If you want an easy way to view all your precious photos on a larger screen, there will soon be a way if you have a Samsung TV in your front room. Samsung has announced it is working to bring the Google Photos app to Samsung TVs in 2026, which would be the first time the Google Photos app has been made available on a smart TV platform.

Currently, Google Photos is an app for Android and iOS and is also available via a web browser. On devices such as smartphones it can be used as a gallery app, but it can also link to your Google account and act as a way to back up your photos and videos to cloud storage, ensuring you don’t lose your media if you lose your phone.

Slated for a staggered release to Samsung TVs during 2026, in a press release Samsung said it would first launch its Memories feature from Google Photos in March. This feature, which will require you to sign in to your Google account, will mirror the way it works in the app, displaying “curated stories based on people, locations, and meaningful moments”, according to Samsung.

The firm said this would be exclusive to Samsung TVs for six months, hinting at the fact we could well see Google Photos launch on other smart TV platforms in the near future.

Samsung said “later in 2026” its TVs will get a ‘Create with AI’ tool that will let you use AI on your telly to generate or edit images, as well as then introducing personalised results that will show related photos as a slideshow when you prompt the app with keywords.

“Google Photos is a home for people’s photos and videos, helping them organize and bring their memories to life,” said Shimrit Ben-Yair, Vice President, 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.”

Notably, the plans outlined by Samsung do not seem to suggest the firm will bring full Google Photos app functionality to TVs. These three ways of using Google Photos features on the big screen do seem fairly limited – I feel like an easy way to browse your full photo library would be the best, most useful use of the screen size on offer.

“Samsung wants Google Photos to be deeply woven into the TV experience,” Samsung said.

“Imagine Photos surfacing naturally through Daily+ and Daily Board, ensuring that meaningful memories greet users throughout their day in contextual and convenient moments. The setup should be simple — users sign in with their Google Account, and their photo memories instantly appear on the big screen.”

Samsung was not so clear on the TV models that Google Photos will be coming to. The firm said it will be available “on Samsung TV models launched 2026 with a Google Account and backed-up photos/videos”, which covers new products.

As for existing Samsung TVs, the company said Google Photos “will be available following the OS update schedule”, meaning your TV will need to get the most up to date software update.