Google comes with a new Google Drive app, especially for desktop users. What can you expect from the service?
The app will be available for Windows PCs and Macs and is a logical follow-up to the Backup and Sync app, which Google launched about two years ago. The idea behind that app is that there is some kind of combination between cloud synchronization and backup. We were very pleased with the app, but found the price tag too high compared to other storage services.
Google is now turning things around with a new Google Drive app, although you will still have to pay a fairly high price for storage space.
Save files locally
The new app should make it easier to sync files between your different devices. The Backup & Sync app is primarily for uploading local files to Google Drive, but the new app focuses on saving locally as well. Plus, local files are automatically synced in the background in the cloud, eliminating the need to wait for them to sync. The app also recognizes what kind of files you want to sync: photos are put directly in Google Photos, for example.
Furthermore, the app will be adapted for the recent macOS and Windows versions, with better support for the Photos Library on the Mac and syncing with iCloud. The app also gets a dark mode and some Microsoft Office and Outlook features. The latter should make it easier to work on documents with colleagues, for example.
The Google Drive desktop app can also link to external storage media. This allows you to automatically save files on flash drives or external hard drives to the cloud.
Release date
According to Google, the rollout of the new app has already started and users of the Backup and Sync app will be notified in the coming months that they can switch to the new application. This must be done before September 2021, otherwise files will no longer be synced to the cloud and you won’t even be able to log in.
Google Drive also replaces Drive File Stream, which allows business users to back up their data. They have until October to switch.
Alternatives
Are you not happy with the new Google Drive app? Fortunately, there are many other tools that allow you to sync files. On this page we have collected various synchronization services.
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