Apple is on the verge of rolling out a change that many iPhone users have long clamored for: the ability for third-party photo apps to back up images and videos automatically, even when those apps aren’t open or the phone is locked. With the upcoming iOS 26.1 update, announced on October 25, 2025, Apple is finally leveling the playing field for popular apps like Google Photos, Dropbox, and OneDrive, offering them the kind of seamless background upload capabilities once reserved exclusively for iCloud Photos.
For years, iPhone users who relied on non-Apple cloud services faced a persistent headache. If they wanted to back up their photo libraries using Google Photos or similar apps, they had to keep the app running in the foreground—sometimes for hours—while uploads trickled out. Close the app, switch to something else, or let the screen lock, and the backup would pause, often resulting in incomplete uploads and a lot of frustration. According to 9to5Mac, some apps even resorted to creative workarounds, like using location services, just to keep their backup processes alive in the background. It was a clunky solution at best, and a major pain point for anyone who didn’t want to use iCloud exclusively.
That’s about to change. As reported by Republic World and 9to5Mac, iOS 26.1 introduces a new Background Resource Upload extension within Apple’s PhotoKit framework. This extension, powered by the PHBackgroundResourceUploadExtension protocol, lets third-party apps hand off upload tasks to the operating system itself. In plain English, that means Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, and even messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram will be able to upload photos and videos automatically in the background—without needing to keep the app open, and without draining your battery unnecessarily.
Apple’s developer documentation, as cited by both Republic World and 9to5Mac, lays out exactly how this new feature works. Developers must create and configure a special extension, ask for user permissions, and integrate the new PhotoKit capabilities into their apps. Once that’s done, iOS takes over, managing upload jobs, retrying failed uploads when connectivity improves, and handling everything from power consumption to network access. The goal, Apple says, is to provide “seamless cloud backup experiences” for users, whether they prefer iCloud Photos, Google Photos, or another service entirely.
This shift isn’t just about convenience. It’s also about fairness and, some might say, regulatory pressure. Until now, only iCloud Photos enjoyed deep system-level access for truly continuous sync—a privilege that made Apple’s own service feel far more reliable and effortless than any third-party alternative. As Republic World points out, the new PhotoKit extension “levels the playing field, allowing reliable auto-backup experiences across ecosystems.” The timing is notable, too, coming on the heels of increased antitrust scrutiny of Apple’s App Store practices, especially in the wake of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. Some observers see this move as Apple’s way of preemptively addressing regulatory concerns by opening up core system features to competitors.
From a technical perspective, the update is a big deal. The Background Resource Upload extension allows uploads to continue even when the device is locked or another app is open. The system itself takes charge of when and how uploads happen, optimizing for power efficiency and network conditions. That means uploads can be paused and resumed automatically, without user intervention, and without burning through your battery or mobile data unnecessarily. For anyone who’s ever watched their phone struggle to upload thousands of photos—only to fail halfway through—this is a welcome change.
Privacy and user control remain front and center, according to Apple’s documentation. Express user consent is required before any app can access background upload privileges, and developers are required to disclose exactly how user data will be handled. Each service will still store content within its own cloud; iOS simply ensures that the upload process continues smoothly, without compromising the device’s energy safeguards. As Apple puts it, “steps to integrate this new extension include creating and configuring an extension target, processing upload jobs, retrying failures, acknowledging completed uploads, and handling termination events.” Some of these steps require explicit user approval, while others run automatically once the system is set up.
For developers, the change will require some work. They’ll need to update their apps to integrate the new extension, request the necessary permissions, and ensure that their data handling practices are transparent and up to Apple’s standards. But the payoff is significant: third-party photo apps will finally be able to offer the kind of reliable, always-on backup experience that iCloud Photos users have enjoyed for years.
For users, the benefits are immediate and tangible. No more babysitting your phone while uploads crawl along, no more half-finished backups, and no more awkward workarounds. As Republic World notes, “it’s one of those quietly transformative additions, one that finally makes Google Photos on iPhone feel as effortless as Apple’s own photo backup.” That’s a big win for anyone who prefers to use Google, Microsoft, or other cloud services to manage their memories.
Of course, the new feature isn’t quite ready for everyone just yet. Apple says the Background Resource Upload extension is currently in beta, available to developers as part of the iOS 26.1 developer builds. The broad public release is expected later this month, alongside the usual slate of bug fixes and security updates. Apple cautions that the framework may “evolve further before iOS 26.1’s public release,” so developers and users alike should expect some tweaks and improvements before the final version lands.
In the meantime, anticipation is building. For years, iPhone users have asked for a better way to back up their photos using the apps they prefer. With iOS 26.1, Apple is finally delivering—offering a solution that’s not only more convenient, but also more equitable and privacy-conscious. The update may seem like a small technical tweak, but for millions of people who rely on Google Photos, OneDrive, or Dropbox to safeguard their memories, it’s nothing short of a game-changer.
As the public release of iOS 26.1 approaches, all eyes will be on how quickly developers adopt the new feature—and how well it performs in the real world. If Apple’s promises hold true, iPhone users everywhere may soon find that backing up their photos is one less thing to worry about.
