# Fossify Gallery: a private Android gallery you build yourself

> Fossify Gallery is a GPL-3.0 Android photo and video app from the FossifyOrg team, distributed through Google Play, F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid. The README promises no ads and no unnecessary permissions, but the repository also shows that building it from source is a Gradle exercise with signing properties to configure.

**FossifyOrg/Gallery** — Browse your memories without any interruptions with this photo and video gallery

- Repository: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Gallery
- Website: https://www.fossify.org
- Stars: 3,746 · Forks: 267
- Language: Kotlin
- License: GPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-09-23 · Updated: 2026-09-23 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/fossifyorg-gallery

## The problem Fossify Gallery picks: a gallery that does not phone home

Most Android galleries ship inside a larger ecosystem. They sync to an account, they surface ads or recommendations, and they ask for permissions that a local media browser does not strictly need. Fossify Gallery is aimed at the opposite position. The README states the app has "No ads, no unnecessary permissions", and it lists privacy features as first-class: stripping EXIF metadata such as GPS coordinates and camera details, and locking specific photos, videos or the whole app behind a pin, pattern or fingerprint. The target user is someone who keeps a local photo library on an Android device and wants to browse it without an account. It is not a cloud service and the README never presents it as one. The project is written in Kotlin and licensed GPL-3.0, which matters later if you plan to redistribute a modified build.

## What the app actually does: editing, recycle bin and format coverage

The README describes a basic editor with crop, resize, rotate, flip, draw and filters. None of that is unusual for a gallery, and the README does not claim it competes with a dedicated photo editor. Two features stand out as more than a checklist. The first is the recycle bin, described as letting you recover deleted photos and videos "in seconds", which changes deletion from a destructive action into a reversible one. The second is format coverage: JPEG, JPEG XL, PNG, MP4, MKV, RAW, SVG, GIF and AVIF are all named. RAW and SVG are the interesting entries, because many phone galleries ignore both. The README also mentions Material Design with dynamic themes and custom themes, and a set of function buttons that can be rearranged. Treat the format list as a claim to check against your own files rather than a guarantee; the README does not say which RAW variants or which SVG features are supported.

## Installing Fossify Gallery from Google Play, F-Droid or IzzyOnDroid

The README offers three distribution channels and no manual install instructions. The Google Play link points at the package org.fossify.gallery, and the F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid badges point at the same package on their respective repositories. There is no APK download link in the README itself, so the stores are the supported route. The most recent release listed is 1.13.1 from 2026-02-17, following 1.13.0 and 1.12.0 earlier that month. If you use F-Droid, add the repository and search for the package; the same package name appears in the store URLs below.

```bash
# F-Droid package page and Google Play listing use the same application id
org.fossify.gallery
```

After installing, the first real use is the one the README leads with: open the app, let it index local media, and then try the privacy controls. The README says EXIF metadata such as GPS coordinates can be stripped, and that individual photos, videos or the entire app can be locked. Those two settings are where the app differs from a stock gallery, so they are worth verifying on your own device before you trust them with a library. The README does not document a first-run wizard, so expect the usual Android permission prompt for media access.

## Building from source: Gradle, a sample keystore and no documented recipe

The repository layout shows a standard Android Gradle project: build.gradle.kts, settings.gradle.kts, gradlew and gradlew.bat, a gradle/ directory, an app/ module, and a keystore.properties_sample file. That sample file is the clearest signal that a release build expects signing properties to be supplied by the builder. The README does not contain build instructions, so anyone compiling this themselves is working from the Gradle files rather than from documentation. The presence of detekt.yml and lint.xml indicates static analysis is configured in the project, which is a reasonable sign for contributors, but it is not a statement about build support for end users. The honest reading is that source builds are a contributor path, not a supported consumer path. If you only want the app, use a store. If you want to modify it, expect to read the Gradle configuration and the keystore sample yourself.

