Google Drive Ends Google Photos Backup on August 10

Google Drive for desktop is ending its support for automatic Google Photos backups on August 10, 2026, requiring users who rely on the feature to change how they upload photos and videos from their computers.

The change affects the Google Drive for desktop application, which has allowed users to select folders on their computers and automatically back up photos and videos to Google Photos. Google says the feature will no longer be supported from August 10, meaning new photos added to folders previously connected to the service will no longer be automatically uploaded to Google Photos through Drive for desktop.

Google began notifying users about the change in June. From June 15, 2026, Drive for desktop stopped allowing users to configure new Google Photos backup folders through the application, although existing folders continued to sync during the transition period. Google confirmed that support for Google Photos backup through Drive for desktop would end completely on August 10.

The change does not mean that Google Photos is shutting down or that photographs already backed up to Google Photos will automatically be deleted. Google specifically states that when a folder backup is stopped, existing photos remain in Google Photos. Users would have to delete those photos separately if they wanted them removed.

Instead, Google is directing users who want to continue backing up photos stored on their computers to use Google Photos directly. The company says users can add photos and videos from Google Drive to Google Photos through the Google Photos website after the Drive for desktop feature ends.

To upload existing files from Google Drive, users can open Google Photos on their computer, select Add, choose Google Drive, select the relevant photographs or videos and then click Upload. Google notes that files copied from Drive to Google Photos count towards the user’s Google Account storage.

The change is particularly relevant to people who have been using a computer as the main source for their Google Photos library. Anyone who has relied on Drive for desktop to automatically upload photographs from folders on a Windows or Mac computer will need to review their backup arrangements to ensure new files continue to reach Google Photos.

Google has also clarified that its normal file synchronisation and storage functions in Drive are not being discontinued as part of this change. The specific feature being removed is the ability to use Drive for desktop to back up photos and videos to Google Photos.

Users who mainly back up photographs from their smartphones are not affected in the same way. Google Photos continues to provide its own backup system, allowing users to turn on backup and select the Google Account where their photographs and videos should be stored. Google also allows Android users to choose which device folders are included in automatic backups.

Google recommends that users check their existing backup status rather than assuming every photograph has already been uploaded. In Google Photos, users can check the backup settings and account being used, while individual photographs can also be checked to determine whether they have been backed up.

The company has provided instructions for people who want to stop an existing Drive for desktop folder backup before the deadline. Users can open Drive for desktop, go to Settings, select Preferences, choose Folders from your computer, select the relevant folder and turn off Back up to Google Photos. Google says this only prevents future uploads and does not remove photographs that are already stored in Google Photos.

For users with large photo collections, the change means it is important to review how their files are being protected rather than waiting until after the service ends. Google provides options for moving photographs from Drive to Photos, while users can also create a separate archive of their Google data through Google Takeout. Google says downloading data through Takeout does not delete the information stored on its servers.

The August 10 deadline therefore represents a change in how Google’s two storage services work together rather than the end of Google Photos backups altogether. Users who currently depend on Drive for desktop should make sure they understand the new process and confirm that their important photographs and videos are backed up through Google Photos or another backup method.