Samsung just announced that Google Photos is coming to its smart TVs in 2026. Here’s the strange part: this will be the first proper Google Photos app on any TV platform. Even Google TV and Android TV don’t have one – they’ve been stuck with a limited screensaver integration for years, and it’s been a mess of bugs and workarounds.
“Samsung TVs have always brought people together, and bringing Google Photos to the big screen makes that experience even more personal,” said Kevin Lee, Executive Vice President at Samsung’s Visual Display Business.
The deal gives Samsung a head start on the competition. Starting in March 2026, Samsung will be the first partner to bring the Google Photos app to its 2026 TV models, with some older models gaining support through Tizen OS updates.
What you’re actually getting
Samsung and Google are rolling this out in three stages throughout 2026:
Memories is first up, arriving in March. This feature displays curated stories organized by people, locations, and significant events – essentially the Memories experience from your phone, but on your TV. Samsung gets a six-month exclusivity window before other TV platforms can offer it.
Create with AI comes later in 2026 and brings Google’s image editing tools to the big screen. It’s built on Google DeepMind’s Nano Banana model and gives users themed templates, a Remix feature that changes the artistic style of photos, and Photo to Video, which brings static images to life in the form of short video clips.
Personalized Results also arrives in the second half of 2026. This creates smart, personalized slideshows based on themes and content of memories – things like ocean, mountains, hiking, or specific cities like Paris.
Why this matters
The setup should be simple – users sign in with their Google Account, and their photo memories instantly appear on the big screen. No casting from your phone, no fiddling with third-party apps, no workarounds.
Samsung is also weaving Google Photos into features you might already use. Photos will surface naturally through Daily+ and Daily Board, so your memories show up throughout the day rather than sitting in an app waiting to be opened.
“Google Photos is a home for people’s photos and videos, helping them organize and bring their memories to life,” said Shimrit Ben-Yair, VP of Google Photos and Google One. “We’re excited to bring Google Photos to Samsung TVs – helping people enjoy their favorite photos on a larger screen and reconnect with their memories in new ways.”
The Google TV situation is a bit embarrassing
Despite Google’s close ties to Android TV, there’s still no native Google Photos app or experiences confirmed for the platform beyond casting and screensaver functionality. The screensaver feature works, but it’s basic – you pick some albums and they cycle on screen when the TV is idle. No editing, no smart collections, no AI features.
While users can always cast their photos and videos to Android TV, the experience isn’t always the smoothest, especially for 4K videos.
Google confirms that the Google Photos app will also be available on other television platforms, but at a later date. So Android TV and Google TV owners will eventually get this – just not first.
Which Samsung TVs will support it?
Google Photos support is expected to arrive in 2026, with initial availability on Samsung TV models launching that year, followed by expansion to older models through OS updates. Samsung hasn’t specified which older models will qualify for the Tizen OS update.
As always with these announcements, features may vary by region and model.
