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Google Tests Per‑App Android Backup Controls

The setting gives people direct control over which app data Google keeps in their cloud backups.

Overview

  • Reports this week say the option appears in Settings → Google services → Backup → Backup details and lists apps with the three largest data holders shown first.
  • Each app has a toggle that, when turned off, stops future backups for that app and removes that app’s already stored data from the user’s Google Account.
  • The control so far affects only app data and does not give separate switches for SMS, call history, or device settings, which remain bundled in backups.
  • Testers saw the view on Pixel phones running Android 16 or 17 with Google Play services 26.24 but not on sampled Samsung devices, which suggests a staged rollout tied to Play Services.
  • Coverage is based on 9to5Google’s discovery and follow-up reports rather than an official Google announcement, and the change could alter users’ cloud storage use and privacy choices if broadly deployed.