Samsung Gallery/browse setting doesn't appear on apps

[snwuuii]

I'm trying to add images to my music, but the browse selection is no longer there. Ive noticed this on other apps too. Only leads me to this media picker which only shows 4 albums + some recent images. The 3 dots on the right leads to cloud storage. 

I uninstalled and reinstalled the app, reset all app permissions. I've even tried moving all my images from my DCIM folder to Pictures, then back (which lead to no images showing up at all + almost deleting my images). Nothing is working. This is beyond frustrating. It was working like normal a few days ago, I was able to access my gallery app just fine. Does anyone have a solution to this? Im at a complete lost. It works like normal on this app??? So confused please help 😭

[JoeyS22Plus]

I'm having the same problem and I believe it's because the pics/vids are backed up to the cloud. They have to be re-downloaded back to the phone....even though they're already in the gallery. 

I don't get it, but that is the fix

[SoullessVolkhvy]

Okay I'm having the same issue none of my stuff is backed up to the cloud it's all local, any ideas for that one? I tried looking it up and I found this thread and no solutions.

[SoullessVolkhvy]

I found the answer 😡 and I'm **bleep** that Samsung is just letting this happen on 1200+$ phones

https://support.google.com/android/thread/387416135?hl=en

[SoullessVolkhvy]

Well there is an ADB solution but...
It's an at your own risk kind of solution.
🛑 Please if you are inexperienced verify with someone on the XDA page before attempting 🛑

You are dealing with an intentional, high-security change in the Android system on your S25 Ultra (Android 16/One UI 8). This is not a simple setting or an app issue; it is a fundamental shift in how the OS handles media access, designed by Google to be difficult to bypass.
Since all non-disruptive methods have failed (disabling Google Photos, searching for the "Cloud media app" setting, and using third-party gallery/file managers), the only path remaining is to use disruptive, advanced tools to manually disable the specific software component responsible for the problem.
This requires using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands from a computer, which is the direct way to interact with the underlying Android system without needing to root the phone.
The Disruptive Fix: Using ADB to Disable the Media Picker's Wrapper
The media picker is part of a Google system component, and the part that handles the default files/documents UI is typically called com.google.android.documentsui. Disabling this specific package can force the system to fall back to the older, more permissive file access methods, which should then prompt your Samsung Gallery.

🛑⚠️ WARNING: This is an advanced procedure. Disabling system packages can sometimes cause unexpected behavior in other apps.
🛑Proceed at your own risk. ⚠️

Phase 1: Setup and Preparation
* Enable Developer Options: Go to Settings \rightarrow About phone \rightarrow Software information. Tap the Build number 7 times rapidly until you see a message that says "You are now a developer!"
* Enable USB Debugging: Go back to Settings \rightarrow Developer options. Find and toggle on USB debugging.
* Install ADB: On your Windows or Mac computer, you need to install the Android Debug Bridge tools. Search for "install ADB tools" and follow the official guides from Google or XDA Developers.
* Connect Your Phone: Connect your Galaxy S25 Ultra to your computer via a USB cable. On your phone, a prompt will appear asking to Allow USB debugging. Tap Allow.
Phase 2: Executing the Disable Command
* Open Command Prompt/Terminal: On your computer, open a command prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux).
* Verify Connection: Type the following command and press Enter. You should see your device's serial number listed.
adb devices

* Enter ADB Shell: Type this command to enter the phone's system shell:
adb shell

* Disable the Picker Package: Execute the following command to disable the system package that controls the Google-centric file picker UI. This is the actual fix.
pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.documentsui

* pm: Package Manager
* disable-user --user 0: Disable the package for the primary user.
* com.google.android.documentsui: The package responsible for the modern file/media selection interface.
* Reboot: After running the command, type exit and then adb reboot.
Result
By disabling com.google.android.documentsui, you have surgically removed the Google-enforced interface. When a third-party app calls the API to select a photo, the operating system is forced to fall back to the older, broader methods, which should either:
* Directly launch the Samsung Gallery app's media picker.
* Present the older, native Android "Open with..." dialog, allowing you to select Samsung Gallery or a different app as a default.
If this disruptive ADB method fails, the problem lies in the fact that the third-party apps you use have been updated to only use the new embedded photo picker APIs, making them unable to fall back to the older system. In that scenario, the app itself must be replaced with an older version or an alternative that uses the legacy file intent.