Google’s November 2026 System Services release notes list automatic photo and video backup from Android phones to Windows PCs through Quick Share. The feature ships in Google Play services v26.43, which Android Authority spotted.
According to Android Authority, Quick Share should save your photos and videos to your PC “without needing any cables or cloud subscription”. The July teardown says the backup itself doesn’t touch the cloud, and the account only links the two devices.
Setup happens on the PC. Strings in Play services from the October teardown show you start in the Quick Share for Windows app. Keep your phone nearby, with both devices signed in to the same Google Account.
Keep your memories safe with automatic backup. Once set up, Quick Share automatically saves your photos and videos to your PC.
Google, setup text in Play services, per Android Authority’s October teardown
Based on those earlier teardowns, here’s how it should work once it’s live:
- Selected photos and videos back up daily when your phone and PC are on, nearby, and on the same Wi-Fi network.
- A “Back up now” button starts a backup anytime.
- A toggle turns it on or off, and you choose what gets backed up.
- Deleting a file on your phone won’t delete it from the PC backup.
Samsung owners may be left out. In July, Android Authority found code saying “this feature will not support Samsung phones”, and by October the restriction covered Samsung PCs as well. A string told those users to install Samsung’s Quick Share from the Microsoft Store instead. Google’s release notes don’t mention Samsung, so it’s unclear whether the release included the exclusions.
In April, the “Automatic backup” option first appeared in Quick Share settings, built to copy photos, videos, and audio to a PC on your home network. A local copy is only as safe as the PC holding it, as our report on the Windows 11 File History bug shows.
To check for the update, go to Settings > Google services (tap your name on a Pixel) > All services > Privacy & security > System services. Don’t expect the feature straight away, though: 9to5Google warns that a changelog entry doesn’t mean a feature is widely available, and some take months to fully launch.
