Apple plans to let third-party developers do background backups of photos
By ForGeeks
Apple continues to improve the user experience. The new version of iOS 26.1 includes a feature that allows third-party apps like Google Photos, OneDrive, and Dropbox to automatically back up photos in the background, without having to keep the program open.
Apple plans to allow third-party apps like Google Photos, OneDrive, and Dropbox to automatically back up photos in the background, without having to keep the program open.
In previous versions of iOS, the operating system paused any processes when an app was minimized or the screen was locked. This forced users to keep the screen on at all times and limited the ability to work on other apps at the same time. iOS 26.1 introduces a new tool as part of PhotoKit — the Background Resource Upload extension, which empowers the iPhone with the ability to self-coordinate data uploads, even when the device is locked or another app is in use.
The operating system intelligently determines the optimal time to run a background download in an effort to minimize power consumption, traffic, and system load. Apple’s accompanying documentation states that developers will be able to create and process upload tasks, automatically resume aborted attempts, and confirm successful completion of operations. At the same time, some actions will require user confirmation, in order to protect privacy.
Other improvements are also included in iOS 26.1, such as the ability to customize the level of transparency of UI elements.
