Samsung Cloud has been one of the most essential tools for Galaxy smartphone owners.
The solution offers cloud storage for your contacts, SMS, call history, calendar events, images and music, to mention a few.
Personally, I have used the service for some time, and has been crucial to me in restoring some files such as Messages uploaded from a few years ago.
However, Samsung says it will discontinue Cloud before Q4 2021, specifically 2021-08-31.
According to an email sent to customers, the service will no longer be supported by the company, meaning that the data stored therein will be deleted when that time arrives.
Samsung adds that customers with premium storage subscription will see their plan cancelled beginning 2021-06-01, and a refund may be issued to them.
So, what is the way forward?
Samsung appears to be leaning toward Microsoft OneDrive for the same services. Samsung and Microsoft partnership has been around for a while. Sometime back, the South Korean technology company would bundle free storage for first Galaxy smartphone users over a given period.
The partnership goes further than that; Microsoft has been trying to participate in the smartphone space following the failure of its Windows Phone business. Its mobile apps are often preinstalled in Samsung phones, and the cloud development signifies the importance of the collaboration.
Customers who will be inconvenienced by this move, including yours truly, can migrate their data (Gallery, and other drive data) to OneDrive and continue using the cloud platform unperturbed.
Another option is downloading data to your mobile device or PC and uploading it to a service of choice, but preferably OneDrive for those who wish to continue using Galaxy phones.
Samsung warns that these features may end and your data may be deleted prematurely even before the official end date.
Here is the timeline for the shutdown process:
From 2020-12-01
-No longer be able to newly use above-listed features
-OneDrive migration and data download available
* Gradual rollout (up to 30 days)
From 2021-06-01
-Discontinue existing use of Gallery Sync and Drive
-End of OneDrive migration support
-Cancel the then-current premium storage subscription automatically and refund the last payment
2021-08-31
-End of data download support
How to download your video and pics
Phone or tablet
- Open the Gallery app
- Touch and hold the photos or videos you want to download.
- Tap More Options (the three vertical dots) and then tap Download.
- The selected photo(s) or video(s) will be downloaded on your phone or tablet.
Computer
- Navigate to the web version of Samsung Cloud and sign in to your Samsung account.
- From there, you can download files directly onto your PC or Mac.
- Select Gallery, hover over your desired file and then select the O icon.
- You can select multiple files or select All.
- When you’re done, select the Download icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
