Quick Share Adds Automatic Android Photo Backup to Windows PCs

How it is expected to work

An "Automatic backup" option first turned up in Quick Share settings in April, promising to copy photos, videos and audio from a phone to a PC on the home network. Strings found in Google Play services in October suggest setup begins in the Quick Share for Windows app. The phone should be nearby, and both devices need to be signed in to the same Google Account. After that, Quick Share should save photos and videos to the PC automatically, with no cables and no cloud subscription.

Samsung question remains open

Earlier teardowns indicated that Samsung phones would be excluded, at least initially. A later one suggested the restriction would extend to Samsung PCs. Google's release notes mention no such limits, so it is unclear whether the exclusions will carry over to the final release.

Rollout

Google Play services updates roll out gradually, so the feature may not appear on your phone right away, even after the update lands. Users who want to try it should also make sure the Quick Share app on their Windows PC is up to date.

For people who want a local copy of their camera roll without paying for cloud storage or plugging in a cable, the feature could remove a routine chore. Whether it works the same on every device will become clear as the rollout reaches more phones.