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For most people, the best GOG GALAXY setup is selective: keep auto-updates on for games you play, enable cloud saves both globally and for each supported game, and disconnect storefront integrations you no longer use. Turn off optional features such as the overlay or beta updates if you do not need them. Galaxy is optional: GOG’s DRM-free offline installers can run without the client, but Galaxy adds conveniences such as automatic updates, cloud syncing, achievements, and rollback.
Menu names can vary slightly between Galaxy 2.0, 2.1, and the Experimental features channel. The paths below reflect GOG’s documented English interface and current public guidance as of October 2026.
Which GOG GALAXY settings should you change first?
Start with three areas: Settings → Game features for updates and optional game features, Settings → Integrations for connected storefronts, and the individual game’s configuration for cloud saves. You do not need to enable every feature just because it is available.
- Updates: leave auto-update on for games you actively play; disable it for a title if you prefer to choose when it patches. Use the Downloads bandwidth limiter on a shared or metered connection.
- Cloud saves: turn the feature on globally and in each supported game’s Features settings. Launch the game through Galaxy and wait for syncing to finish after you exit.
- Privacy: keep only the integrations you actually use, and treat community plugins as third-party code. Leave Experimental features off unless you specifically want beta builds.
To open the settings panel, click the gear icon in the upper-left corner of Galaxy and choose Settings. That menu also includes Check for updates, Report an issue, and Share feedback.
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How should I configure game and client updates?
Galaxy’s global auto-update setting controls GOG.com games, not every game listed in an integrated library. For GOG titles, automatic updates are convenient, but you can turn them off when you want more control over patch timing.
Choose automatic updates or manual control
Open Settings → Game features → Auto-update games. With the option on, Galaxy can update GOG games in the background. This reduces the chance of waiting for a patch when you are ready to play, but it can use bandwidth or change a game before you have decided to install the update.
If you switch auto-updating off for a game, Galaxy can still notify you when an update is available. That is a useful middle ground for large games, titles you rarely launch, or games where you want to check whether a patch affects mods, performance, or compatibility before applying it. Keep automatic updates on for regularly played games if you prefer current builds and fewer update prompts.
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If an update causes a problem, GOG lists rollback as a Galaxy feature for restoring a GOG.com game to a prior version. The option is intended as a recovery path, not a substitute for keeping personal saves backed up. Availability and controls can vary by game and client version.
Limit background downloads
For a metered internet connection, congested home Wi-Fi, or a household where several people share bandwidth, look under Settings → Downloads for the bandwidth limiter. Setting a cap can make background downloads less disruptive, though it also means large updates will take longer. If the label or placement differs in your release, look in the Downloads section of Settings.
Update Galaxy itself and understand beta options
To check for a Galaxy client update, click the gear icon and select Check for updates; install an update if Galaxy offers one. GOG says clients older than 2.0.26 need a fresh installer from GOG’s Galaxy download page.
To opt into a beta client, open Settings → General → Experimental features and updates, enable the option, and restart Galaxy. Beta builds can provide fixes earlier, but may also be less stable than the public release. If you rely on Galaxy day to day, leaving this off is the lower-risk choice. GOG documents a downgrade route from the Experimental channel to the public version.
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Do not confuse a client beta with a game beta. For a game-specific test build, open that game’s page, click its settings icon, then choose Manage installation → Configure. Select a beta branch only if the game offers one and you intend to use that version.
GOG’s current download information is version- and operating-system-specific. On October 29, 2026, the macOS download was package 2.1.10.56 and specified macOS Sonoma 14 or newer for the Apple-silicon 2.1 path. GOG’s support material also describes the end of support for older Windows and macOS versions; legacy 2.0 installers remain relevant to some older systems but do not receive further updates. Check the download page and GOG’s older-operating-system notice for your computer rather than assuming a version number applies to every platform.
How do I enable cloud saves correctly?
Cloud saves require more than a single global switch. Enable them in Galaxy and for the individual supported game, launch that game through Galaxy so the client can track it, and allow the upload to complete after you exit.
- Turn on the global option: click the gear, open Settings → Game features, and enable Cloud saves. Depending on the client release, the related controls may appear under a Cloud Saves area instead.
- Enable the game: right-click the title in your library and choose Manage installation → Configure → Features. Check Cloud saves for that game. Confirm that the displayed local folder is where the game actually writes its save files.
- Start the game from Galaxy: launch it from the Galaxy library rather than opening the game’s executable directly. Play and save as usual, then exit the game.
- Wait for sync: keep Galaxy open until its syncing indicator finishes before quitting the client or shutting down the computer.
Cloud saves are supported game by game; having the global option enabled does not mean every GOG title can sync. Check the game’s store-page Features list or its Galaxy configuration. The service copies progress to GOG’s servers to help keep progress available across computers, but your local save remains a separate copy on your computer.
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First check whether the game supports GOG cloud saves and whether both cloud-save switches are enabled. Then confirm that the game was launched through Galaxy and that the client finished syncing after you quit.
- The global switch is off: revisit Settings → Game features (or the Cloud Saves area in a release that uses that label).
- The per-game switch is off: open the title’s Manage installation → Configure → Features settings and enable Cloud saves.
- The game was opened outside Galaxy: a direct launch from a standalone executable or offline installer may bypass Galaxy’s tracking and upload. Launch through the client for a sync session.
- The title does not support the feature: cloud saving is not universal. Verify the feature on that specific GOG game’s store page.
- The local save path is wrong: in the game’s Features configuration, check that Galaxy is watching the folder the game uses. A custom path or executable may affect tracking.
- The account’s cloud allocation is full: review the Cloud Saves Management page, download saves you want to keep, and remove old or unnecessary cloud files.
