsung wants most people to use going forward.
Starting in March 2026, Samsung introduced native Google account syncing on Samsung AI TVs. Once it’s set up, it mostly runs in the background.
Step 1: Sign in on your TV
On your Samsung AI TV, open Settings. Go to Users and Accounts, select Add Account, then choose Google. Sign in using the same Google account you use on your Galaxy phone.
Step 2: Enable Memories in Google Photos
On your Galaxy phone, open Google Photos. Tap your profile icon, go to Photos settings, then Preferences. Make sure Memories is turned on. It sounds optional, but it’s what allows the TV to automatically surface photos.
Step 3: Let Daily Board do its thing
Once everything is linked, there’s nothing else you really need to open or launch. Your photos appear organically through Daily Board or Daily+. The Vision AI Companion curates People, Places, and even short memory collections while the TV is idle or in ambient mode. It feels surprisingly natural once you see it in action.
Method 2: Syncing through Samsung Gallery
Some people prefer managing everything through Samsung’s own apps, and that’s understandable. This method gives you a bit more control, though it does involve an extra step or two.
Step 1: Link Google Photos to Galaxy Gallery
Open the Gallery app on your Galaxy phone. Tap the menu icon, go to Settings, and look for Cloud Sync or Google Photos Access. Follow the prompts to allow Gallery to access your Google Photos library.
Step 2: Connect through SmartThings
Open the SmartThings app and confirm your Samsung AI TV is added. From the SmartThings dashboard, tap your TV and choose Ambient Mode or Daily Board. Select Galaxy Gallery as the source. Your synced Google Photos will now be included.
This method feels a bit more hands on, but for some users, that’s actually a plus.
Method 3: Smart View for older models
If your TV isn’t part of the 2026 AI lineup, or if you just want to show a specific album quickly, Smart View remains the most reliable option.
Make sure your phone and TV are on the same Wi Fi network. Swipe down on your Galaxy phone to open the Quick Panel and tap Smart View. Select your TV, then open Google Photos on your phone.
One small tip that’s easy to miss. Tap the Smart View icon again and set the aspect ratio to Full screen on connected device. That removes the black bars and makes photos look much better on the TV.
Pro level features coming later in 2026
Samsung has already confirmed that more advanced AI tools are coming later this year, powered by Google DeepMind’s Nano Banana model.
Create with AI will allow you to remix photos into artistic styles or turn still images into short videos directly on the TV. There’s also a more natural search experience planned. You’ll be able to say something like “Beach” or “Hiking” using the remote, and the TV will instantly build a slideshow from your Google Photos library.
It’s not clear yet how often people will actually use these features day to day. But even so, the idea of your TV quietly becoming a living photo album feels like a meaningful shift. And once you get used to it, going back to casting might feel a little outdated.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do I need a Google One subscription to sync to my TV?
A: No, the basic Google Photos integration works with free accounts, provided you have not exceeded your 15GB storage limit.
Q: Is the Google Photos app available on the Samsung App Store?
A: No. Unlike Netflix or YouTube, Google Photos is integrated into the system level via Vision AI Companion and Daily+, rather than being a standalone app you launch.
Q: Why aren’t my latest photos showing up on the TV?
A: Check that “Back up & sync” is enabled in your phone’s Google Photos settings. The TV pulls from the cloud, not the physical storage on your phone.
Q: Does this work on TVs made before 2026?
A: Some 2024 and 2025 models will receive this via a Tizen OS update, but the AI-specific features (like Nano Banana remixing) are exclusive to the 2026 AI TV hardware.
