Android getting new ‘local file backup’ feature via Google Drive

Source: 9to5Google

According to the latest release notes for Google Play services, Android phones will be getting a new local file backup feature powered by Google Drive.

Feature overview

• With the new local file backup feature, you can automatically save your downloaded documents to Google Drive, ensuring they are safe and accessible from any of your devices.

“Local file backup” works in the background for the Android device’s Download folder (your downloaded documents). It functions similarly to what the Google Drive desktop app does on macOS and Windows.

How it works

The feature is separate from Android’s existing backup, which already uses Google Drive for:

• Apps and app data
• Call history
• Contacts
• Device settings
• SMS and MMS messages

The simplest implementation would upload every file in the Download folder to a new, equivalent folder in Drive. You could access this folder like any other on drive.google.com or through supported apps. If you have multiple phones or tablets, each device might get its own folder.

A more complex approach could keep a single Download folder synced across devices, allowing the same set of files to be available on any Android phone or tablet you own.

Availability

The feature is listed under Utilities with version 26.06 of Google Play services. As with other items in the release notes, it may take some time before the feature rolls out to all devices.