Earlier this year, Google announced that it planned to unify its Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync apps into a single Google Drive for desktop app. The company now says the new sync client will roll out "in the coming weeks" and has released additional information about what users can expect from the transition.
To recap, there are currently two desktop sync solutions for using Google Drive – Drive File Stream, which is for business users, and Backup and Sync, which is designed for personal use. The rollout of Google Drive for desktop will consolidate these two clients into a single app. Indeed, some Drive File Stream users on version 45 or later will already see the name change implemented.
Drive for desktop will perform the same functions as the two older apps – giving users access to their cloud-based files and photos directly on their desktop, and automatic syncing of files to the cloud in the background. From Google's blog post:
We're unifying these sync clients into the new Drive for desktop, bringing people the best and most used features from both Backup and Sync and Drive File Stream, including the ability to:
Upload and sync photos and videos to Google Photos and/or Google Drive
Sync external storage devices to the cloud, including flash drives and external hard drives
Mirror Drive files on your desktop, which stores your files on your local device and enables quicker access to your content.
Over the next few weeks, users on macOS and Windows will see prompts asking them to transition to Drive for desktop, which Google recommends doing before September 2021. After that date, users will see in-app alerts notifying them they'll need to transition to continue syncing their files.
More information about the Drive for desktop transition for business users can be found in Google's Workspace Updates blog post.
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
Monday November 3, 2025 1:11 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. iOS 26.1 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation iPhone SE.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more.
Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features.
Liquid Glass Toggle
iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass.
In the Settings app, under Display...
Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by Juli Clover
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google.
For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026.
Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested.
In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day.
The timing of the overnight...
I feel like they change the app for this like once a year. Can they just stick with one and fix it?
As I explained last time:
It's quite simple, really. They had Google Docs, where you stored all your files, then they decided that should only refer to their web-based text documents, with other files now under Google Drive. Then they released the Google Drive desktop client, renamed it to Google Backup & Sync, released Google Drive File Stream with slightly different features for slightly different accounts, and are now renaming Google Drive File Stream to just Google Drive and merging Google Backup & Sync (the old Drive) into the new Drive. I look forward to next year, when they rename it all back to Google Documents and use the Google Drive name for their self-driving cars.
Not awesome. I got this update the other day, and the convenient switch account button that used to let those of us who are freelancers and have to work with multiple Google Workspace (or whatever they’re calling it these days) accounts switch between them seems to have disappeared. It was never great to start with, but it had been slowly improving. Now it’s gone backward.
You can add up to 4 accounts and they'll all sync simultaneously, so there's no need to switch between them. I tried it with my personal and workspace account and it worked fine (it even supports file streaming from personal accounts)
Can you? Where? I was surprised, 'cause I had the impression that was kinda the point, but the only option I see is to disconnect the account I'm signed in with. I think I have six in total, but four would be enough for the ones I use on a day to day basis.
Also, the clipart-style illustrations are really ugly.
When I click my picture at the top right of the preference screen I see this option to add another account
I tried adding my personal google account to make sure it works (it did) but then disconnected it again as I don't really use it :)
