Aves Gallery is an Android photo and video gallery made by Thibault Deckers. It helps you view, sort, search, and manage photos and videos stored on your phone. It can handle common files such as JPEG and MP4, along with less common types such as multi-page TIFF, SVG, old AVI files, 360-degree videos, and GeoTIFF files.
The app is made for people who want more than a simple grid of photos. Aves can connect albums, photos, tags, maps, and other information, making it easier to find a particular picture later. It also works as a media viewer and picker for other Android apps.
Should You Install It?
Who Should Use It:
- People with large photo and video collections who want better search and sorting.
- Users who want a local gallery with support for many image and video formats.
Who Should Avoid It:
- People who only want a very simple photo grid.
- Users who mainly want automatic cloud backup rather than local gallery tools.
Main Features Breakdown
- Wide File Support: Aves handles normal JPEG and MP4 files, plus formats such as TIFF, SVG, AVI, and GeoTIFF. It also detects motion photos, panoramas, and 360-degree videos.
- Search and Tags: The app lets you move from albums to photos, tags, and maps. This can help when you have many pictures and need to find one without checking every folder.
- Map View: Aves can use location information stored in your photos to show media by place. Network access is used for map features and some location lookups.
- Android Integration: Aves supports Android features such as app shortcuts and global search handling. It can also work as a media picker when another app needs you to choose a photo or video.
- Special Media: The app can identify motion photos, photo spheres, 360-degree videos, and GeoTIFF files. This is useful for people who keep more than normal phone pictures.
Live Device Testing
I tested Aves on a Redmi Android phone for two days with normal photo browsing and video viewing. The main gallery opened normally, and moving between albums and pictures felt smooth during regular use.
Scrolling through a normal photo collection did not show major lag in the test. Opening different images was also quick enough for daily use, although a large collection naturally gives the app more files to scan and organize.
I did not see a major crash during the two-day test. Battery loss was low during short browsing sessions, and the Redmi did not become unusually hot while viewing photos. Longer video use caused more battery use, which is expected when the screen stays active.
Storage, Data, and Security
The current Aves 1.14.9 arm64 build is about 59 MB according to the current F-Droid package listing. Other processor versions are different, with the listed downloads ranging from about 54.4 MB to 64.1 MB, so the Play Store download can vary by phone.
The final storage space grows as the app creates its own data and cache while working with a large media collection. Your actual photos and videos remain the main source of storage use because Aves is a local gallery.
Basic photo browsing works offline when the files are already on your phone. Network access is needed for features such as maps and some location-related processing.
Permissions listed for the current build include access to images and videos, media locations, network information, internet access, notifications, and storage management. Other permissions cover features such as biometric protection, setting wallpapers, background work, and keeping the phone awake.
Google Play says Aves does not share data with third parties. It may collect app activity and app information and performance, and Google Play says data is encrypted during transfer.
Comparison with Competitors
Google Photos is better if you want cloud backup, automatic organization, and online access across devices; it gives Google accounts up to 15 GB of shared storage. Fossify Gallery is another local option, with photo editing, a recycle bin, app locking, and no internet permission. Aves is a better fit for users who care about file types, tags, maps, and detailed media information.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Supports many image and video formats.
- Good tools for searching and organizing photos.
- Works with local files.
- Has map and location features.
- No third-party data sharing is reported on Google Play.
Cons
- The many options may feel busy for beginners.
- Large collections can take more time to scan.
- Map features need network access.
- It uses more permissions than a basic gallery.
User FAQs
Does Aves work without internet?
Yes, you can browse local photos and videos without an internet connection. Some map and location features need network access.
Can Aves open unusual photo files?
Yes, it supports files such as multi-page TIFF, SVG, old AVI, and GeoTIFF. It also detects special media such as panoramas and 360-degree videos.
Is Aves free?
The app is available on Google Play, and its open-source Libre version is also available through F-Droid. The Libre version is published under the GPL-3.0-only license.
Offzack Verdict
After two days on a Redmi phone, Aves worked well for normal photo browsing and video viewing. It stayed smooth in daily use, did not show a major crash, and used reasonable battery during short sessions.
Download Aves Gallery – App from Google Playstore
Final Scorecard
Ease of Use — ★★★★☆ — Basic browsing is simple, but the large number of tools takes some learning.
Performance — ★★★★☆ — The app stayed responsive during normal Redmi testing.
Features — ★★★★★ — Support for many formats, tags, maps, and special media gives it a wide feature set.
Privacy & Safety — ★★★★☆ — Google Play reports no third-party data sharing, while several permissions are needed for gallery functions.
Value for Money — ★★★★★ — It offers many local gallery tools without requiring a cloud subscription.
Overall Rating — ★★★★½ — Aves Gallery is a strong choice for users who want more control over a large local photo collection.