Google Photos is now compatible with the photo gallery on OnePlus and Xiaomi phones.

Google Photos users can now back up their photos and videos stored locally on phones from brands like OnePlus and Oppo. That’s right, the native Gallery app on OnePlus and Oppo phones allows you to sync content with your Google Photos account, meaning all your media content is seamlessly available on devices linked to the same Google Account.

Trusted tipster Mishaal Rahman spotted the feature this week, and we were able to independently verify the feature on a OnePlus phone. The integration seems to have made it to the ColorOS and OxygenOS software you get on Oppo and OnePlus phones, respectively, in markets like India.

Google Photos Sync with Local Photos App: How it works

If you have a OnePlus/Oppo phone, go to the Photos app where the pictures clicked from the phone’s camera are saved locally. Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and go to Settings. Now you will notice the option Backup to Google Photos, tap on it to see the next step. Turn on backup and your phone will let you back up albums, manage storage or mobile data usage to back up photos.

Before that, the Photos app asks for your permission to sync it with Google Photos. It will show you this message (shown below) in the drop-down box: “The Photos app allows Google Photos to back up photos and videos to your device. View and manage Google Photos, including your photos and videos, Google Photos backup settings, photo and video backup status, and Google backup account. “

When you give Photos access to Google Photos, the backup to your local gallery app starts immediately. The Photos app also mentions that you can turn off the backup option at any time in the app’s settings. For the photo sync feature to work, you need to have the latest version of OxygenOS 14 or ColorOS 14 running on the respective phone models. The tip also mentions that the feature will work if you have a Xiaomi/Redmi phone with a MIUI version running on Android 14.

The feature is useful for millions of users who have wanted an easier way to sync their photos with Google Photos without the need for multiple loops. However, the sync function has some limitations, including the inability to back up albums, and more importantly, the limited AI editing capabilities you get from the device itself.