Google introduced its plans to transition customers of its client file syncing desktop service, Backup and Sync, onto a brand new unified app that each customers and enterprise purchasers can use referred to as Drive for desktop. Google plans to start out onboarding customers subsequent week on July nineteenth, 2021, and encourages individuals who used Backup and Sync to make the swap by the top of September, earlier than getting locked out on October 1st.
Backup and Sync customers must transition to the brand new app (a renamed model of Google’s enterprise file syncing software program), however enterprise purchasers who’re already utilizing Drive File Stream (aka Drive for desktop) must be good to go, Google says. The objective with consolidating the apps, Google says, is to create “a strong and unified sync consumer” with one of the best options from each client and enterprise providers that must be extra simple to make use of and simpler for IT groups to handle. Notably, it’s additionally a reversal of Google’s complicated determination to separate up Google Drive on desktop into two apps in 2017.
Based on Google’s weblog submit explaining the desktop Drive consumer, the app must be fairly acquainted to anybody who used Google’s earlier providers. Drive will supply easy accessibility to information and pictures saved within the cloud, and sync no matter information you select within the background so that they’re at all times updated. Google says the app can sync exterior storage gadgets like flash drives to Drive, mirror information between Drive and native information in your desktop pc, and allow you to select whether or not you retailer particular person pictures and movies in Drive or Google Photographs.
Google will start transitioning customers of Backup and Sync subsequent Monday, July nineteenth. Right here’s the next transition timeline for customers, from Google:
July nineteenth, 2021: Backup and Sync will help a guided circulate to assist customers transition on to Drive for desktop
August 18th, 2021: Any customers nonetheless on Backup and Sync will begin to obtain in-product notifications prompting them to transition to Drive for desktop.
October 1st, 2021: Any customers nonetheless on Backup and Sync after that time will not be capable to check in to Backup and Sync. To proceed syncing with Drive and/or Google Photographs, customers might want to transition to Drive for desktop.
