About a week ago, Google announced their new Google Drive for Desktop app, which will combine the existing Backup and Sync app and the Drive File Stream app. The app introduced multiple features such multi-account support, Google Photos backup, etc. and now Google has begun rolling out the app for both consumers and business users.
The new Google Drive for Desktop will provide a unified experience and contain the best features from both of the older apps. These include the ability to:
- Upload and sync photos and videos to Google Photos and/or Google Drive
- Sync external storage devices to the cloud, including flash drives and external hard drives
- Mirror Drive files on your desktop, which stores your files on your local device and enables quicker access to your content
Over the next few weeks, Google will notify existing Backup and Sync users to transition to the Google Drive for Desktop app. The timeline will be as follows:
- Starting July 19, 2021: Backup and Sync will support a guided flow to help users transition onto Drive for desktop.
- Starting August 18, 2021: Any users still on Backup and Sync will start to receive in-product notifications prompting them to transition to Drive for desktop.
- Starting October 1, 2021: Any users still on Backup and Sync after that point will no longer be able to sign in to Backup and Sync. To continue syncing with Drive and/or Google Photos, users will need to transition to Drive for desktop.