Now Reading: Google Drive ends photo backups to Google Photos from August 10
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Google Drive ends photo backups to Google Photos from August 10
Google is ending support for Google Photos backups through the Drive for desktop app on August 10, 2026. From that date, the desktop app will no longer automatically upload photos and videos…
The Story in Brief
Google is ending support for Google Photos backups through the Drive for desktop app on August 10, 2026. From that date, the desktop app will no longer automatically upload photos and videos from computer folders to Google Photos. Google has already stopped users from creating new backup folders through Drive since June 15, though existing folders kept syncing during the transition period.
Users who depend on Drive for desktop to back up photos must switch to the Google Photos website. The new process involves opening Google Photos in a browser, clicking the + icon, selecting 'Back up folders,' and choosing the folders to protect. This method only runs while the browser tab stays open. Android and iPhone users backing up directly from their phones are unaffected, and all existing photos in Google Photos remain untouched.
The Indian Opinion
Another Google service change, another round of unnecessary panic. The headlines scream 'backup ends' but the reality is simpler: only the Drive-for-desktop-to-Photos pipeline is closing, not Photos itself. The tech press loves to frame these tweaks as crises, making users anxious about lost memories. The real test is whether Google eventually offers a dedicated Photos desktop app, so browser-tab backups aren't the only fix. Until then, check your folders on August 10.
Sources (2): economictimes.indiatimes.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
