Viewing Google Photos on a television has often required workarounds, from casting content to an Android TV to installing an unofficial version of the app. In 2026, that experience is set to change for Samsung TV owners, as the company plans to make Google Photos available directly on its televisions.
Google Photos comes to Samsung TVs in 2026
Samsung announced that it intends to bring Google Photos to its TVs in 2026, giving users a built-in way to display their photo and video libraries on a larger screen. For many households, TVs have become a central display for entertainment and shared moments, and Samsung’s move positions Google Photos as a more native, living-room-friendly experience rather than something that has to be streamed from a phone or computer.
Until now, Google Photos users who wanted to browse albums, relive trips, or play family videos on a big screen typically relied on casting or sideloading. Casting can be convenient, but it’s still tethered to a phone or another device acting as the controller. Sideloading, meanwhile, isn’t a mainstream solution: it requires extra steps, may not be officially supported, and can vary based on the TV platform and app compatibility.
By planning an official Google Photos presence on Samsung TVs, Samsung is signaling that photo viewing and memory playback are becoming more important “lean-back” experiences—something users can access with a remote control in the same way they open streaming apps.
What the first version will include: Memories, with a Samsung-exclusive period
Samsung says the initial version of the Google Photos integration will highlight curated photos and videos through the Memories feature. That means, rather than launching with every possible browsing and management function at once, the early experience will focus on surfacing selections of content meant to be enjoyed passively or shared with others in the room.
Samsung also noted that this Memories experience will be exclusive to Samsung for six months. In other words, the curated Memories display on TVs will have a time-limited exclusivity window tied to Samsung, before that specific TV integration approach becomes available more broadly.
To see personal content on the television, users will need to sign in to their Google accounts. Once signed in, photos and videos from Google Photos will be able to appear on Samsung TVs as part of the integration.
Why Memories is a logical starting point
In Google Photos, “Memories” is designed to bring old moments back to the surface—often organized around dates, trips, themes, or people—without requiring users to manually hunt through their archives. On a TV, this kind of presentation can work especially well, because it’s suited to ambient or shared viewing: think of it like a rotating set of highlights that can be enjoyed during downtime, family gatherings, or while entertaining guests.
Launching with Memories also reduces friction for viewers who don’t necessarily want to navigate a complex folder structure on a television interface. Instead, the experience can emphasize “press play and enjoy” viewing.
Samsung’s roadmap includes AI-powered features
Beyond the first release, Samsung said it plans to add support for AI-powered features. The company specifically referenced:
- Nano Banana-powered templates
- Image generation and editing
- Remix, a feature that lets you convert an existing photo to a different style
Together, these additions suggest that Samsung wants the Google Photos TV experience to go beyond simple playback. Instead of only displaying albums or videos, Samsung is pointing toward an environment where photos can be transformed and personalized, potentially making the TV a more creative canvas for experimenting with different looks and formats.
What “Remix” implies for the living room experience
Remix, as described by Samsung, enables users to take an existing photo and convert it into a different style. While the company hasn’t outlined exactly how those style options will be presented on TV, the mention indicates an intention to bring creative transformations into a larger-screen setting—potentially making it easier for families to explore and compare variations together.
In practice, a feature like Remix can turn a photo-viewing session into something more interactive: one person selects an image, others suggest styles, and the results are reviewed immediately on the largest screen in the home.
How account sign-in is expected to work
Samsung said users will need to sign in to their Google accounts for photos and videos to show up on their TVs. This is consistent with how most cross-device services operate: the TV app or integration needs authorization to access a user’s library and to ensure that the content displayed belongs to the signed-in account.
Although Samsung did not provide step-by-step details, the basic implication is that the Google Photos TV experience will behave like other major streaming and media apps: users authenticate, then the service populates with their personal library. For households with multiple family members, the sign-in requirement may also shape how people handle shared TVs—whether through one primary account, switching accounts, or keeping Google Photos access limited to certain profiles.
What this means for Samsung TV owners and Google Photos users
Adding Google Photos to Samsung TVs could streamline a common use case: enjoying personal media without depending on another device. For users who already store years of photos and videos in Google Photos, an official TV integration can reduce the friction of sharing memories in group settings. Rather than passing a phone around or casting from a handset, people can browse and watch from the couch.
It also aligns with a broader shift in TV platforms: televisions are increasingly treated like app hubs, not just endpoints. When a photo library becomes as accessible as a streaming service, the TV becomes a central place for entertainment as well as personal content.
Key takeaways at a glance
- Samsung plans to bring Google Photos to its TVs in 2026.
- The first release will feature a curated presentation via Memories.
- The Memories TV experience will be exclusive to Samsung for six months.
- Users will need to sign in to their Google accounts to see their photos and videos.
- Samsung plans to support AI tools including Nano Banana-powered templates, image generation and editing, and Remix.
Google’s perspective on bringing Photos to Samsung TVs
Google framed the expansion as a way to help people experience personal media more naturally at home. Shimrit Ben-Yair, vice president, Google Photos and Google One, said in a statement: “Google Photos is a home for people’s photos and videos, helping them organize and bring their memories to life. 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 emphasis on “reconnect” and “new ways” fits with the planned inclusion of AI-powered creation and editing features. Rather than treating Photos as a static archive, Google and Samsung appear to be positioning it as an evolving experience—one where old content can be rediscovered, re-presented, and even reimagined from the couch.
Conclusion
Samsung’s plan to add Google Photos to its TVs in 2026 promises a more direct, living-room-friendly way to enjoy personal photos and videos, starting with a curated Memories experience and expanding later with AI-powered creative tools such as Nano Banana-powered templates, image generation and editing, and Remix.
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Based on reporting originally published by TechCrunch. See the sources section below.
