Google Drive and Photos Are Splitting: What You Need to Know

Google

Google has announced that Google Drive and Google Photos will be separating in July. Google says, “the connection between these services is confusing,” so it’s making some changes to “simplify the experience.” Here’s what that means for you.

How Were Google Drive and Photos Connected?

Currently, Google Drive and Google Photos are linked together. From within Google Drive, you can select a “Google Photos” folder to browse all your photos and videos. The Google Backup and Sync tool for Windows and Mac can sync these photos to your computer, just as it can sync your other Google Drive files.

And, from within Google Photos, you’ll also see photos you store in other folders in Google Drive.

These interfaces are linked together. If you delete a photo from within Google Drive, it also vanishes from Google Photos. If you delete a photo from within Google Photos, it will also be removed from your Google Drive.

Google says it’s heard feedback that this connection is confusing, so it’s making some changes.

What’s Changing?

Starting sometime in July 2019, this connection is being removed. New photos (and videos) added to Google Photos will not appear in the Google Photos folder in Google Drive. According to Google’s announcement, any existing photos and videos you have in your Google Photos folder will continue to remain there in Google Drive—but no new ones will be automatically added.

New photos and videos stored in Google Drive won’t automatically be shown in Google Photos, either.

If you delete photos or videos from Google Drive or Google Photos, they won’t be automatically removed from the other service. Google says, “this change is designed to help prevent accidental deletion of items across products.”

In other words, the automatic link between the two services is being removed. Photos and videos will exist only in one place. Google is already showing a notification saying your “Google Photos folder is changing.”