With the forthcoming release of iOS 26.1, Apple is set to roll out a pivotal update that will empower third-party applications to automatically back up photos in the background. At present, third-party photo management apps are restricted from conducting automatic backups in the background directly and have to resort to unreliable alternative methods. iOS 26.1 is poised to unveil a 'Background Asset Upload Extension' framework within PhotoKit. This innovative framework will pave the way for applications such as Google Photos and OneDrive to carry out dependable and automatic backups of photo libraries in the background seamlessly. The system is designed to take charge of upload tasks, guaranteeing that backups are both efficient and reliable. To leverage this new functionality, app developers will be required to make adjustments in line with Apple's guidelines. This includes a series of steps like establishing a configuration extension target, activating the extension, managing upload tasks, and dispatching confirmations.