Google updates Android backups with message controls and direct document saving
Android Police 2026-07-10 18:31:33
Context: Google has updated its Android backup feature with new controls and capabilities, including user-controlled message backups and direct document saving. The changes, part of Google Play services version 26.25, aim to give users more flexibility and oversight over their backed-up data. These updates are designed to work within Google's existing storage policies, which have recently been adjusted.
Key Facts
- Google's latest update to Google Play services, version 26.25, introduces a toggle for users to control the backup of SMS, MMS, and RCS messages, which were previously automatically backed up.
- The toggle for controlling message backups is located under Settings > Accounts and backup > Google Backup > Other device data on most devices, alongside call history and device settings.
- Google is also adding a feature to backup documents stored on devices, including file types such as .DOC, .PPT, .XLS, and .PDF, which will be saved in a Google Drive folder named for the device.
- The document backup feature follows the device's regular backup schedule, but users can also manually backup specific documents if needed.
- The backed-up documents are stored as distinct and separate files in Google Drive, and are counted towards the user's 5GB of free storage, which is a reduction from the previous 15GB offered by Google.