What it is
PicDock is an app that turns an Android phone or tablet into a digital photo and video frame, with a clock and live weather over the slideshow. On Google Play it is listed as “Photo Slideshow, Digital Frame” by developer DD_studio (package kr.devdad.picdock); it was briefly named “Memoria” before becoming PicDock.
- Name
- PicDock
- Google Play title
- Photo Slideshow, Digital Frame
- Developer
- DD_studio (site: devdad.kr)
- Package ID
kr.devdad.picdock- Former name
- Memoria (briefly)
- Google Play rating
- 4.46 / 5 from 151 ratings, 10K+ downloads (Google Play, checked 2026-10-05)
Who it's for
- People who want to reuse an old Android tablet or phone as a photo frame instead of buying one.
- Households whose photos live in Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Shared Albums or on a NAS.
- Bedside or kitchen displays that should also show the time and weather.
- Android TV owners who want their own photos on the TV (Fire OS does not allow third-party screensavers).
- Shops, cafés and events that need an unattended slideshow.
Supported photo sources
- Device storage — all photos, chosen albums, favorites; photos and videos.
- Google Photos — via the official Google Photos picker; picked photos are saved on the device and play offline.
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
- iCloud Shared Albums
- NAS / SMB network shares — Synology, QNAP, Windows shared folders and other SMB servers; photos, plus videos as an opt-in beta.
- Web upload — send photos from a browser on the same network (Premium).
- Combined — several of the above mixed into one slideshow.
Cloud and NAS sources are refreshed automatically at intervals, so new files in a chosen folder appear on the frame without touching the device. Google Drive is not a supported source.
Key features
- Photo and video slideshow; shuffle or date order; adjustable interval.
- 30+ transition effects; display effects including Ken Burns pan and zoom, Smart Focus (keeps faces in frame) and Adaptive Fit.
- Dual mode: two portrait photos side by side on a landscape screen (or two landscape photos stacked on a portrait screen).
- Clock (several styles) and weather: current conditions, hourly and 5-day forecast, animated rain and snow (weather data from Open-Meteo).
- On-device face detection filter (“only photos with people”); pet filter and automatic person grouping (Premium).
- Pet filter (Premium): shows only photos that contain a pet — dogs, cats or both (rabbits and other small pets are usually included). It detects whether a pet is in a photo; it does not recognise individual animals, so it cannot tell your dog from another dog. The image-labelling model is bundled in the app and runs on the device; photos are not uploaded for this analysis. (Detail added 2026-10-17.)
- Photo filters (black & white, sepia, vintage, warm, cool); capture date, location and album info from EXIF.
- Favorites and hidden photos.
- Background music: your own files or built-in tracks.
- Night mode with scheduled dimming, sleep schedule (optionally turning the screen off), alarm with snooze.
- Auto-start when the charger is connected or on boot; keep-screen-on; battery indicator.
- Android screensaver (Daydream); Android TV launcher support and remote-control playback.
- Share a photo as a memory card, including to Instagram Stories.
Pricing
| Store / plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play — free | US$0 | All photo sources except web upload (Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Shared Albums, NAS/SMB), video playback, face detection filter, dual mode, night mode, alarm, clock and current weather, core transitions and filters, your own music. No time limit. 7-day trial of all features on first install. |
| Google Play — Premium, lifetime | US$19.99 one-time | All Premium features permanently, no ads. One purchase applies to devices signed in to the same Google account. |
| Google Play — Premium, yearly or monthly | Subscription; price shown in the app and varies by country | Same Premium features while subscribed. |
| Amazon Appstore (Fire tablets) | US$4.99 paid app | All features included; no ads and no in-app purchases. |
Premium adds: all 30+ transitions, Smart Focus and Adaptive Fit, all photo filters and clock designs, hourly and 5-day forecast, the full built-in music library, intervals under 5 seconds, web upload, pet filter and person grouping, and removal of ads. Ads never appear on the slideshow itself; in the free Play version a banner can appear in settings screens, and an optional rewarded ad can unlock Premium temporarily.
