Samsung’s new Memory app is a better version of one of Google’s exclusive Pixel apps

The app seems to be heavily inspired by its own app, Collection, currently only available in China. As you’d expect for an app like this, it’s very reliant on using AI to help recognize, catalog, and describe various screenshots and other memories.

Memory is an AI-powered cataloging tool

It’s not just for screenshots

AI-powered productivity tools like Pixel Screenshots are all the rage right now, even if you might not be fully aware of everything they can do. While Google’s app is named “Screenshots”, it’s about far more than that, and it’s meant to be your phone’s information hub. You can keep collections of themed images here, like a chatbot-equipped Pinterest, search for your screenshots, or find flight details from a week ago.

Samsung’s US phones have been missing a version of this, even though “Collections”, a similar app, is already available in China. Thankfully, it seems like Memory is a new Samsung app that will fill this gap.

Memory isn’t available yet, but that hasn’t stopped SammyGuru’s Josh Skinner from getting some time with it. According to Skinner’s screenshots, Memory starts out empty, but can be filled with content from any app using the Share function, or by saving a screenshot by dragging three fingers down the screen. You can also save voice notes to it by pressing the volume up and side keys at the same time.

It then uses AI to name the item, create a description, and add tags. It’ll even link to the app you got the memory from, so you’ll be able to go back to it when you need to.

I don’t personally see the point in apps like this. Outside of screenshots for my job, the vast majority of everything I screenshot are memes I can’t save for some reason, and the rest are accidental screenshots I took while mishandling my phone like a deranged baboon. I’ve had Pixel Screenshots for some time now, and as far as I’m aware, I’ve never used it.

However, I’ve long come to the conclusion that apps like this aren’t useful for anyone, up until the point they are. I certainly like the fact it uses AI to create a description of the content, and even pulls out specific details that might be useful. Heck, even if all it’s used for is a meme collection, I guess that has some value.

At the moment, nobody is sure whether this app will be gated to specific Samsung phones or not. The three-finger gesture will apparently require One UI 9.5 to use for some insane reason, but otherwise, SammyGuru couldn’t find any reason why this app couldn’t come to every currently updated Samsung phone.

Of course, the real question is whether it’ll be tied to the Galaxy AI subscription or not. If it is, it’ll be hard to see it as anything other than dead on arrival.