Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Android's local document backup tool is almost ready for prime time
Jul 10, 2026 — 6:19 AM ET
- Google is inching closer to rolling out the new Documents folder in Android’s backup settings page.
- This folder is currently available via the latest Google Play services beta.
- We’ve known about this addition since August last year, though the folder was named Downloads back then.
Google’s been working on a revamp of Android’s backup process for a while now. Just days after introducing a policy change that counted backup data against your personal Google Account storage, Google is now slowly rolling out a change we’ve known about for quite some time.
For some background, we uncovered a work-in-progress Downloads folder within the Backup page last August, carrying clear signs of a pairing with Google Drive. Then, in February, this folder was confirmed to be in development. According to 9to5Google, this backup option is now rolling out to users as part of the newest Google Play services beta.
When available, this folder will be visible within Settings > Accounts and backup > Google Backup. You should typically see options to back up Photos & videos, followed by Other device data. With the latest Play Services beta, however, a new Documents folder (formerly “Downloads”) slots in between these two, as the screenshots above show.
Android users will also find a folder named after their phone in Google Drive, provided the Back up documents toggle is enabled. Details pulled from a Google support page by 9to5Google show a long list of supported document formats, including “.DOC, .PPT, .XLS, .PDF, and all other documents” saved on the device.
Google also notes that the documents are encrypted “as they move between your device, Google services, and our data centers,” quelling any privacy concerns you may have.
The company adds that disabling this type of backup won’t delete files already synced to Drive. Similarly, updating or modifying the documents in one location won’t reflect everywhere. For what it’s worth, Google’s existing support document doesn’t mention this new document backup option.
Since the feature has only appeared on the latest beta of Google Play services, it’s hard to pin down a timeline for its wider rollout. However, given that we’ve seen this feature develop for almost a year now, the day shouldn’t be far off.
In the meantime, Google is also rolling out separate toggles for SMS & MMS messages (including RCS), Call history, and Device settings in the Backup page.
This change is reportedly live in version 26.25 of Google Play Services, though I found it on my Pixel smartphone a couple of days ago.
Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.