## Where Fossify Gallery is the wrong tool

Two limits are visible from the repository. First, this is an Android application, and nothing in the README or the repository suggests an iOS, desktop or web client. If your library lives across an iPhone and a laptop, Fossify Gallery covers one of those devices. Second, there is no cloud sync or account layer described. That is the point of the project, but it also means there is no built-in way to move a library between devices or to recover from a lost phone. The recycle bin protects against accidental deletion on the device, not against device loss. A third limitation is documentation depth: the README is a feature summary, not a manual. It does not explain how EXIF stripping interacts with the recycle bin, whether stripping is applied on export or in place, or how the editor handles RAW files. If your workflow depends on those details, the README will not answer you, and you should check the in-app behaviour or the project's issue tracker instead.

## How it compares with a stock OEM gallery

The natural alternative is the gallery that ships with your phone, whether that is a Samsung, Motorola or Google build. The difference in approach is not features; it is the account and permission model. A stock gallery is usually tied to a cloud account and a broader device ecosystem, which is why it can sync across devices and why it also collects more. Fossify Gallery is local-first by design, with the README explicitly framing the trade as "Unleash memories, not personal data". The cost of that choice is convenience: no cross-device sync, no web access, no server-side search. The benefit is that the app's permission surface and metadata handling are the user's decision. If you already rely on your phone's gallery for cloud backup, switching means finding a separate backup tool. If you never wanted the cloud layer, the stock gallery's extra capability is mostly overhead you were not using.

## Maintenance, releases and what the GPL-3.0 licence means here

The repository is not archived, and the last push was on 2026-09-21. The most recent tagged release in the repository is 1.13.1 from 2026-02-17, with 1.13.0 and 1.12.0 in the weeks before it. That is a release cadence measured in months, not days, and the gap between the last release and the last push suggests ongoing work that has not yet been tagged. The project is licensed GPL-3.0, which is a copyleft licence: if you distribute a modified build, the source for your changes has to be made available under the same terms. For an individual installing from F-Droid or Google Play, that has no practical effect. For a company that wants to rebrand the app or ship it inside a product, it changes the plan. This is a description of the licence, not legal advice; check with your own counsel before redistributing.

## Conclusion

Adopt Fossify Gallery if you want an Android gallery with no ads, a built-in recycle bin, EXIF stripping and app-level locking, and you are willing to install it from Google Play, F-Droid or IzzyOnDroid rather than build it. Do not adopt it if you need the project to document a supported build path, because the README does not; the keystore.properties_sample and gradlew files are the only build hints the repository gives. Before committing, verify that your device runs the Android version the release requires, that your preferred store carries 1.13.1, and that the formats you care about (JPEG XL, AVIF, RAW, SVG) behave as the format list claims. The licence is GPL-3.0, so any redistributed modified build carries source obligations, and that is a question for your own counsel, not for this review.

## FAQ

### Where can I download Fossify Gallery?

The README links to three stores: Google Play, F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid, all under the package org.fossify.gallery. There is no direct APK link in the README.

### Does Fossify Gallery have ads or track my location?

The README states the app has no ads and no unnecessary permissions, and it lists EXIF stripping of GPS coordinates and camera details as a privacy feature. Those claims are the project's own description, not an independent audit.

### Can I recover photos I deleted in Fossify Gallery?

The README describes a built-in recycle bin that lets you recover deleted photos and videos in seconds. It does not document how long items stay in the bin.

### Which image and video formats does Fossify Gallery support?

The README names JPEG, JPEG XL, PNG, MP4, MKV, RAW, SVG, GIF and AVIF. It does not specify which RAW variants or SVG features are covered.

### How do I build Fossify Gallery from source?

The repository is a Gradle project with a wrapper (gradlew) and a keystore.properties_sample file, but the README does not document build steps. Building is a contributor path rather than a supported install method.

## Sources

- [FossifyOrg/Gallery on GitHub](https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Gallery)
- [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Gallery/blob/main/LICENSE)
- [Project website](https://www.fossify.org)
- [README](https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Gallery/blob/main/README.md)
- [Releases](https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Gallery/releases)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/fossifyorg-gallery