Google is launching a new local backup feature for documents on Android with an option to disable SMS and RCS messages backups, according to TechCrunch.

Google has started rolling out new settings in the Android system that give users more control over backups after recent changes to its data retention policy.

Through the path Settings > Accounts & Backup > Google Backup > Other device data, users can now independently enable or disable backups for SMS and MMS messages, call logs, and device settings.

Previously, this data was automatically backed up, but Google has now given users control over it, joining the backup control options for apps that it recently launched.

Google also confirmed that the SMS and MMS option includes RCS messages, although the name displayed in settings does not indicate this.

These new settings are gradually becoming available with version 26.25 of Google Play Services.

In a related context, Google announced earlier this week that all backup data on Android will be counted within the storage capacity of a Google account, which will increase backups by approximately 40 MB for each user.

In another step, the company has started testing a new feature called Local Backup for Documents, which allows documents downloaded automatically to Google Drive to be saved in order to ensure they are preserved and accessible from different devices.

When the feature arrives, a new section called Documents will appear on the Backup page, alongside sections for images, videos, and other device data.

After activating the feature, the system will create a folder in Google Drive named after the device, with a direct shortcut to access it from the Backup page.

Google explained that the feature supports files such as DOC, PPT, XLS, and PDF, as well as other types of documents stored on the device. It also confirmed that modifications made to files in one location will not be automatically synchronized with other copies.

The company added that documents are encrypted during transfer between the device and Google services and data centers. Disabling the feature later will not delete backups already saved on Google Drive.

Users can manually initiate a backup to upload the latest documents, while the system will also continue to perform automatic backups according to the usual daily schedule.

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