Aves: Flutter-Powered Android Gallery & Metadata Explorer

Aves is an open-source gallery and metadata explorer app for Android, built with Flutter to deliver near-native performance. It supports standard formats like JPEG and MP4, as well as multi-page TIFFs, SVGs, old AVIs, 360° videos, and GeoTIFFs. Automatic detection of motion photos, panoramas, and geotagged images enables seamless navigation across albums, tags, maps, and timelines. The project is MIT-licensed and actively maintained, with version 1.12.10 released on April 16, 2025, bringing stability and performance improvements.

Usage

1. Visit the Official Repo: Go to the GitHub repository to view source code, release notes, and download APKs.

2. Google Play Install: Search “Aves Gallery” in Google Play, install, and grant storage/media access permissions.

3. F-Droid Install: Add the Aves repository in F-Droid or search “Aves” to install with automatic updates enabled.

4. Initial Setup: On first launch, grant media permissions—Aves will scan all OS-registered media and generate albums, tags, and map views. Use “Scan settings” to exclude folders if needed.

5. Widgets & Shortcuts: Long-press the home screen to add Aves bookmarks, shortcuts, or album widgets for one-tap access to specific collections.

Features

• Extensive Format Support: Handles JPEG, PNG, MP4, AVI, multi-page TIFF, SVG, 360° video, and GeoTIFF seamlessly.

• Metadata-Driven Navigation: Auto-detects motion photos, panoramas, and geotagged media to enable browsing by albums, tags, maps, or timeline views.

• Platform Widgets & Integrations: Offers Android and Android TV widgets, app shortcuts, screen saver integration, and global search handling for deep system integration.

• Global Search & Picker: Integrates with Android’s global search and media picker APIs, allowing seamless access to Aves from other apps.

• Customizable Scan Rules: Include or exclude folders via settings to tailor the scanning scope and avoid clutter from irrelevant files.

• Community-Driven Open Source: Licensed under MIT, welcomes contributions, issue reports, and plugin development to expand functionality.

Suitable Scenarios

• Professional Photo Management: Efficiently organize and browse large collections of RAW, TIFF, and GeoTIFF files using tags and map views.

• Travel Panorama Review: Relive trips with automatic panorama and 360° video support alongside integrated map view.

• Smart Album Sharing: Quickly share curated albums or tag-based collections via home screen shortcuts and global search.

• Offline Browsing: Access previously scanned media in airplane mode or without network connectivity, independent of cloud services.

• Home Media Center: Use Android TV widgets and screen saver to turn a tablet or TV into a dynamic photo frame or video showcase.