Google’s November 2026 release notes for Play services v26.43 list automatic photo and video backup from Android phones to Windows PCs through Quick Share. This is the PC backup feature that first surfaced in an APK teardown in July. Now it appears in Google’s own changelog.
The entry is tagged for PC and phone. It reads: “Automatic backing up photos/videos from an Android to Windows using Quick Share feature.”
What we know about Android photo backup to Windows
Google’s one-line note doesn’t explain how the feature works. The details so far come from Android Authority’s teardown of Play services 26.26.33, which we covered in July.
That teardown described free daily backups over your local Wi-Fi to a Windows PC running the Quick Share app. The PC had to be signed in to the same Google Account. No cloud storage or subscription was involved. Google hasn’t confirmed any of those details, and its release note doesn’t describe them.
The July teardown also suggested Samsung Galaxy phones would be left out. Google’s note doesn’t name any supported devices or exclusions, so that question is still open.
If Google ships it the way the teardown described, this is a genuinely useful free option. You’d keep a local copy of your photos on your own PC without paying for cloud storage.
Don’t expect it on your phone today
A changelog listing doesn’t mean a feature has reached everyone. As 9to5Google points out, items in these notes aren’t necessarily widely available yet. Some take months to arrive.
To see which Google System version you have, 9to5Google suggests this path: Settings > Google services > All services > Privacy & security > System services. On a Pixel, tap your name at the top of Settings instead of Google services.
Also in Google’s November system update
- Android Family Hub: a dedicated space in Android Settings for family management tools.
- Google Password Manager: when imported passwords and passkeys conflict, you can now choose which credentials to keep.
- Google Wallet: updates to loyalty cards, plus bug fixes.
- Developers and connectivity: new Location and Context features for developers, plus more quality logs for Auto, phone and TV connections.
- Play Store v53.9: a reminder if Play Protect stays turned off for a while, on phones and PCs.
- Play Store game pages: at-a-glance highlights such as gameplay style, review summaries and community activity.
Last month’s notes had a bigger headline, as Play services v26.42 let phones connect to Android XR glasses.
Sources: Google System release notes, Android, 9to5Google
