New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- MOUNTAIN VIEW - For years, the arrangement was frictionless. Open Google Drive for desktop, point it at a folder full of photos, and watch them silently land in Google Photos, organized, searchable, backed up. On August 10, 2026, that pipeline closed.

Google has discontinued the automatic photo backup feature inside Google Drive for desktop, ending a sync bridge that millions of Windows and Mac users had relied on to protect their memories without thinking about it. The feature is gone. There is no official replacement desktop app. And the workaround Google suggests requires more active involvement than users are likely used to.

The shutdown had been signaled since June 15, when Google began alerting users inside t...