Google Drive, its cloud storage solution, will no longer support Windows 8 and 8.1 desktop apps in August 2023, meaning users of these operating systems will no longer be able to use these desktop applications to sync files with Google Drive in this manner.
Google has not given an official explanation for why they have discontinued support for Windows 8 and 8.1 operating systems, though likely due to Microsoft no longer supporting these operating systems. Windows 8 reached its end-of-life in January 2020 while 8.1 reached it two years later in January 2023.
Users on Windows 8 or 8.1 who wish to continue using Google Drive must upgrade to Windows 10. Google Drive remains supported on Windows 10, enabling users to continue accessing files using its web application.
Google Drive users will likely experience minimal fallout from dropping support for Windows 8 and 8.1, according to Statcounter’s estimates, as only 0.6% of desktop users worldwide still utilize Windows 8/8.1 desktop machines.
However, Google’s decision serves as a reminder that their products and services are constantly changing – meaning users may need to upgrade their software in order to continue using them.