Bad news for the (rare) Amazon Drive users! The e-commerce giant will shut down its file storage service by the end of 2023 and is urging its subscribers to head to Amazon Photos instead.
If you’re one of those who use Amazon Drive – and there aren’t many of you – to store your important files in the cloud, it’s time to find another app. Indeed, Amazon has just announced the closure of the service. Formerly Amazon Cloud Drive, the app had been providing cloud storage, file backup, file sharing, and photo printing services for Amazon Prime subscribers since 2011 — they got 5GB of free storage and unlimited photo storage. However, Amazon Drive suffered from flaws, including limited free storage space and overpriced paid offers, which explains its lack of success and the decision of the e-commerce giant.
Amazon Drive closes in favor of Amazon Photos
In an email to its customers, Amazon announced: “For the past 11 years, Amazon Drive has served as a secure cloud storage service for Amazon customers to back up their files. On December 31, 2023, we will no longer support Amazon Drive to further focus our efforts on storing photos and videos with Amazon Photos”. The closure will be gradual. On its FAQ page, the firm explains that from October 31, 2022, the application will no longer be available on the Android and Apple stores. From January 31, 2023, you will no longer be able to add new files, only view and download those already stored. It must also be done before December 31, 2023, which will sign the clap of the end of the service.
The closure of Amazon Drive will allow the e-commerce giant to focus its efforts on Amazon Photos – which allows Prime subscribers to store up to 5GB of videos and unlimited photos for free, storage that can be increased via paid plans. The service is almost the same, except that only audio and video files are supported – JPEG, PNG, MP4, etc. To make the transition easier, your photos and videos on Amazon Drive will automatically be saved to Amazon Photos. To transfer your data, you must first upload your files via the internet browser. To do this, go to the website amazon.com/clouddrive and log into your Amazon account. Select your files and folders then click on the download icon that appears in blue in the top bar. All that remains is to choose the location on your computer.