Until now, the Google Drive desktop application has offered a dual role: it has synced files to Google Drive and simultaneously been able to upload photos and videos directly to Google Photos. Users could select folders on their computer for the app to monitor, after which the content would automatically transfer to the cloud in the background without separate actions. This has been particularly useful for those who transfer images from DSLRs and other standalone cameras first to a PC and then to their Google Photos library.
Google's support pages and emails sent to users state that the Google Photos integration in the Google Drive desktop application will be removed in two phases. The first change takes effect on June 15, when new folders for backup can no longer be configured for Google Photos via the Drive app.
However, existing computer backup folders will continue to function until the end of the transition period, but users will see notifications in the app about the upcoming change. The final cutoff date is August 10, 2026, after which the Drive desktop app will no longer back up media to Google Photos at all.
Google emphasizes that photos and videos already backed up to Google Photos using this method will not disappear, and the change does not affect existing content in the cloud. It is solely about the future backup method and what tools can be used to transfer new files going forward.
The company will now direct users to use Google Photos' own tools. The primary alternative presented is the "Backup folders" function on the Google Photos website, which can be found by logging into the service via the plus icon in the upper right corner of the site. This way, users can still select folders from their computer whose content will be uploaded to the Google Photos library.
However, the website-based solution has a significant limitation: backup only works as long as the Google Photos page is open in the browser. If the browser is closed or the operating system's power-saving settings suspend a background tab, uploads may also stop. The solution is, however, clumsy, much more uncertain, and impractical than Google Drive, which automatically synced data in the background.
The change does not affect ordinary users who primarily back up their phone's photos with the Google Photos mobile app. The mobile app continues to function as before, and automatic backup from phone to cloud remains. The biggest impact is on users who have built their workflow around the seamless transfer of photo and video material collected on their computer to the centralized Google Photos library via the Drive desktop app.
Google has gradually crippled the usability of Google Photos from a power user's perspective. The most significant blow occurred already in summer 2019, when Google Photos could no longer be automatically synced from Google's servers to one's own computer. Many users had set up a solution where Google Photos content was also backed up to their own computer as a precaution, but in 2019, Google completely discontinued that function.
Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 9 May 2026 2:07
