Synology Photos (Android)

Version 2.2

Before you start, make sure Synology Photos is installed on a Synology NAS running DSM 7.2 or above.

To install Synology Photos:

1. Sign in to DSM with an administrator account.
2. Go to Package Center to find and install the Synology Photos package.

To sign in to Synology Photos:

1. Enter the following information in the login page:
   • Address or QuickConnect ID: Enter the IP address, DDNS hostname, or QuickConnect ID of your Synology NAS.
   • Account and Password: Enter the login credentials of your DSM account.

To set up passcode lock:

1. Go to More > Settings > Security Settings and tap Configure Passcode.
2. Enable Passcode lock and set a 4-digit passcode to unlock the Synology Photos app.

1. Browse in Timeline or Folder view.
2. View automatically and manually created albums.
3. Keep track of the items shared with others.
4. General settings and backup status.
5. Enable/disable Photo Backup and monitor progress.
6. Clear backed-up items on your phone.
7. Advanced settings for photo display, cache management, and more.
8. Switch between different spaces.

To enter a space:

In the Photos tab, select Personal Space or Shared Space from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.

To browse in different layouts:

Use the toolbar at the bottom of the Photos tab. You can view photos by time (year, month, or day) or folder.

To upload photos:

In the Photos tab, tap > Upload. Photos are saved to different folders on the Synology NAS based on your space and viewing mode:

• Personal Space:
  • Timeline View: /home/Photos/PhotoLibrary (sorted by year and month).
  • Folder View: Selected folder under each user’s /home/Photos.
• Shared Space:
  • Timeline View: /photo/PhotoLibrary (sorted by year and month).
  • Folder View: Selected folder under the shared folder /photo.

To auto-rename photos by date when uploading:

Synology Photos preserves the original filenames by default. You may also auto-rename photos by the date taken when uploading. Go to More > Settings > Upload and enable Rename by Date Taken. This renames photos to IMG_yyyyMMdd_HHmmss format.

To change a folder cover:

1. In Photos > Folder View, tap and hold a folder.
2. Tap > Change Folder Cover and select a photo.

To edit deletion settings:

When deleting items that have local copies on your phone, the Synology Photos mobile app prompts for deletion preferences. For Android, local deletion permission is required when deleting from both Synology NAS and phone.

Adjust settings in More > Settings > Deletion Settings.

Items will no longer be visible in Synology Photos after deletion. If the recycle bin is enabled, you can view or restore them via File Station.

Automatically Created Albums

Synology Photos automatically groups similar items into albums based on their categories.

• People: Recognized faces.
• Subjects: Recognized objects and themes.
• Places: Locations where the photos were taken.
• Tags: Photos with the same tags.
• Videos: All videos.
• Recently Added: Photos and videos uploaded to Synology Photos over the past 30 days.

Edit People Albums

To name a person:

1. Enter an album and tap Who's this? or the name under a cover photo.
2. If this is a new face, enter a name in the search box and tap Name as ….

To edit other settings:

Go to People album and tap . You can show, hide, or merge recognized faces here.

Manually Created Albums

Other than automatically created albums, you can create albums in your preferences.

To create an album:

Do either of the following:

• In Photos, tap and select photos. Tap to add photos to new or existing albums.
• In Albums, tap > Select photos/Upload photos.

To add photos to an album:

Do either of the following:

• Open a photo and tap > Add to album.
• Select photos, tap > select an album.
• Open an album and tap > Select from Synology Photos/Upload.

To remove photos or delete albums:

• Select photos and tap > Remove from album.
• Enter an album and tap > Delete album.

After removal or deletion, the items will remain in Synology Photos. You have to delete the original files to permanently remove them.

To set the cover photo of an album:

1. Enter an album and open a photo.
2. Tap > Set as album cover.

To view HEIC photos and HEVC vidoes:

Navigate to More > Settings > Image Assistant to enable Image Assistant. This will generate the necessary JPEG previews for display. You can monitor the status and progress of preview generation in the More tab.

