GoKawiilNoodle Gallery emerges as an Immich fork built for shared family photo libraries
A longtime Immich user has switched to Noodle Gallery, an open-source fork of the self-hosted Google Photos alternative, after running into limits when trying to share photo libraries and metadata with family members. The new tool preserves core Immich functionality while adding features tailored to multi-user households. Migration is designed to be simple, letting existing Immich users swap container images in their Docker setup while keeping their existing database, photos and albums intact.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Immich has become a leading self-hosted option for people trying to avoid cloud photo services like Google Photos, but its single-user design has left gaps for families who want to share and manage photos collectively. Noodle Gallery's emergence signals growing demand for self-hosted tools that handle multi-user access without sacrificing privacy or requiring a full migration overhaul.
- Noodle Gallery is an open-source fork of Immich aimed at multi-user, family photo sharing.
- Existing Immich users can migrate by swapping container images while keeping their database and files intact.
- The fork addresses gaps in Immich around sharing partial libraries and metadata with other users.
Synology DiskStation NAS — If you're self-hosting photo libraries with tools like Immich or Noodle Gallery, a reliable NAS is the backbone that makes it all possible. Synology's DiskStation line offers the storage and app ecosystem to run these self-hosted services smoothly while keeping your family's photos off big cloud providers.
See Synology DiskStation NAS on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: androidauthority.com, 2026-09-19
Published there as: “I used Immich for years, but this self-hosted Google Photos alternative is even better”
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