Google rolling out per-app controls for Android Backups
9to5 Google 2026-06-29 23:54:21
Context: Google is introducing per-app controls for Android Backups, allowing users to selectively enable or disable backups for individual apps. This feature is rolling out to Pixel devices running Android 16 and 17 with Google Play services version 26.24. The update aims to provide users with more granular control over their app data backups.
Key Facts
- Google is rolling out per-app backup controls for Android Backups, enabling users to selectively disable backups for specific apps, which will delete the app's data from their Google Account and stop backing up data from the device.
- The new "App data" section in the Google Backup settings displays the top three apps with the most backed-up data, and users can tap "Show more" to view a complete list of apps, including those with no backed-up data.
- Per-app backup controls are currently available on Pixel devices running Android 16 and 17 with Google Play services version 26.24, but the feature was not detected on Samsung phones tested by 9to5Google.
- The per-app backup controls do not apply to the "Device data" section, which includes SMS & MMS messages, Call history, and Device settings.
- The update follows last year's settings redesign of Android Backups, and comes as Google continues to refine its backup and restore features for Android users.