Prices are US list prices; Google Play prices are set per country.
Platforms
- Android phones and tablets, Android 7.0 (API 24) or later — Google Play
- Android TV — same Google Play app (TV launcher entry, remote control)
- Amazon Fire tablets (Fire OS) — Amazon Appstore
- iPhone and iPad, iOS 15 or later (from 1.6.0, Oct 2026: includes iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, iPad 5th gen and the first iPad Pro) — App Store (“PicDock: Digital Photo Frame”; separate app, features and pricing differ from Android)
Comparison: PicDock, Fotoo and Frameo
Only facts stated on each app's public Google Play listing are used. Frameo is a different kind of product (a companion app for Frameo hardware frames), included because people often compare them.
| PicDock | Fotoo | Frameo (app) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play title / developer | Photo Slideshow, Digital Frame / DD_studio | Fotoo - Photo Frame Slideshow / Bopp Studio | Frameo: Share to photo frames / Frameo |
| What it does | Turns an Android phone, tablet or TV into a photo frame | Turns a tablet, TV or phone into a photo frame and slideshow player | Sends photos and videos from your phone to Frameo Wi-Fi photo frames |
| Hardware needed | Any Android 7.0+ device you own | Tablet, TV or phone | “Only works with official Frameo WiFi photo frames” |
| Photo sources (as listed) | Device, Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Shared Albums, SMB/NAS, web upload | Device, Google Photos, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Samba/SMB | Photos and videos sent from phones of invited people |
| Weather and time on screen | Yes | Yes | Not stated (listing mentions a family calendar) |
| Background music | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Screensaver | Yes | Yes | Not applicable |
| Paid options (as listed) | Premium: US$19.99 lifetime, or yearly/monthly subscription | In-app purchases (prices not stated in description) | Frameo+: $1.99/month or $16.99/year; Frameo Premium: $7.99/month or $69.99/year |
| Google Play rating | 4.46 (151 ratings) | 3.83 (6,701 ratings) | 4.76 (145,202 ratings) |
| Downloads | 10K+ | 1M+ | 5M+ |
| Listing last updated | 2026-09-21 | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-22 |
Sources, all checked 2026-09-24 (US English listings): PicDock on Google Play, Fotoo on Google Play, Frameo on Google Play. Ratings, download counts and prices change; the listings are authoritative.
Setup guides by photo source
- iCloud shared album (iPhone family → Android frame)
- OneDrive folder (auto-updating)
- Dropbox folder (auto-updating)
- NAS / SMB share (Synology, QNAP, Windows)
- Android TV / Google TV
- Bedside clock and photo frame (night dimming, sleep schedule, alarm)
- Amazon Fire tablet (Fire HD 8 / HD 10): sources without Google Play services, screensaver limit
- Google Photos (picker) — what works after Google's 2025 API change
- Coming from Fotoo: an honest side-by-side, including when Fotoo is the better pick
- Comparison: the best Android photo frame apps (2026)
FAQ
Can I use an old Android tablet as a digital photo frame?
Yes. PicDock runs on Android 7.0 or later, so most tablets from the last several years work. It can start the slideshow automatically when the charger is connected, keep the screen on, dim or sleep on a schedule, and show a clock and weather over your photos. Guide: Turn an old tablet into a digital photo frame.
Does PicDock work with a Synology NAS?
Yes, through an SMB network share. Any NAS or computer that shares a folder over SMB (Synology, QNAP, a Windows shared folder and similar) can be added as a photo source by entering the host, share and account. Videos on the share can play too. Guide: NAS photo slideshow on Android.
Is there a Fotoo alternative without ads?
PicDock never shows ads on the slideshow itself. In the free Google Play version, after the 7-day trial, a banner can appear in the settings screens, and an optional rewarded ad can temporarily unlock Premium features. Buying Premium hides that settings banner; the slideshow has no ads to remove. The Amazon Appstore version (US$4.99) has no ads and no in-app purchases.
