The much-anticipated Google Drive desktop reboot is slated for this fall

This story was originally published 07/02/2021
12:56 pm PDTJul 2, 2021 and last update 2021/07/12
11:15 am PDTJul 12, 2021.

It’s been a few months since Google announced the impending death of its backup and sync client for Drive, a move generally viewed by users around the world as “a relief.” At the time, a new app was announced that combined the best of consumer and business-level desktop services into one platform. The first signs of this new service are starting to arrive, although not everyone can access it yet.

A new version of Google Drive for desktop – the Workspace app developed alongside Backup and Sync – is slowly catching on today, and it looks like it could be the first step in reinventing the app for businesses. and personal users. As spotted by 9to5Google, Drive for Desktop version 49 brings a bunch of new features, including Google Photos backups, support for multiple accounts, and the ability to stream or mirror files and folders from Drive. on your computer.

If these options sound familiar to you, it’s because they were all promised in February at Desktop Drive this year. For now, you’ll still need a Workspace account to use the app on your PC, so it’s clear that it’s not just ready for full public availability. Google hasn’t updated its patch notes for the service, so we’ll have to wait for an official word on any changes made in this release.

While this is a step in the right direction, a full launch may not be around the corner. Google has guaranteed three months’ notice to administrators and end users of Workspace before the transition deadline – a warning that has yet to be issued – as well as a public announcement when the app is ready for personal accounts. . In other words, we could wait a little longer for the backup and sync to go away for good.