Last month, we reported that Drive File Stream was being renamed “Google Drive for desktop”. This name change is part of a broader change in 2021 to unify the current business customer with the consumer-oriented Backup and Sync application that offers Google Photos upload.
Some of our Google Workspace customers have deployed both synchronization solutions, which can be confusing for end users and challenging for IT departments to manage. To resolve this, we plan to unify these sync clients as early as 2021, bringing the most used features from Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync to all of our users.
At a high level, Backup and Sync is going in favor of a new “Google Drive for desktop” aimed at consumers and business users. The application formerly known as Drive File Stream will also be updated to “back up photos and videos to Google Photos”, as well as load an Apple Photos library and connected USB storage.
Other upcoming consumer features include synchronizing local folders (Documents, Desktop, etc.) with Google Drive and access to multiple accounts. In the meantime, regular users will be able to sync individual files on My Drive for offline use, a dark mode and see some integrations of Microsoft Office and Outlook.
The changes begin with Drive File Stream being renamed from version 45 – as seen in the screenshots below. Currently, this is just a brand change and “all features will remain the same”, but the app will have a major update later this year.
At that time, Backup and Sync users will be transferred to the new version of Drive for desktop:
We’ll announce when Drive for desktop is ready for Backup and Sync users. We’ll share more details later this year on how Backup and Sync users can start using Drive for desktop. We will provide a three-month notice to Google Workspace administrators and end users before the transition to Drive for desktop. The transition will be self-service for end users. Further details on consumer schedules will be announced near availability.
Before that, Google Workspace accounts can view the new beta client by signing up for a preview.
This unification aims to simplify the IT deployment process and reduce confusion about which application to use. It will also “result in better performance for end users”, a complaint for some today.
Thank you Anthony!
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