Technology Google Drive for Desktop Ends Google Photos Backup Sync on August 10

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Content source

https://www.ghacks.net/2026/08/07/google-drive-for-desktop-ends-google-photos-backup-sync-on-august-10/

Google Drive for desktop will stop supporting Google Photos backups after August 10, 2026, according to a notice on Google's support page.

Both Google Drive and Google Photos will continue to operate after that date, but the desktop app's option to automatically back up photo folders to Google Photos will no longer work. Users who rely on that connection will need to back up through the Google Photos website instead, since there is no official Google Photos desktop app.

Photos already uploaded to Google Photos remain unaffected. Only the automatic Drive-to-Photos sync is ending.

What’s Changing for Google Photos Backups​

Google Drive for desktop currently offers an option to automatically back up folders containing photos directly to Google Photos, with no extra steps. After August 10, the two apps will no longer sync with each other, so Drive will not automatically send photos to Google Photos.

This is a gradual change, but users who miss the notice may mistakenly believe their photos are still being backed up. Since there is no official Google Photos desktop app, users must now back up through the Photos website. This method is less convenient than the previous Drive-to-Photos sync, but it is currently the only available option.

To set up backup using the website:

1. Visit the Google Photos website and select the "+" icon in the upper right-hand corner.
2. Choose the "Backup folders" option.
3. Select the folders to be backed up.

Once configured, Google Photos will back up selected folders each time the user visits the website. Highlights that this process only runs during website visits, not automatically in the background as before.