Google has begun gradually rolling out a new feature that provides more granular management of Android’s cloud backup system. With the update that started appearing on Pixel phones, users can now determine on an application basis whether their application data will be backed up to their Google accounts. This change, which follows the design innovation made in Android Backup settings last year, makes the backup options more detailed. The fact that the feature is currently only available on certain Pixel devices shows that the distribution is progressing gradually.
new settings, Settings > Accounts & backup > Google Backup > Other device data located under the menu. Previously, this section only showed the total number of applications and the storage space used under the “Applications and application data” heading. With the update, a new section called “Application data” is added and more detailed information is provided to the user. While the three applications that use the most backup data are listed at the top of the screen, how much space each application uses in the Google account can be seen separately.
Android backup settings get more detailed
You can access the list of all applications on the device via the “Show more” option. Applications that do not have backed up data are indicated at the bottom of the list with the phrase “Data not backed up”. By default, backup of all applications is enabled. However, users can now disable the backup of the relevant application individually by using the switch next to each application.
When an application’s backup is turned off, the system clearly reports the results of this operation. According to Google’s warning, the current backup data of the relevant application is deleted from the Google account and new data of the application in question from the same device is no longer sent to the cloud. This makes it possible to exclude only certain applications from backup. This approach offers a practical option, especially for users who do not want to keep large-sized application data in the cloud or who want more detailed control over privacy.
However, the new control system does not cover the entire device backup. There is no application-based management option for SMS and MMS messages, call history and device settings under the “Device data” heading. These contents continue to be backed up in bulk in the current structure. Therefore, the change focuses only on the management of application data.
Early observations suggest that the feature is available on Pixel phones running stable versions of Android 16 and Android 17. It is stated that the update was activated with version 26.24 of Google Play Services. On the other hand, the same option does not yet appear on Samsung phones. This suggests that the feature is first available in the Pixel ecosystem and may spread to more Android manufacturers in the future. However, an official distribution schedule covering all Android devices has not been shared by Google.
On the other hand, Google continues to update its Android applications in terms of design. At the beginning of this month, the Google One application gained an edge-to-edge design approach that uses the entire screen more efficiently. Although the application was switched to the Material 3 Expressive design language last year, the status bar and navigation bar retained their old appearance. While the latest update resolves this incompatibility, it also reveals that Google continues its efforts to improve visual consistency in Android applications.