It will be interesting to see if Google can actually produce a good syncing client for both personal and work accounts, or if the eventual replacement will be just as bad as Backup and Sync. New features to Google Drive for desktop include syncing folders like Documents or Desktop or Drive storage, uploading from USB devices, uploading photos and videos to either Google Photos or Google Drive, and support for multiple accounts. We are bringing features from Backup and Sync to Google Drive for desktop to create a simpler user experience. Some of the planned changes are explained in the beta test application: You can still mark files or folders for offline access, and Google started allowing regular Gmail accounts to access File Stream last year.įor now, Google is renaming File Stream to 'Google Drive for desktop,' and the company is starting work on an upgraded version with some functionality ported from Backup and Sync.

Unlike Backup and Sync, which downloads all your selected folders and keeps them synchronized, File Stream displays your files as empty aliases that are only downloaded when an application wants to open them (similar to how OneDrive and Dropbox work by default). Google plans to eventually replace the current Backup and Sync application with File Stream, which is what enterprise customers have been using for a few years now.