Google is making an important change for users who back up photos from their computers using Google Drive. Starting August 10, 2026, Google Drive for desktop will no longer support the existing automatic syncing of backed-up photos with Google Photos.
While the change may sound concerning, users do not need to worry about losing photos that are already stored in their accounts. The update mainly affects how new photos are backed up and transferred to Google Photos.
Google Drive Photo Sync Ends August 10
Until now, some users have relied on Google Drive for desktop to back up folders containing photos and have those images appear in Google Photos.
That workflow is being discontinued on August 10.
After the deadline, new images backed up through Google Drive will no longer automatically appear in Google Photos through this setup.
However, photos that have already been uploaded to Google Drive will remain available.
What Should You Do If You Use Google Photos?
If you want your computer’s photos to continue being backed up to Google Photos, you can configure folder backups directly through the Google Photos website.
Here’s how to get started:
- Open Google Photos on your computer.
- Select the + button in the top-right corner.
- Choose Back up folders.
- Select the folders containing your photos.
- Allow Google Photos to access those folders.
- Select Allow or Allow on every visit.
Once enabled, Google Photos can automatically upload images from the selected folders.
There is one important catch: the Google Photos website or its dedicated web application needs to stay open for automatic folder backups to work.
Existing Photos Will Stay in Google Drive
The upcoming change is not a deletion policy.
Photos already stored in Google Drive will remain in your account. Similarly, pictures that have already been uploaded to Google Photos will not be removed because of this change.
The main difference is that the old automatic transfer of new photos from Drive to Photos will stop working.
Therefore, users who are happy with storing their pictures only in Google Drive don’t necessarily need to change anything.
Avoid Creating Unnecessary Copies
People switching their photo backup workflow should pay attention to storage usage.
If you continue syncing a photo folder to Google Drive while also backing up the same folder to Google Photos, you could potentially create unnecessary copies across Google’s storage services.
Since cloud storage isn’t unlimited, this can eventually result in your account running out of space and may force you to consider a paid Google One storage plan.
For this reason, review your existing Drive backup configuration before moving your photo collection to Google Photos.
How to Stop a Folder From Syncing to Drive
If you decide that Google Photos will handle your photo backups, you can stop selected folders from syncing with Google Drive for desktop.
Open Google Drive for desktop, then:
- Go to Settings
- Select Preferences
- Open Folders from your computer
- Select the relevant folder
- Turn off Sync with Google Drive
- Click Done
- Select Save
You can repeat the process for other folders if necessary.
Mac Users Have an Extra Step
The situation is slightly different for Mac users who keep their pictures inside the Apple Photos application.
The new Google Photos folder backup system cannot directly back up the Apple Photos library in the same way as a normal folder.
Users may need to first synchronize their photos through iCloud and then use the Google Photos application on an iPhone or iPad to upload them.
Check Your Photo Upload Source
Google Photos also lets you check how individual images were added to your library.
To do this, open Google Photos on the web, select a photo and click the Info (i) icon.
The resulting information can help you understand where the image came from and whether it was uploaded through your current backup setup.
Do You Need to Take Action Before August 10?
Not everyone needs to change their settings.
If your photos are already backed up directly through the Google Photos app on your smartphone, this particular Drive change may have little impact on you.
However, if you use Google Drive for desktop as the bridge between your computer’s photo folders and Google Photos, you should set up an alternative before August 10.
And regardless of which cloud service you use, keeping a second copy of important photos on an external drive or another backup service is a good idea.
Key Points
- Google Drive’s existing automatic photo syncing with Google Photos ends August 10, 2026.
- Existing photos stored in Drive will remain available.
- New computer photos will need to be backed up directly through Google Photos.
- Users should review their Drive folders to prevent unnecessary duplicate storage.
- Mac users with Apple Photos libraries may need an additional workaround.
- A second backup is recommended for important or irreplaceable photographs.
The change is therefore more about how photos are backed up going forward, rather than what happens to photos users have already stored in Google Drive or Google Photos.
