Google just announced that it will launch its Backup and Sync app, a tool intended to help users backup files and photos from their computer to Google Drive. Backup and Sync is an update to the Google Drive app but now integrates the Google Photos desktop uploader.
Addressing its less casual G Suite customers, Google said:
“Backup and Sync is primarily intended for consumer users. We recommend that our G Suite customers continue to use Drive for Mac/PC until our new enterprise-focused solution, Drive File Stream (currently in EAP), is made generally available to all G Suite Basic, Business, Enterprise, Education, and Nonprofit domains later this year. Drive File Stream will allow users to access huge corporate data sets without taking up the equivalent space on their hard drives.
With that in mind, we will not automatically upgrade G Suite users from Drive for Mac/PC to Backup and Sync at this time. If you currently allow your users to install Drive for Mac/PC on their own computers, they will be able to download and upgrade to Backup and Sync starting on Wednesday, June 28th. If you don’t currently allow Google Drive for Mac/PC in your organization, your users won’t be able to use Backup and Sync with their G Suite accounts.”
Casual users will probably want to move to Backup and Sync as this is where Google will shift its focus, and for casual users, the solution should be OK. All of your existing Drive settings will be copied over to Backup and Sync so there will be no need to mess with settings when you upgrade. If you’re on Windows or Mac you’ll be able to get the new app on June 28, but it looks like Linux users will be frozen out yet again.
Source: Google