Google is about to launch Drive for desktop, Backup and Sync feature stops working from 1/10

Earlier this year, Google announced plans to merge Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync into a new app for both personal and business customers, called Drive for desktop.

Google's goal is to create 'a powerful and unified sync client' with the best features for both individual and business users and IT teams, making it easy for everyone Store and access content across different devices and the cloud.

Today (July 13), Google announced that it will be rolling out some of the features of Drive for desktop to both macOS and Windows.

Drive for desktop gives you direct access to files stored on your desktop and backs them up to the cloud. In addition, it also allows you to upload images directly to Photos or Drive. Before this change, you needed to upload a certain file to Drive first before you could make a copy of it in Photos.

Drive for desktop also supports backing up external storage, including flash drives and hard drives. You can also copy files between Drive and local files on your computer.

According to Google, users using Backup and Sync will receive a notification in the next few weeks to use Drive for desktop. This means they will still be able to use Backup and Sync until the end of September. Starting October 1, this feature will be discontinued.

Here's the transition for users, according to Google:

1. July 19: Backup and Sync will be introduced and there will be instructions to help people transition to Drive for desktop.
2. August 18: Users still using Backup and Sync will be prompted to switch to Drive for desktop again.
3. October 1st: Users still using Backup and Sync will no longer be able to sign in to the feature. To continue syncing with Drive and/or Google Photos, users need to switch to Drive for desktop.

Lesley Montoya

Update 13 July 2021