Google now lets Android users automatically upload files and other downloads from their phone or tablet to Google Drive thanks to a new “Documents” backup.
This local backup option stores files you’ve saved to your device, like downloads from Chrome, to Google Drive. This cloud access is convenient if you ever lose your device. Keep in mind that this will count against your Google Account storage limit.
Specifically, a new “Android backups” folder will be added to your My Drive. Inside, there will be another named after your phone, with support for multiple devices. Most people will see an overarching “Download” folder that can include “Quick Share.”
Google explains that:
- “Supported file types include .DOC, .PPT, .XLS, .PDF, and all other documents saved to this device.”
- “Changes made to these documents in one location won’t sync to other locations.”
- “Documents are encrypted as they move between your device, Google services, and our data centers.”
- If you turn off this feature, the “previous backup won’t be deleted from Google Drive.”
To enable, go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Google Backup (on Pixel) for a new “Documents” menu between Photos & videos and Other device data.
You can manually trigger a device backup to upload your latest documents, but it otherwise follows the automated (nightly) schedule.
Google first said this feature was coming in February, and we started seeing a rollout earlier this month. As of today, we’re seeing Documents backup with the latest stable version of Google Play services (26.26) on several devices.
More on Android:
- All Android backup data now counts toward your Google Account storage
- Google lets you turn off SMS & RCS backup on Android
- Google rolling out per-app controls for Android Backups
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