In an email to users today titled “End of Certain Samsung Cloud Features Notice”, Samsung has notified customers that it is ending certain cloud features that are currently available to Samsung Cloud in favour of partner Microsoft OneDrive. This is one of the terms of what the two companies have called their “long-term, strategic partnership”.
The services that are being stopped will start effective 31st August 2021 for all Samsung Cloud customers and from that date two features Gallery Sync and Drive will no longer be supported in that cloud, leaving Samsung Cloud to be available to only Contacts, Calendar and Notes backups.
“Beginning on 2021-08-31, Gallery Sync and Drive for My Files will no longer be supported by Samsung Cloud” reads the email. It adds that any such data will from that date be deleted. The notice further reads that users on a premium package will see their storage subscription cancelled on the 1st June 2021 and any refunds if due will be issued to the users.
The cancelled features will all be moving to Microsoft OneDrive, which unfortunately the email admits “…may not be supported in certain countries or device models”.
Customers are also being advised to start migrating to OneDrive as soon as possible so as to avoid future inconveniences such that they are able to “continue with your service experience or alternatively, download your data to your mobile device and/or PC”.
A caution has however been added to those that choose to download or migrate, that the moment you make the download or complete the migration, the features “may end and your data may be deleted prematurely even before the official end date…”.
The timeline below has been published for further clarity;
From 2020-12-01
-No longer be able to newly use above-listed features
-OneDrive migration and data download available
* Gradual rollout (up to 30 days)
From 2021-06-01
-Discontinue existing use of Gallery Sync and Drive
-End of OneDrive migration support
-Cancel the then-current premium storage subscription automatically and refund the last payment
2021-08-31
-End of data download support
It should be noted that evidence of the partnership between the two companies is already visible with the integration of the Samsung Phone with windows PC, under the Your Phone application on both devices. For example, in only select Samsung phones, users are able to access and use all phone applications on their PC as we earlier on published. Samsung phones are therefore already enjoying exclusive Microsoft integrations.
As part of their partnership, the two companies are working towards delivering and “enhanced outlook experience”, “OneDrive Cloud Storage” and “Seamlessly flow between PC and Mobile”, an experience already enjoyed by iOS phone and PC users.
We will be sharing the procedure on how to move or download data.
