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Throughout the year, Google has been consolidating its Drive solutions for computers. As it stands, there are two desktop applications that let users access their Drive files: Backup And Sync, and Drive File Stream. The former is for average consumers while the latter is for enterprise users.
Backup And Sync will be going by the wayside
According to 9to5Google, Google is in the process of rolling out Google Drive For desktop to users. This is an effort to create a unified experience for both average and business users. This isn’t a separate application. Rather, Drive File Stream is being transformed into the new application. Because of this, Backup And Sync will be phased out.
Within the next couple of weeks, Backup And Sync users will be prompted to transition over to the new platform. We don’t know how the process is going to take, but it’s a necessary step. Come September this year Backup And Sync will stop working.
Google Drive For Desktop will bring some neat benefits
Transitioning over to Google Drive For Desktop will yield some useful benefits. For starters, you can use the same service for both personal and business use. With this new unified system, there won’t be any fragmentation among the platforms. You’ll have access to all of the features that you will need in one place.
You will be able to stream files straight to your computer. This means that the file is completely on the cloud, but you can interact with it as though it’s on your computer. This is similar to how it is on ChromeBooks. There’s also the option to mirror your files. Mirrored files will exist both on the computer and on the cloud.
There will be the added Google Photos integration. You will be able to add pictures to Photos right from the app. A lot of people use both Drive and Photos to backup their lives. Now, they won’t have to go to two differnt services to upload their photos or videos. You will have the option of uploading the pictures at their original quality or compressing them.
You will be able to access different accounts at the same time. Before, you would have to switch from account to account. In Google Drive For Desktop, you won’t have to go through the extra step. When you click on your profile picture, you’ll see the list of accounts that you can open. This is much like switching accounts on YouTube or Gmail.
The update is currently rolling out to users, but it’s a gradual rollout. If you are waiting to try out these features, then keep an eye out for any updates.
