Yes! - what Progga said!

>The photo section is a feature to VIEW specific file formats (Photos and videos), not the default storage of them

As of now, there is no use case for me to use albums at all. Everything is stored in drive folders anyway, so why bother manually syncing them for another view?

If the goal is degooglifying then Proton needs three core features fully fleshed out, mail, drive and photos. Only then will Proton have the baseline features to degooglify.

As stated by others, I'm also currently using Ente, it ensures smooth transition from big tech services and self-organizes albums based on computer folders, plus it's a mature service with lots of features.

On top of the recent updates, I think most urgent fix would be:
- creating a photos tab on the desktop app, showing the same photos as the mobile app one;
- when setting up the PC synchronization, choosing both the folders to backup and specify which of them (ex. Pictures, Videos) contain files that should be displayed also in the photos tab. Please don't rely only on file formats like OneDrive.

As i have commented on other "photos" threads;

Proton Photos functionality is the missing link for me... The new albums and share/edit is good and welcome, but for me to migrate my family to Proton (from Microsoft), I need a better way for us to access our total of 800gb of photo-files (Yes, they are files)

My photos are sorted in folders over 20 years, and they way it is now where i have to download and upload to move from "files" to "photos" is not good enough.

I want my my "photos" to be stored under "files" and shown under "photos". I want to have access to the way i have stored my photos by year as files, but i want the ability to VIEW them in a "photos"-app/tab.

This is the point i feel like Proton is missing at the moment. Photos ARE files. The photo section is a feature to VIEW specific file formats (Photos and videos), not the default storage of them...

Additional features like folders would be critical for me as I have a lot of photos.
Other features that would be tremendously useful, are a display format like that provided by dedicated photo sites / services (like Smugmug but without the selling feature - e.g., folders, thumbnail displays, full photo display (where controls are minimized and the photo uses the maximum display area available) / ability to enter full screen, ability to sort images by file name).
A pie-in-the-sky feature would be to run a slide show with the photos (from an album or from a photo folder).

Proton should partner or acquire Ente. As simple as like that!

In my opinion after having used photo backup in Drive for a bit, is that it should be scrapped. Please just acquire Ente. It is so much closer to an actual replacement for G Photos or iCloud that I suspect it will be years before you even catch up to Ente.

I’m not going to list all of the advantages. You know what they are. I wanted to love photos in Drive but the current solution isn’t even close. I have moved all of my photos to Ente.

+1 for Proton Photos

We need a Proton collaboration with Immich or Ente for this ! I want a usefull gallery app to watch my photos.

Yes, this! I have not yet replaced Google with Proton for my photos because proton is not good enough yet. I also need the feature where it's easy to scroll through photos in the phone by month and year like google photos has.

I am moving from Google mail to Proton for the mail.
I experienced difficulties replacing Google Photos.

An application for photos is obviously critical, can Proton do it?

This is critical for me to switch to a 100% max-paid proton consumer. Currently I run things with NextCloud and PhotoPrism on my own paid cloud. Proton could make me give all of that up if I could get adequate photo app as a first-class citizen of their apps. OP is right. We need albums. In the same way that Google Drive != Google Photos, the use of Proton Drive to cover both bases isn't nearly good enough. On the other hand, if done correctly (with ease of transfer) I would love to get all the way in with the Proton eco-system. This is just too big of a lacking for that the be a reality for me.

Currently Proton Drive backup of photos is too basic on Android : no folder, no tagging, no true management features. Right now I'm considering a NextCloud based solution due to these on these limitations.

Also, the ability to only upload NEW photos to Proton Drive/Photos.

I've been using Ente for close to a year now for this exact reason. Excellent G Photos alternative. But if Proton would build their own photos app (or acquire one, like Ente) I'd switch tomorrow and keep my entire infrastructure on Proton. The importance of a "Proton Photos" cannot be understated.

This is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL to have, Proton!