Google wants you to start using its new “Drive for desktop” app
For the last few months, Google has been beginning the deprecation of the old Backup and Sync app for desktop users. Essentially, this was an app that made it easy to access your Google Drive files from your Mac or Windows PC. However, the app is being replaced by a new Drive for Desktop solution.
The premise of this new app is pretty much the same, but it offers a more streamlined design. Plus, you’ll be able to view and sync pictures and videos with Google Photos, which isn’t currently available.
In the announcement blog post, Google shared the following:
With Drive for desktop, you can access files directly from the cloud on your Mac or PC, which frees up your disk space and saves your network bandwidth. Because Drive files are stored in the cloud, any changes you or your collaborators make are automatically updated everywhere, and you’ll always have access to the latest version.
These are some of the key features coming to the new Drive for Desktop app:
- 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
If you want to try out this new app, it’s available for download on both Windows and macOS. Those who are using the old Backup and Sync app are due to begin seeing notifications about transitioning to the new version. After September, Google will prompt users that they will need to begin using the new app if they want their files to continue syncing.