If you use Google Drive for Desktop to automatically back up photos and videos from your computer to Google Photos, there's an important change you should know about.

Google is discontinuing the feature that allowed users to select folders on their computers and automatically upload their photos and videos to Google Photos through Drive for Desktop.

The change does not mean Google Photos is shutting down, and your existing photos will not simply disappear. Instead, Google is changing how computer-based photo backups are handled.

What is changing?

Previously, Google Drive for Desktop allowed users to select folders on their Windows or Mac computer for Google Photos backup. New photos and videos added to those folders could then be uploaded automatically to Google Photos.

According to the information provided, this backup option is being phased out and will no longer be available after August 10, 2026.

Google has already started removing the option to create new Google Photos backup folders through Drive for Desktop. Existing setups may continue working temporarily during the transition.

The important point is that the connection between Drive for Desktop and Google Photos is being discontinued — Google Photos itself is not being discontinued.

Who will be affected?

The change mainly affects people who use a Windows or Mac computer and rely on Google Drive for Desktop to send photos and videos from selected computer folders to Google Photos.

This could particularly affect:

• Photographers who transfer camera images to their computers.

• Content creators who store videos and photos on a PC or Mac.

• Users who maintain a dedicated folder for automatically backing up photos.

• People who regularly move smartphone or camera media to their computer before uploading it to Google Photos.

Who doesn't need to worry?

If you only back up your photos through the Google Photos app on an Android phone or iPhone, this particular change should not affect your normal backup process.

Similarly, if you have never used Drive for Desktop to back up computer folders to Google Photos, you don't need to make any changes because of this feature removal.

Why is Google making this change?

Google is moving photo backup management away from Google Drive for Desktop and putting it more directly under Google Photos.

The idea is to make Google Photos the central place for managing photo and video backups rather than maintaining a separate Drive-to-Photos backup mechanism.

For regular smartphone users, the change may have little impact. However, people who regularly work with large photo libraries on computers may need to rethink their backup workflow.

What should you do now?

If your computer currently sends photos to Google Photos through Drive for Desktop, check your existing backup setup before the feature disappears.

Make sure important photos and videos are already safely stored in Google Photos or another backup location. If you regularly transfer camera or computer files to Google Photos, you'll also want to plan an alternative workflow before the old method stops working.

The key takeaway is simple: Google Photos is not going away, and your existing cloud library isn't being shut down. Google is simply changing the way photos stored on computers are backed up to the service.