this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
73 points (97.4% liked)

Open Source

31016 readers
869 users here now

All about open source! Feel free to ask questions, and share news, and interesting stuff!

Useful Links

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon from opensource.org, but we are not affiliated with them.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I have switched most of my daily apps to FOSS alternatives or privacy adhering closed apps, however I cannot find a suitable replacement to Google Photos, at least not without significant compromises.

My key factor to choosing an appropriate alternative to app is its UI, which you may think has nothing to do with privacy. But as it turns out, there are plenty of alternative apps that I could switch to, which makes it difficult for me as a layman FOSS user to choose from. So naturally I would to resort to the option that looks and behaves similar to the original app the most. As said before, I haven't faced a problem in switching in the case of other apps, but for some unknown reason I cannot find a good Photos alternative for myself anywhere.

Does anyone know the app I am looking for? I am still open to using apps that provide greater functionalities if it comes at the cost of appearance. it is just that I don't wish to use a 10-year old looking software for a core purpose of my new phone. Apart from the UI, I just need the app to have local functionality since I don't really back my photos in the cloud.

Edit: I don't have the facility to self host, thus I would be avoiding apps that only rely on self hosting images

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 49 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Have you tried Immich? It has a very similar feel to Google Photos but with the advantage of owning your storage.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This looks promising! Would you know if it supports searching by map? Ie could I load up a map of an area and access the way photos taken there? Or alternatively, could I search by the name of a location?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I like the direction it's headed in... but the name and logo 🫠 (not to it's detriment at all... just not it.)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What's wrong with the name and logo?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't see myself saying "I use Immich". It feels like something that's a local cultural name instead of a brand name... you know?

This is just a nitpick tho...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I don't see any connection with cultures. It's just "image" slightly mispronounced, I think.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Same here, the app is brilliant and I use it to backup and host all my personal photos - but the name & logo leave something to be desired.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Genuinely curious as to what is wrong with the logo? It's similar to gphotos. The name is similar to image.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The logo is not simple enough to clearly see on small mobile screens and the name sounds (to my ears) neither ‚professional‘ (Photoprism or LibrePhotos) nor ‚playful‘ (Tiddlywiki, Lychee). This is both quite subjective, so your mileage may differ wildly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Subjective it is, it takes nothing away from the app at all I must say. If you can self host Immich I'm sure you can change the icon and rename it yourself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Of course, it takes nothing away from the app – I use it very happily on a daily basis. I just wish these things will be changed one day, then I will be even happier. 😁

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Immich"? It's a nonsense word in English... what does it mean, and in what language?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's a weird way to write "image" ...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh, is it mocking an accent? It's not, like, Norwegian for "asshole?"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's just an alternate spelling that matches the way some Americans might say the word image, but also I hope what you said is true too.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Maybe it's meant like sammich, as in, "make me a sammich."