According to Android Authority, Samsung has announced it is working to bring the Google Photos app directly to its lineup of Samsung TVs. This integration will allow users to view their photos and videos natively on the big screen, exploring memories curated by people, places, and moments. The feature will also tie into Samsung’s Vision AI Companion, letting photos surface through experiences like Daily Plus and Daily Board. The announcement did not specify an exact launch date, only stating the companies are “working” on it. Notably, this app is coming to Samsung’s Tizen-based TVs, not to Google’s own Android TV or Google TV platforms.
The irony is pretty thick
Here’s the thing that’s just bizarre. Google Photos, a Google service, is arriving on a competitor’s TV operating system (Samsung’s Tizen) before it’s available as a dedicated app on Google’s own TV platforms. Android TV and Google TV users have been asking for a native app for years, stuck using clunky workarounds like casting. So why would Google partner with Samsung first? It seems like a classic case of strategic partnership over platform loyalty. Samsung sells a ton of high-end TVs, and Google likely wants its service front-and-center on those screens, even if it means sidelining its own OS in the short term. It’s a reminder that in the streaming box and smart TV wars, content and services are the real weapons.
What this really signals
This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about owning the “ambient” screen in your home. Samsung’s press release talks about photos surfacing “naturally” through its AI companion and daily boards. That’s the goal: making your TV a persistent, smart photo frame that also shows your calendar and the weather. Google wants its service to be that ambient layer. By embedding deeply with Samsung’s AI, it ensures Google Photos isn’t just an app you open, but a fabric of the TV’s interface. That’s a much stickier proposition. Can you blame them? If your TV is constantly showing your Google Photos memories, you’re a lot less likely to consider switching to, say, Apple Photos.
So what about Android TV?
The big question now is what this means for Google’s TV platforms. This move basically confirms that a first-party Google Photos app for Android/Google TV is possible—the technical hurdles aren’t the issue. The silence is the real message. I think we’ll see one eventually, but this partnership probably pushed it down the priority list. Google’s playing the field, and right now, the Samsung deal offers more immediate reach and integration depth. For users on a Sony TV with Google TV or a Chromecast, it’s a frustrating wait. But look, it also shows no platform is an island anymore. The best services will go wherever the screens are, even if it creates some awkward family dynamics.
