Backup by Google One will keep all your vital data secure in a single place

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Android backups are getting an unexpected update

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(Image credit: TechRadar)

In a bid to simplify and streamline its backup services for Android devices, Google is merging its apps directly with the mobile operating system to try and keep all your most important data safe.

The update and launch of Backup by Google One was made without much apparent fanfare, despite appearing to bring together the company's services into a unified backup offering for the first time.

Backup by Google One will replace the current system backup solution, but there's no need for users to have an account with its exisiting Google One platform.

Once the update, which is expected to roll out to all Android users from version 8.0 onward in the coming weeks, is complete, Google says users will get a more unified, yet granular, backup solution.

It builds on the company's current offering (which backs up app data, SMS, call history, contacts, Wi-Fi networks, etc.) by adding photos, videos, and MMS messages. At the same time, users will get to choose what gets stored, and what doesn’t. 

Replacing old solutions

First unveiled three years ago, Google One is the company’s unified backup offering, coming both as a mobile app and a website. It offered expanded cloud storage, with the first 15GB being free, and with consumers having the option of renting as little as 100 GB, up to as much as 30 terabytes of storage. 

Last year, it also started allowing users to back up their MMS messages, albeit for a fee.

While we can’t yet know for sure, it’s very likely that the new update will completely replace the default Android backup option. Furthermore, it will not require a Google One account.

The storage is shared across multiple Google services, such as Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Initially, Google One replaced the paid version of Google Drive. While raw storage isn’t accessible, emails, files, and pictures can be added and removed through Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.

Via: 9to5Google

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Sead Fadilpašić

Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.