There's a New Way to Automatically Back Up Your Android Photos for Free

Emily Long Emily Long Freelance Writer ExperienceEmily Long is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City. After graduating from Duke University, she spent several years reporting on the federal workforce for Government Executive, a publication of Atlantic Media Company, in Washington, D.C. She has nearly a decade of experience as a freelancer covering tech (including issues related to security, privacy, and streaming) as well as personal finance and travel. In addition to Lifehacker, her work has been featured on Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, and ZDNET. Emily has also worked as a travel guide around the U.S. and as a content editor. She has a masters in social work and is a licensed therapist in Utah. Read Full Bio November 5, 2026 Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google Credit: Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images Key Takeaways The new automatic backup feature uses Android's Quick Share's functionality to transfer copies of photos and videos on your phone to your PC when nearby. Since these backups happen locally, you don't need to rely solely on cloud storage in your Google account. Once the feature is available on your device, you'll be able to initiate backups in the Quick Share for Windows app. Table of Contents If you're an Android user looking for a way to save your photos and videos without maxing out your cloud storage space, your device may soon be able to back up automatically to your PC. As spotted by Android Authority, Google included automatic backups from Android to Windows via Quick Share in its release notes for Google Play services v26.43. Use your PC as free local storage for photos and videosQuick Share is a wireless file-sharing feature for Android that allows users to send photos, videos, and documents to nearby devices, including Windows computers and iPhones with AirDrop. The new automatic backup feature, which is likely to roll out gradually, uses Quick Share's functionality to transfer copies of photos and videos on your phone to your PC when nearby. Since these backups happen locally, you don't need to rely solely on cloud storage in your Google account, nor do you need to remember to initiate transfers of photos and videos between devices. Plus, this is all free and doesn't require a separate cloud service subscription. While you can back up your media to Google Photos, as of earlier this year, more data from your Android backups count toward your Google Account storage cap unless you exclude specific types. Alternatively, you can also cobble together a decent amount of cloud storage from other providers at no extra cost, but automatic backups between Android and Windows minimize the likelihood that you'll forget to save data, and your PC provides plenty of space for free. Once the feature is available on your device, you'll be able to initiate backups in the Quick Share for Windows app. Your Android and Windows devices must be in close proximity and signed into the same Google Account. You can toggle Automatic backups on and change the settings for what gets backed up and to where. The transfers will then occur wirelessly in the background. What do you think so far? As Android Authority reports, early hints at this feature suggested that Samsung phones and PCs would be excluded from automatic backups, but the release notes don't specify any further details. Lifehacker has been a go-to source of tech help and life advice since 2005. Our mission is to offer reliable tech help and credible, practical, science-based life advice to help you live better. Our Mission Our Team Newsletter © 2001-2026 Ziff Davis, LLC., A ZIFF DAVIS COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Lifehacker is a federally registered trademark of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of Lifehacker. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.