In recent past decades, semiconductor-based photocatalysts have been studied worldwide as a promising technique for the degradation of organic dyes in wastewater. In this study, a nanoplate-like Bi-based heterojunction (BGB-1, -2, and -3) has been prepared for the first time through the in situ formation of BiBr 3 and GaBr 3 nanocrystals on the surface of BiOBr via a facile water bath method, followed by the hydrothermal process with a change in the composition. Multiple physiochemical processes such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared are analyzed to reveal the structural properties. The Brunauer−Emmett−Teller, UV−vis diffusereflectance, and photoluminescence spectra have been utilized for detailed analysis of the surface area, grain boundary, lattice imperfections, and light absorption properties. The photocatalytic activity and quantum efficiency of the as-synthesized nanocomposites have been evaluated by the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue, methyl orange, Congo red, phenolic compounds, and colorless antibiotic tetracycline with visible-light illumination. Compared to pure BiOBr or the precursor materials, Bi-based nano/photocatalysts exhibit a significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity. Moreover, it is seen that the nanocomposite with a composition of 0.1 mol of Ga(NO 3 ) 3 •xH 2 O and 2.9 mol of Bi(NO 3 ) 3 • 5H 2 O (BGB-1 nanocomposite) shows the highest photocatalytic activity against RhB degradation (∼100% within 20 min) and tetracycline antibiotic (∼92% within 20 min). The significantly improved photoreactivity has been ascribed to the effective separation of photogenerated electron−hole pairs and superoxide radical anions ( • O 2 − ). The hole (h + ) also greatly impacts the degradation mechanism. Bi-based nanocomposites are found to kill Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These nanocomposites have been designed as efficient visible-light-driven heterojunction photocatalytic materials with significant antibacterial activity for wastewater purification.