As of August 10, 2026, Google Drive for desktop no longer backs up photos and videos to Google Photos. If you had folders on your Windows or Mac computer set to auto-upload into your Photos library through the Drive app, that pipeline is now closed — new files sitting in those folders will stop appearing in Google Photos.
What Actually Changed
The removal happened in two stages. From June 15, 2026, Drive for desktop stopped letting users add new folders for Photos backup, though folders already configured kept syncing during the transition. On August 10, 2026, Google pulled the feature entirely — existing folders stopped sending new content to Photos through the desktop app.
This is not Google shutting down Drive or Photos. Both products are fully operational, and general file syncing through Drive for desktop is untouched. What disappeared is narrower: the specific bridge that let a folder on your hard drive feed directly into your Photos library.
What’s Not Affected
- Photos and videos already in your Google Photos library stay exactly where they are.
- Anything already stored in Google Drive is untouched.
- Mobile backup through the Google Photos app on Android and iOS keeps working as before.
- Ordinary Drive for desktop file and folder syncing continues normally.
Why Google Made the Change
Google has spent the past few years pulling Photos and Drive further apart as products — Photos as the dedicated media library, Drive as general-purpose cloud storage. Cutting the desktop backup bridge is the latest step in that separation, and Google now wants desktop photo backups managed from Google Photos directly rather than through Drive. It fits a broader pattern this year of Google reshaping how people access and manage their accounts, as seen in the rollout of selfie video sign-in for locked accounts.
How to Set Up the Replacement
Google Photos on the web now has its own folder-backup option that does most of what the Drive integration used to do:
- Go to photos.google.com in a browser and sign in.
- Click the + icon in the top right and select “Back up folders.”
- Choose the computer folders you want backed up — the same ones you previously pointed at Drive, if you like.
- Grant the permissions the browser asks for.
You can also install the Google Photos progressive web app for something closer to a native app feel.
The Catch: It Only Runs While the Tab Is Open
This is the real trade-off. The old Drive for desktop integration ran quietly in the background. The new web-based backup only works while the Google Photos website or PWA is actually open — close the tab and the backup pauses. It’s a meaningfully different experience for anyone who liked “set it and forget it” backups.
There’s also no way to automatically back up a full Apple Photos library on a Mac through this method. The practical workaround is syncing through iCloud first, then letting the Google Photos mobile app pick it up from there. For more on how Google’s product decisions have been shifting this year, see our roundup on Google’s recent search and platform moves.
Clean Up Your Drive Settings to Avoid Duplicate Storage Use
If you’re switching to the web backup method, go back into Drive for desktop under Settings, then Preferences, then Folders from your computer, and uncheck “Back up to Google Photos” for those folders. If you only want the files living in Photos, uncheck “Sync with Google Drive” too — otherwise you risk paying for the same files twice against your Google One storage quota.
What To Do Right Now
- Check Drive for desktop’s folder settings for anything still pointed at Photos backup.
- Set up “Back up folders” on photos.google.com for anything you still want backed up automatically.
- Confirm your most recent photos are actually showing up in your Photos library before you assume the switch worked.
- If always-on background backup matters to you, weigh a third-party sync tool or keep a local/external backup as a second layer — don’t rely on one cloud service alone.
Will I lose photos that were already backed up to Google Photos?
No. Everything already uploaded to your Google Photos library stays there and remains fully accessible — the change only affects new files going forward.
Does this affect Google Drive itself?
No. Regular Google Drive file and folder syncing through the desktop app is unchanged. Only the specific integration that pushed photos from Drive folders into Google Photos was removed.
Is there a way to keep automatic background photo backup on desktop?
Not through Google’s own tools — the web-based replacement only backs up while the browser tab or PWA is open. A third-party sync tool or a local/external drive backup are the main options if background backup matters to you.