To view photos in slideshow:

Open a photo and tap > Play slideshow. You can shuffle or adjust the display speed in slideshow mode.

To view and edit a photo's information:

• Tap on a photo to view and edit its details, including date taken, rating, tags, people, description, and more.
• To hide photo time and location, go to More > Settings and disable Show Dates and Locations.

To view photos in Map view:

1. In Albums > Places, tap the map icon to view photos grouped by location.
2. Tap the layer icon to switch map types.

To view photos and videos on TVs:

Two options are available:

• Synology Photos TV app: Download for Apple TV or Android TV.
• Chromecast: Connect your Chromecast device and phone to the same Wi-Fi network, open a photo, tap , and select your Chromecast device.

To search for photos or albums:

In Photos, Albums, or Sharing, tap and enter keywords such as names, subjects, or tags. You can press and hold to delete a search history.

To view Live Photos/Motion Photos:

Do either of the following:

• Open a Live Photo/Motion Photo and tap .
• Tap and search for Live Photo or Motion Photo.

To view 360-degree photos:

Tap and search for the keyword "360".

To manage cache size:

Offline Cache enables browsing of previously viewed files without the Internet. A larger cache size improves the overall browsing experience.

Go to More > Settings > Offline > Cache Management and select a cache size.

The photo widget allows you to relive your memories on your phone's home screen.

To create a photo widget:

1. Tap and hold your home screen and select Widgets.
2. Search Photos and add the photo widget.
3. Follow the wizard to select your favorable widget type, frame style, album to display, and more.
4. Tap Done and add the widget to your home screen.

To enable automatic photo backup:

1. Go to the More > Enable Photo Backup > Enable.
2. Set Backup Destination:
   • Choose Personal Space or Shared Space.
   • Optional: Customize the destination path if you don’t want to back up to the default folder.
3. You can check the backup status of each photo in Timeline view once enabling Photo Backup.

   Icon	Status	Definition
   	Detecting/Not backed-up	Backup status being checked or item not yet backed up. To prioritize backup, open the photo and tap the icon in the upper-right corner.
   	Ready for backup	The item is manually prioritized for backup and waiting in queue.
   	Backing up	The item is being backed up.
   	Done	The item is already backed up. This icon will disappear in a few seconds.
   	Error	Backup failed. Tap the icon for details.

To free up space:

To free up your phone storage, remove backed-up items via More > Free Up Space. You can filter them by time range, file size, and folders before freeing up space. These items remain accessible in Synology Photos after removal.

To speed up automatic photo backup:

Do the following:

• On your phone’s home screen, press and hold the Photos icon, tap App info, and enable the Background data option from the mobile data usage page.
• Go to Android Settings to disable the automatic power-saving mode, and connect your device to the charger. This avoids restrictions on background data usage by the Android system when the battery is low.
• Go to the More tab and tap the backup status to enable Focused Backup. Connect to a Wi-Fi network and a charger to ensure the focused backup won't be interrupted.

To share folders:

1. In Photos > Shared Space, open a folder and tap > Set folder permissions. You can edit sharing settings as needed.
2. Copy and share the link.
3. Tap Done to finish.

To share photos and albums:

1. Open an album or select photo(s). Tap > .
2. Edit sharing settings as needed.
3. Copy and share the link.
4. Tap Done to finish.

To create a Photo Request:

Photo Requests let you gather photos and videos from others via a shared link. Specify a folder for sharing and optional album. Anyone with the link can upload.

1. Do either of the following:
   • In Photos > Folder, open a folder and tap > Create Photo Request link.
   • In Albums, open an album you created or have Provider permission, and tap > Create Photo Request link.
   • In Sharing > Photo Request, tap .
2. Edit subject, description, destination folder, album, and other settings as needed.
3. Tap Create and share the link.

To manage shared items:

View and manage shared items in Sharing.

• Shared with me: Items other users shared with you.
• Shared with others: Items you shared with others.