Google Messages now lets you access photos more quickly.

Gallery

Camera

GIFs

Stickers

Files

Location

Contacts

Schedule Send

Tapping "Gallery" shows the latest local images and videos from Google Photos' media picker. To access Google Photos through the Android system photo picker, tap the "Folders" button. This adds an extra step to view cloud-stored photos, not just those on the device.

While this extra step may matter to some, a security concern exists. Google's picker needs full media gallery access, unlike Android's, which limits access to selected photos and videos. However, Google is reportedly developing a way to access Photos within Google Messages without tapping the "Folders" button.

Android 16 introduces a photo picker with APIs for direct app integration. This provides developers with a native-feeling media gallery while maintaining Android's security and privacy, removing the need for broad media permissions. Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority found this picker on his OnePlus 13 running OxygenOS 16.

Now, Rahman's cloud-hosted photos and videos appear alongside those stored locally when he presses the "Gallery" button. Previously, he would have needed to tap the "Folders" button to view his cloud-hosted photos from Google Photos.

Once the new photo picker is available, sharing photos or videos will no longer require granting the Google Messages app "Photos and videos" permission. Once the embedded photo picker appears, that permission can be revoked.

Although Android 14 supports the embedded photo picker, it will only be visible on devices running Android 16.

"Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips," a coffee table book about the 21st century's tech revolution, will be released in a few months. Follow the link for more details.

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