Google is rolling out granular backup controls in Android via Google Play Services version 26.25, allowing users to independently toggle backups for SMS/MMS, call history, and device settings. Additionally, a new “Document” backup feature is currently in beta, enabling automatic synchronization of locally downloaded files to Google Drive.
Granular Control: The Shift Away from “All-or-Nothing” Syncing
For years, Android’s backup architecture functioned as a monolithic blob. If you wanted to preserve your SMS history, you were forced to accept the overhead of backing up every other system setting, regardless of individual storage constraints or privacy preferences. With the rollout of version 26.25 of Google Play Services, that paradigm is shifting.
The new interface allows users to decouple these data streams.
Automated “Document” Syncing and the Limitations of One-Way Pipes
Currently appearing in the beta channel of Google Play Services, this utility targets the "Downloads" directory, automatically pushing files to a dedicated folder in Google Drive. It essentially functions as a specialized version of the Google Photos backup engine, but for productivity files.
However, there is a critical technical caveat: this is a one-way synchronization process.
In engineering terms, this is a push-only system. Changes made to a document inside your Google Drive will not propagate back to the local copy on your handset.
Supported file formats currently include:
- Portable Formats: .PDF
- Generic Text: Various plain-text and rich-text formats
The Ecosystem War: Platform Lock-in vs. Data Sovereignty
If you disable the feature, your existing files remain in the cloud, but the link is severed.
The 30-Second Verdict
It allows you to prioritize storage for what matters—like RCS history—while purging unnecessary system settings. The document backup feature is useful for redundancy, but keep in mind that it is an archival tool, not a bidirectional sync engine. This update is currently hitting devices globally via Play Services updates, so if you don't see the menu yet, ensure your device is running the latest stable or beta build of the Google Play Services framework.
