Drive File Stream and Backup & Sync are now Google Drive for Desktop
We’re glad to announce that Backup & Sync and previously Google Drive File Stream are now a singular application: Google Drive for Desktop.
In a previous blog post, we announced Google Drive File Stream was renamed to Drive for Desktop, but was not changed functionally. However, now the functionality within Backup & Sync, which was available for use with personal Gmail accounts, has now been merged with Drive File Stream to include nearly all of the features of both applications in one convenient standalone program. In addition to this, some new features have also been introduced such as being able to access multiple accounts at once.
The full table of features can be found in this table provided by Google:
| Backup and Sync | Drive File Stream | Drive for desktop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use files in My Drive | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Use files in shared drives | No | Yes, if your plan includes shared drives or you’re invited to a shared drive | Yes, if your plan includes shared drives or you’re invited to a shared drive |
| Sync only selected folders in My Drive to your computer | Yes | No, but you can stream files instead to save hard drive space | No, but you can stream files instead to save hard drive space |
| Sync only individual files in My Drive for offline use | No | Yes | Yes |
| Open and store non-Google files like Microsoft Office & Photoshop | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| See who’s editing with real-time presence in Microsoft Office | No | Yes | Yes |
| Integrates with Microsoft Outlook, Meet scheduling | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sync local folders, like Documents or Desktop, to Google Drive | Yes | No | Yes |
| Back up photos and videos to Google Photos | Yes | No | Yes |
| Back up photos and videos directly to Google Photos instead of Google Drive | No | No | Yes |
| Access multiple accounts at the same time | Yes | No | Yes |
| Upload Apple Photos library | Yes | No | Yes |
| Upload from USB | Yes | No | Yes |
| Dark mode | No | Yes | Yes |
| File extensions you can ignore | Yes | No | No |
If you had both Drive File Stream and Backup & Sync installed on the same device, you will be prompted with a wizard to import the accounts from both applications into the new singular program. The guide for converting from Backup & Sync to Drive for Desktop can be found here: User Documentation: Moving from Backup & Sync to Drive for Desktop.
Note: While features related to Google Photos will work for personal gmail.com accounts, they will not work for VCU accounts unless we have provided an exception for a business or university use.
If you have any questions regarding this change, please contact our team at drgee@vcu.edu.
Categories Google Drive, Google Feature Updates and Changes, Google Workspace News, Important Changes, Other Google Feature News