Introduction
All Android phones come with a default gallery. Many see this as part of the feature all smart phones must have, and of course, they do. However, there is a limit to what a default gallery can do. I've used a series of phones without installing another gallery. Maybe it's because it doesn't appeal to me. It was the initiative by utopian supporting the promotion of open source projects that lead me to use different apps. Moreover, that's how I came across Simple gallery application. In all honesty, it is profoundly different from the default gallery. There are many things you can do with a simple gallery that you can't with the default one. If you are not comfortable with the default gallery on your mobile device or you wish to have a third party app, I recommend Simple gallery
Do you know what simple gallery is?
According to the PO, he describes Simple gallery as a highly customizable gallery. It is capable of displaying many different images and video types. E.g., SVGs, RAEs, Panoramic photos, and Videos.
The simple gallery is also an open source application that allows users to view images and videos quickly and efficiently. It's effortless to use as the name implies.
Where can I get the app?
It shouldn't be a problem. Play store is the most popular app store where you can download several apps. Just make sure you didn't download any other gallery app apart from the original simple gallery app. Some apps almost share the same name with it which might be a little confusing. Fdroid will be a better option to save you the stress. It is the only simple gallery app you will find when you search on F.droid.
Let's explore Simple gallery
There are many features on the Simple gallery that you would like to know. These are what makes it unique. I've been enjoying every bit of it since I've been using the app on my device. The app features are simple and easy to use. Are you keen to know more about it? Read on as I explain the app's contents.
Get a clean and clear picture with the in-app camera
In-app camera: Simple gallery has a camera feature. You can take pictures with your phone through the application by clicking the menu button, and selecting the open camera. The picture taken will show on the camera folder in the gallery.
Filter media: The filter media has five options. You can do the filtration separately or collectively. What the filter media does is this; It fetches any selected file (images, videos, gifs, RAWs image, SVGs )from the default gallery. You can choose to have only videos in your simple gallery and so on if you wish.
Change view type: There are two ways in which you can view images. It's either in grid or list form. The list form arranges images vertically on a straight line. I don't like my files organized in list form. The grid form helps me layout my pages in an ordered and fashionable way. It adds to the UI's beauty as the files are arranged in rows and columns.
Hide folder: It is an avenue for users to hide some folders. The feature will be great for people who value privacy. The hide folder feature can be used to protect pictures and some videos that users might not like to share. Creation of a new folder is another thing that users can achieve using the simple gallery. You can move images, videos, gifs and so on to a new folder. You can delete empty files after deleting their contents and also keep old last modified files.
Slide show: It is also another nice feature you will find on Simple gallery. It is the continuous display of the collection of videos and images arranged in sequence. It can also display videos and pictures randomly.
Increase and decrease column count: These are two separate features. They work when you view the folders or their contents in grid form. The list form doesn't support it because the folder's arrangement is in a vertical position. Only the row and column view work with the feature.
Settings: The settings is the control room of the gallery. You can manage the included folders in the environment. If there are some folders that the app didn't recognize, you can add them manually. You can control the excluded folders and hidden folders as well.
You can set the app to play a video automatically, and also remember the last video play back position. You can as well use the feature under the full-screen media in the settings to your advantage.
Group by and Sort by features: You can group your files according to how you want it on each folder. You can group based on
- Last modified
- Date taken
- File type
- Extension
- Ascending
- Descending
You can also sort your files by
Name
Path
Size
Last modified
Date taken
Random
Ascending and descending
Comparison
The application I'm comparing with Simple gallery almost share the same name with it. I remembered I mentioned something like being careful while trying to download Simple gallery from play store. That's one of the reasons. Looking at the Simplest gallery logo, It looks like a direct clone of the Simple gallery logo. It has the same pattern with it. It's obvious that the inspiration behind the design of the Simplest gallery logo is a direct copy of Simple gallery design with a little tweak. It is such an effortless task if you ask me. When we talk of uniqueness, Simple gallery portrays that. However, I'm not so surprised to see almost the same design. The copycat syndrome has practically taken over from originality. Be that as it may, there are many differences between these two apps. Below are some I was able to figure out.
Annoying adds: The first time I opened the Simplest gallery app, what I clicked was an Ad. It popped up when the app opened. That's the number one difference. The Simple gallery is Ad free.
Security: Simple gallery has a security feature in the settings that protect the whole application, hidden item visibility, and also the moving and deletion of files. The Simplest gallery doesn't have any security feature.
Recycle bin: The recycle bin is where we keep deleted files. If any file is deleted by mistake or intentionally, there is no need to worry. You can get it back from the recycle bin. The Simple gallery has this feature while the other doesn't.
Show all folder content: You can view every contents in each folder at the same time on Simple gallery, which isn't possible on the Simplest gallery. Neither menu nor settings are available on the Simplest gallery. Also, there's no search button to locate images and videos within different folders.
There's a lot more you can do with Simple gallery that you can't with Simplest gallery. You can pin folders to the top, mark favourite files for easy access, and Change the thumbnail column count with gestures or menu buttons.
There are many differences, but I'm just mentioning a few. The things they share in common is the fact that you can view images, and watch videos. Also, you can share or delete folder contents.
Recent update
On 11th March 2019, there was a new feature implementation. They are;
new file discovery
Some file were excluded from folders by default, like FB stickers
Added other stability and UX improvements.
Summary
So far so good, I've been able to highlight many features on Simple gallery. I talked about how to get the real app on google play and F.droid. Plus the comparison with Simplest gallery app and my experience using the app. I don't think there's more to discuss, albeit updates are going on. If you already have the app installed or you are about to, Please follow up and make sure you update to a newer version.
Conclusion
Taking pictures is what everyone does. Whether it's taken with a sophisticated device in a siren environment or with a Rubber-banded phone beside a Transformer, these devices are always ready to take you a shot at a click. Pictures are a big deal with smart phones, that is why you need a good application to manage them. With the simple gallery app, you are on the right part to enjoy quality pictures and video management.
Thanks for reading.
This is ckole (The laughing gas)
- Resources
Some images are from my phone screen shot. Other sources are cited accordingly.