What has happened to Google Drive Backups?

[pjtwyman]

I have just gone into the Drive app to access Backups only to find that the option is no longer available. It has disappeared from the drop down menu on the top left of the app. If I go to the Google One app I can see there has been a backup recently but I cannot the view the details as before. Nor can I see the backups for my other devices or the Whatsapp backup.

This occurs on both my Samsung Tab S8 (Android 15) and Pixel 6a (Android 16). This weird to say the least. Is this a temporary problem or another great leap forward?

Any advice appreciated.

I have attached a screenshot of the Drive menu.

 

[pjtwyman]

Looks like the screenshot is stuffed. I had a lot of trouble attaching it but it looked OK in the draft. Apologies.

 

[VidJunky]

You know Drive Backup has been shut down right?

Here is what Google has to say about it themselves.

The "Backups" option has been removed from the Google Drive app because Android device backups are now managed through your device's main settings or the Google One app, not the Drive app. You can see your recent backup in the Google One app, and other device backups can be viewed on the Google One website by going to "Backups" and selecting "View".

You can read the whole response here.

 

[pjtwyman]

Thanks for the advice. I checked out the Google One app on my Tab S8 and there is a Storage option which I tapped on and this provides a summary of contents including the Whatsapp backup. I can view the apps backed up on my other devices, though there is no indication of if and when the individual apps have been backed up (Drive had a date or a time of day against each app). Also the list of apps has an entry "Other Apps" but you cannot see what these are. All a little confusing.

But I cannot find a way to view the apps backed up for the Tab S8 I am actually using. I can go into Other Device Data and I can see a preliminary breakup of the backups into broad headings Apps, Contacts etc but no list of individual apps.

My Pixel is different. There is no Storage option in the menu or indication of what's happening with other devices' backups. Also no indication of the Whatsapp backup.I don't know if the variation between Samsung and Pixel is due to the manufacturer or the different OS versions.

It's a pity the Drive app actually worked for the user.