Good news: Google Drive client for Windows ARM PCs coming soon

Snapdragon X users, your persistence has paid off. After years of frustration with Google Drive’s lack of native ARM support, Google has confirmed that the Drive app will soon play nice with your shiny new ARM-powered Windows laptops. Native ARM support is set to arrive in Q4 2024, meaning no more sluggish web versions or clunky workarounds — just smooth, integrated cloud storage as it should be.

This news was dropped during Qualcomm’s IFA 2024 event, where other exciting updates for Windows on ARM were revealed, including native VPN apps like NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

Snapdragon users have been vocal about their need for a dedicated Google Drive app, especially as devices like Microsoft’s Surface Pro and various Qualcomm-powered laptops grow in popularity. Many felt Google was slow to react, despite the rapid growth of ARM-based Windows machines.

Until now, users had to rely on either Microsoft’s OneDrive (which has been offering ARM support for some time) or tedious emulations that often fell short. As more key apps like Chrome gained native ARM support, the pressure on Google became hard to ignore. It looks like Google has finally caved.

In other news, Microsoft seems determined to keep Recall, an AI-driven Windows 11 feature that records user activities to “enhance your search experience,” despite initial hopes it might be removable. Also, for those using Remote Desktop on non-Windows devices, brace yourself for its bland new name: “Windows App.” Not quite the excitement we were hoping for from Microsoft, but hey, at least Google is finally giving Drive users on Windows ARM devices what they need.