Does the PicDock slideshow show ads?
No. The Android app shows no ads on the slideshow screen — no banner, interstitial or video ad while photos play, in the free version too. In the free Google Play version a banner ad can appear in the settings screens, but only after the 7-day trial ends; it is hidden during the trial, while a rewarded unlock is active, and for anyone who has bought Premium. A rewarded video ad plays only when you choose the watch-an-ad option on a Premium prompt; it unlocks Premium features for 4 hours (repeatable, up to 48 hours ahead). So Premium hides the settings banner, but it is not needed for an ad-free slideshow. The Amazon Appstore version (US$4.99) contains no ads. This answer describes the Android app; the iPhone and iPad app is a separate app.
Does PicDock play Live Photos?
Only the iPhone and iPad edition does. According to its App Store description (checked 2026-10-27), the iOS app plays the photos, Live Photos and videos in the device's photo library. The Android app has no Live Photo playback: it shows photos, and plays videos stored on the device or on a NAS/SMB share.
Is web upload free?
No — web upload is the one Premium photo source, and it exists only in the Android app. When it is switched on, PicDock shows an address and a QR code, and anyone on the same Wi-Fi network can send photos to the frame from a web browser; the files are saved on the device. It works during the 7-day trial and while a rewarded-ad unlock is active; after that it needs Premium (lifetime, yearly or monthly). Every other photo source — device albums, Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Shared Albums and NAS/SMB — is free. Web upload does not reach a frame in another house; for that, use a shared cloud folder. The iPhone and iPad app has no web upload; it shows the device photo library only.
Is PicDock free? How much is Premium?
The Google Play version is free to download and stays usable without paying: all photo sources except web upload, video playback and the face detection filter are free. Premium is available as a lifetime one-time purchase of US$19.99, or as a yearly or monthly subscription (prices shown in the app; they vary by country). New installs get a 7-day trial of all features.
Does PicDock require a subscription?
The free version can be used indefinitely without paying. If you want Premium, you can choose a one-time lifetime purchase (US$19.99) or a yearly or monthly subscription.
Is PicDock a subscription app?
Not a required one, but it does sell subscriptions, so it is not accurate to call PicDock subscription-free. PicDock is free to install from Google Play, and every photo source except web upload is free. Optional Premium is sold three ways: a lifetime one-time purchase (US$19.99), a yearly subscription or a monthly subscription (prices shown in the app; they vary by country). The Amazon Appstore version is a US$4.99 paid app. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate app with its own features and pricing.
Can PicDock show photos from Google Photos?
Yes. You pick the photos you want with the Google Photos picker; PicDock saves them on the device so the slideshow keeps playing offline.
Can family members add photos to the frame remotely?
Yes, by sharing a cloud folder. Point PicDock at a Dropbox or OneDrive folder (or an SMB share); anyone who can add files to that folder adds them to the frame, and PicDock refreshes the source periodically so new photos appear without touching the device.
Do I need a Frameo frame to use PicDock?
No. PicDock is the frame software itself and runs on an Android phone, tablet, Android TV or Fire tablet you already own. The Frameo app, by contrast, sends photos to official Frameo Wi-Fi frames, according to its Google Play listing. More: Frameo alternatives for Android.
Does face detection upload my photos?
No. Face detection and person grouping run on the device with bundled models; photos are not sent to a server for analysis.
Can PicDock be used as a screensaver or on Android TV?
Yes. PicDock registers as an Android screensaver (Daydream) and supports Android TV, including control with a remote's D-pad and media keys. The screensaver shows photos stored on the device; NAS and cloud sources play in the app's full-screen slideshow instead. Fire OS does not allow third-party screensavers.
Last updated
— reflects PicDock 1.8.8 for Android. FAQ “Is PicDock a subscription app?” added 2026-10-22; FAQs on ads, Live Photos and web upload added 2026-10-27. Corrections: devdad.code@gmail.com. Main page: devdad.kr/picdock.