Summary
- Google Drive desktop stops backing up photos to Google Photos on Aug 10, 2026.
- Switch to Google Photos app or set backup folders in Photos to keep automatic backups.
- Cloud photos remain safe; avoid syncing folders in both Drive and Photos—duplicates can double Google One usage.
If you use Google Drive for desktop to automatically back up your computer’s photos to Google Photos, you’ll need to make changes soon. Support for these backups in the Drive desktop app will end on August 10, 2026.
This update changes how desktop users manage their cloud photo libraries. For years, the desktop app let you send folders straight to Google Photos along with your regular file syncs. After August 10, that option will be gone. Since June 15, the app has been reminding users to switch, and you can no longer set up new backup folders in the desktop app.
What this means for your workflow
If you’ve been saving your pictures, there are a few steps you’ll need to take.
Current sync folders will keep working for now, but the feature is being phased out. After August 10, any automatic connection between Google Drive desktop and Google Photos will stop working.
If you want to keep automatically backing up your local photo folders, you’ll need to switch to the Google Photos app or change your backup settings yourself. If you don’t update your setup, your computer’s photo folders won’t be backed up online, which could put your memories at risk if something happens to your device.
If you’ve used cloud storage as a digital shoebox for years, this change can be tough. I see it in my own Google Drive—ten years of memories sorted into folders, from big milestones to random road trip photos and old pet pictures. After relying on one app to handle uploads in the background for so long, changes like this can feel especially disruptive.
The good news is that everything you’ve already backed up to Google Photos will stay safe. This change won’t delete anything from the cloud. It only affects how new photos from your desktop get uploaded.
How to keep your photos safe before the deadline
If you still use the old Drive-to-Photos connection, you’ll need to take a few steps to keep your automatic backups working.
- Open Google Photos on the web or your phone to check your current backup folders.
- Set up your backup folders directly in Google Photos settings instead of using the desktop Drive app.
Watch out for storage overlap — if you sync a folder with both Google Drive and Google Photos, you could end up with duplicate files that use twice as much of your Google One storage. That ain’t cheap!
Take a few minutes today to review your Google Drive backup settings and protect your photos before August 10th. You can read more about the change here.
