According to The Verge, Google Photos is finally coming to TVs, starting with an integration for Samsung TVs in 2026. Samsung announced the partnership, aiming to first launch a “Memories” feature on its Tizen OS-powered TVs in March 2026. This feature, which shows curated collections of photos and videos, will be exclusive to Samsung TVs for six months. Following that, in the second half of 2026, Samsung TVs will get Google Photos search and generative AI image features like “Create with AI” and “Personalized Results.” The setup is meant to be simple, requiring just a Google account sign-in on the TV. Samsung’s announcement did not specify if this will be a dedicated app, but it aims to deeply weave Google Photos into the TV experience.
The long road to the big screen
Here’s the thing: it’s genuinely surprising this took so long. Google Photos is arguably the world’s default cloud photo library, and Google has its own TV platform. But there’s never been a native TV app. People have been casting their photos for years, which is fine, but it’s not a seamless, always-there experience. This move feels like a clear acknowledgment that the living room screen is the final, and most impactful, frontier for personal memories. A phone is for capturing, but a big TV is for reliving. Samsung gets that, and locking down a six-month exclusive on the core “Memories” feature is a smart, aggressive play to make its TVs feel more personal and connected than the competition.
AI is the real endgame
Now, the initial Memories feature is nice, but the second half of 2026 is where this gets interesting. That’s when the AI tools land. “Personalized Results” for search-based slideshows and “Create with AI” for themed templates and remixes? That’s the hook. It transforms your TV from a passive photo viewer into an active, creative display. Imagine asking your TV to “show me all the beach vacations” and it builds a soundtracked movie on the fly. Or using Remix tools to edit a photo with your remote. That’s a fundamentally different value proposition. It also, not-so-subtly, makes Google’s AI ecosystem the backbone of your personal life on the biggest screen in your house.
What this means for everyone else
So, is this just a Samsung win? Probably not. The six-month exclusivity on Memories is telling. It basically guarantees that by late 2026, we’ll see Google Photos roll out to other TV platforms, like Google TV itself, LG’s webOS, and maybe Roku and Amazon. Samsung gets a head start to market it as a key differentiator for its “AI TV” lineup. But the broader implication is that the TV OS wars are entering a new phase. It’s not just about streaming app availability anymore; it’s about deep integration with your personal data and ecosystem. Your photos, assisted by AI, are becoming a core part of the smart home dashboard. And honestly, after years of stagnant TV software, that’s a genuinely compelling reason to pay attention to what’s on the box, not just the panel itself.
