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Google Drive can now do much more than just photos

Published Jun 15th, 2017 10:02PM EDT
Google Drive Backs Up All Computer Data
Image: Eric Risberg/AP/REX/Shutterstock

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Fans of the cloud should be thrilled to hear that come June 28th, Google will release a brand new cloud feature: the ability to back up your entire computer to Google Drive.

Backup and Sync from Google is the name of the service that’s designed to “to help everyday users back up files and photos from their computers, so they’re safe and accessible from anywhere.”

Backup and Sync is the latest version of Google Drive that will work on both Mac and PC and comes integrated with Google Photos desktop uploader.

The new Google Drive feature targets all G Suite Basic, Business, Enterprise, Education, and Nonprofit domains, and will let users “access huge corporate data sets without taking up the equivalent space on their hard drives.”

Image source: Google

That sounds great as long as you always have an internet connection available. Google Drive will save your storage, but you might end up consuming more data to access the backed up data.

Furthermore, you may have to pay for extra Google Drive storage if you plan on uploading plenty of data to Google’s servers. So make sure you also account for those costs when deciding whether to invest in cloud storage or good-old local storage. Every Google user has a free 15GB portion of Google’s cloud.

Finally, trusting Google with all your data is one other factor that you should consider before backing up your entire computers to Google Drive.

The Backup and Sync app comes out in a few weeks, and Google recommends that regular users download the new app, while enterprise users keep using the Drive app they have installed right now.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.