- A Google Photos backup schedule feature has been discovered
- Currently, the feature is not live in the app
- This could give users more control over when backups are able to run
For many users on both Android and iOS, Google Photos will be the app of choice for backing up photos and videos to the cloud, and now it looks like those users are getting a little more control over how backups actually happen.
As discovered by Android Authority, the latest version of Google Photos for Android contains hidden code that points to a revamp of the app’s settings backup page to bring it in line with the expressive UI elements introduced with Android 16.
Also mentioned is a new feature: a backup plan. There’s no word on what this is or how it might work, but it looks like you’ll be able to choose when your files sync to the cloud for storage.
For example, you might want to be able to run backups on a daily or weekly schedule, or you might want to be able to specify certain times when backups don’t happen (for example, if you have a limited internet connection, you might want to pause backups).
Coming soon
The way it currently works is that when automatic backup is turned on in Google Photos, your photos and videos will then sync whenever there’s an internet connection – although you can set this to only happen on Wi-Fi (not cellular connections).
That’s really all the customization you get – automatic backups are either on or off (you can also run backups manually). No doubt power users would welcome a few more options to manage when backups actually run.
Although the code for this is visible inside the Google Photos app if you look closely, it is not currently active. It’s not clear when this feature might launch, but if preparations are underway, it’s likely to happen sooner rather than later.
Presumably Google will also give us some more information when this goes live. In the meantime, keep an eye out for updates to the appearance of the backup page in Google Photos for Android – changes are on the way.
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