Google Enhances Android Backup Controls in Play Services Update, Adds Document Sync to Google Drive Amid Storage Limit Cut
Google is rolling out significant changes to the Android backup system, giving users greater control over what data is stored in the cloud while introducing new capabilities that could rapidly consume storage space on Google Drive.
In the latest update to Google Play Services version 26.25, the company has added a dedicated toggle for messaging backups, allowing users to separately enable or disable the automatic saving of SMS, MMS, and RCS conversations. Previously, these message types were backed up automatically without an easy way to opt out. Notably, RCS messages are now grouped under the MMS category, making the option less obvious to most users.
The backup settings can be found on most devices by navigating to Settings — Accounts and backup — Google Backup — Other device data. This section also includes options for call history and system settings, providing a centralized location for managing non-app data backups.
A more prominent addition is the new document backup feature. Android can now automatically upload files in formats such as DOC, PPT, XLS, PDF, and others to Google Drive, placing them in a folder named after the specific device. Users can also trigger a manual backup at any time. However, this functions as a one-time copy rather than true synchronization, meaning changes made to the original file on the device will not automatically reflect in the cloud version.
These enhancements arrive alongside Google's decision to reduce the free storage allowance from 15 GB to just 5 GB, with all Android backup data now counting toward this limit. While a standard backup typically occupies around 40 MB, including documents can quickly turn it into a much larger archive, potentially leading to storage warnings or the need to purchase additional space.
Overall, the update aims to make backups more flexible and useful for preserving important files, but users are advised to monitor their Google Drive quota carefully to avoid unexpected storage issues.
Related articles
Why Defending a Company Costs Millions While Attacks Can Succeed for Just Hundreds of Dollars
In the latest episode of Belyaev Podcast, CISO Vyacheslav Kasimov of Tochka Bank and Boris Evdokimov of ASNA pharmacy chain discussed the persistent asymmetry in cybersecurity spending. Attackers increasingly rely on affordable cloud services, automation, and rented infrastructure, while defenders must invest heavily in monitoring, access controls, backups, and skilled teams. The experts stressed that the absence of known breaches does not equal security, as undetected incidents or delayed discovery remain common risks. They advocated shifting from a "no" culture to risk-based decision making that helps business leaders understand potential losses, mitigation costs, and residual risk. The conversation also covered responsible use of AI in SOC operations and the long-term damage caused by loss of customer trust after incidents.
Beeline Offers One Month Free Access to Six Services for Prepaid Customers
Beeline has launched a promotional campaign allowing home users on prepaid plans to try up to six digital services for free over 30 days. The offer, tied to the operator's second annual Cellular Independence Day, runs from October 2 to October 9 and includes services such as Virtual Assistant PRO, unlimited mobile data, internet sharing without speed reduction, custom network name display, 250 GB of cloud storage, and access to over 650,000 e-books and audiobooks. Each selected service activates its own free period starting from the moment of connection and deactivates automatically afterward. Customers already paying for four or more of the listed services will receive 300 bonus rubles for communication instead. The unlimited data option is unavailable in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Norilsk. Activation is handled exclusively through the Beeline mobile app, and users with existing paid subscriptions to any service cannot activate the free trial version of the same service.
Enterprise-Grade Web Protection on a Budget: How Cloud WAF Lowers Barriers for SMBs
A new overview from Reg.cloud explains how cloud-based Web Application Firewalls reduce the cost and complexity of protecting websites, APIs, and web applications for small and medium-sized Russian businesses. According to Positive Technologies data cited in the article, 75% of successful web application attacks in 2025 disrupted organizational operations, while 82% of SMBs faced cyber incidents in the past year. The piece details the differences between traditional on-premises WAF deployments and cloud offerings, emphasizing ready-made protection profiles for CMS platforms, SaaS services, and digital agencies. It outlines a three-stage operational model covering preparation, DNS-based traffic redirection, and ongoing policy tuning that can be handled by existing DevOps or development teams without dedicated security staff. The service currently offers a free tier supporting up to three applications at 50 requests per second, along with seven preconfigured security profiles and dual audit/blocking modes. The article concludes by stressing that WAF remains only one layer and must be combined with patching, access controls, and separate DDoS or anti-bot solutions.
Yandex B2B Tech Integrates Hybrid Full-Text and Vector Search in Single YDB Query
Yandex B2B Tech has added hybrid search to its YDB database, allowing full-text and vector approaches to run together inside one SQL query. The update helps small and medium businesses as well as large corporations locate exact document identifiers while also matching semantic meaning in descriptions, even when wording differs. Full-text search handles precise elements such as policy numbers, codes, and names, whereas vector search identifies conceptual similarity. Results from both methods are merged and ranked within the same transaction, keeping all data inside a single database instance. This removes the need to maintain a separate search engine and vector store or to reconcile information between them. The technology is aimed at chatbots, recommendation systems, and AI assistants that process technical content where both exact codes and human-readable problem descriptions matter equally. Hybrid search is now available in the on-premises YDB 26.3 release and in the cloud-based Managed Service for YDB.