Last month we reported that Drive File Stream has been renamed to ‘Google Drive for Computers’. This name change is part of a broader move in 2021 to unite the current enterprise client with the consumer-oriented Backup and Sync application that provides Google Photos upload.
Some of our Google Workspace customers have both deployed synchronization solutions, which can be confusing for end users and difficult for IT departments to manage. To address this, we plan to unite these sync clients later in 2021, which will provide the most used features of Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync to all our users.
At a high level, Backup and Sync are disappearing in favor of a new ‘Google Drive for desktop’ intended for consumers as well as business users. The app, formerly known as Drive File Stream, will be updated to also ‘back up photos and videos to Google Photos’, as well as upload an Apple Photos library and a connected USB storage.
Other consumer features available are syncing local folders (documents, desktop, etc.) to Google Drive, and accessing more accounts. Meanwhile, regular users will be able to sync individual files in My Drive for offline use, a dark mode, and some Microsoft Office and Outlook integrations.
The changes start with the renaming of Drive File Stream from version 45 – as seen in the screenshots below. It’s currently just a brand change and ‘all features will remain the same’, but the app will get the big update later this year.
At that point, Backup and Sync users will be transferred to the new version of Drive for PC:
We announce when Drive for desktop is ready for Backup and Sync users. We’ll share more information later this year on how Backup and Sync users can get started with Drive for desktop. We’ll give Google Workspace administrators and end users three months notice before the deadline to switch to Drive for PC. The transition will be self-service for end users. More details on consumer timelines will be announced closer to availability.
For that, Google Workspace accounts can preview the new beta client by signing up for a preview.
This unification is meant to simplify the IT deployment process and reduce the confusion surrounding the app to use. It will also ‘result in better performance for end users’, a complaint for some today.
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