Google appears to be moving closer to giving Android users more control over their cloud backups. A feature first spotted by Android Authority in November 2025 would allow users to enable or disable backups for individual apps instead of relying solely on Android’s current backup system.
Currently, when Android backups are enabled, Google automatically saves data from supported apps to a user’s Google account, with limited control over what gets uploaded. While this makes it easier to restore a device after an upgrade or factory reset, users cannot choose which supported apps are included in the backup. The proposed feature could allow users to:
- Exclude specific apps from cloud backups
- Prevent selected app data from being uploaded automatically
- Reduce unnecessary backup storage usage
- Choose which app data is restored on a device
According to a user in AssembleDebug’s Telegram channel, the feature has now started appearing for some users in the Android beta program, suggesting that it is moving beyond the discovery phase.
Availability currently appears to be very limited, indicating that Google is still testing the feature before a wider rollout. Google has not yet shared when the feature could become available to more users.