- There is a local-versus-cloud conflict: compare timestamps before choosing a copy. Selecting an older version can replace newer progress on the other device.
GOG Support set the default allocation at 200 MB per game and warned in 2024 that cloud files above that limit would be deleted after August 31, 2024. GOG stated that saves stored locally on your computers would not be affected. Because that notice is dated, check the current Cloud Saves Management page for the live quota and your account’s usage rather than assuming the historical notice describes every future policy.
GOG’s changelog has recorded fixes related to cloud-save behavior, including a fix for settings being ignored when a game used a custom executable and a fix for a crash during game tracking and Cloud Save synchronization in a 2.0.93 beta note dated January 13, 2026. If the settings look right but syncing still fails, update Galaxy, restart it, and try a normal launch through the client before changing or deleting local save files.
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Should I keep the Galaxy overlay and notifications on?
Keep the overlay on if you want Galaxy’s in-game shortcuts for supported GOG-native titles; turn it off if you do not use them, if you prefer fewer in-game elements, or if performance is a concern on your system. The overlay does not apply to games launched through community integrations.
Galaxy’s overlay opens with Shift+Tab in supported games. It can provide access to friends, chat, and an FPS counter; Galaxy’s feature information also describes screenshots captured with F12 being saved under DocumentsGOG Galaxy on Windows. The overlay adds an in-game layer, so disabling it is a reasonable troubleshooting step if it conflicts with another overlay or you want to reduce extra hooks. A performance cost is possible, but it depends on the system and game; there is no universal figure to apply.
Achievements and other optional game features can also be turned off in Settings → Game features. Notifications and Dreamlist prompts are separate conveniences: disable them in settings if you do not want launch-time notices. GOG’s changelog notes that Dreamlist notifications no longer appear at startup when disabled in settings.
What should I change for privacy?
The most consequential privacy choice is which other accounts you connect. Galaxy’s official FAQ says it imports information from connected platforms, says it does not share Galaxy data with third parties, and says it removes imported data from its servers after you disconnect a platform. You can use Galaxy without linking other storefronts.
Open Settings → Integrations (also labelled Platforms → Integrations in some guidance) and disconnect accounts you no longer want linked. Official integrations such as Epic and Xbox are optional. Community-created integrations can add other services, but they are third-party code and therefore expand the amount of software with access to account connections.
GOG’s English FAQ describes Galaxy as importing information from connected platforms and says community integrations are open source. GOG’s German-language Galaxy privacy notice provides more detail about the categories that may be received, depending on the connected service: account name and user ID, avatar, games list, playtime, achievements, friends’ usernames and IDs, status, and, in some cases, chat or conversation history. The notice says the other platform’s login credentials, such as its email address and password, are not collected or stored. The exact information can differ by integration and by the permissions the platform exposes.
For community plugins, install only code from a project’s trusted GitHub Releases page, review whether published SHA-256 hashes are available, and remove plugins you no longer need. Plugin directories listed for manual inspection are %localappdata%GOG.comGalaxypluginsinstalled on Windows and ~/Library/Application Support/GOG.com/Galaxy/plugins/installed/ on macOS. Avoid random mirrors: a plugin connection is a meaningful credential and data-access decision, not just a cosmetic library setting.
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To reduce optional client activity, disable the overlay, achievements, cloud saves, or notifications you do not want, and leave Experimental features and updates off unless you want beta software. These choices are separate from account deletion and from the privacy terms that govern GOG’s services. GOG’s Privacy Policy is effective March 9, 2026; consult the policy itself for current legal details rather than inferring them from a settings toggle.
GOG’s December 2025 ownership announcement said that accounts, offline installers, and DRM-free access continued, and that Galaxy remained optional. Its FAQ on that announcement said GOG remained the controller of users’ data. For account-level deletion—not merely unlinking a storefront—GOG provides an account deletion form at GOG account settings.
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Yes. Galaxy is a convenience layer, not a playability lock for GOG’s DRM-free games: you can download offline backup installers from your GOG account and install or launch them without keeping Galaxy running.
The trade-off is that Galaxy-specific conveniences may not run during a direct executable launch. In particular, you should not expect Galaxy to track achievements, apply its auto-update or rollback workflow, or upload a cloud save for a session it did not track. Keep a separate copy of important local saves if you use offline installers or play directly from the game executable.
Galaxy also does not replace other storefront clients. For games from connected platforms, GOG says you still need the source platform’s client for that platform’s installation, auto-updates, and cloud saves. Galaxy can organize information from an integration, but its GOG update and save settings do not take over those other services.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which settings are a sensible default?
For a typical Windows or macOS GOG library, this profile balances convenience with control:
| Setting | Practical default | Change it when… |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-update games | On for titles you actively play | Turn off per game if you want to review patches first or avoid a large background download. |
| Downloads bandwidth limit | Set a cap when the connection is shared or metered | Remove or raise it when you want updates to finish sooner and bandwidth is available. |
| Cloud saves | On globally and per supported game | Turn off for a title if you want local-only saves or do not want that game’s progress uploaded. |
| Overlay | Off if unused; on if you rely on Galaxy shortcuts | Disable it if it conflicts with another overlay or you want less in-game UI. |
| Experimental features | Off on a daily-use client | Enable only when you accept beta instability and know how to return to public builds. |
| Integrations | Only platforms you actually use through Galaxy | Disconnect unused accounts and review community plugins periodically. |
Before shutting down after a game session, wait for any cloud-sync indicator to finish. Separately, consider making your own backup of important saves: cloud storage is useful synchronization, not the same thing as an offline archive under your control.
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What if I want local-only saves or a manual backup?
Disable Cloud saves globally or for the particular game in its Features settings; the exact label may vary by client version. Turning off Galaxy cloud sync does not itself erase the save file stored in the game’s local folder, and uninstalling Galaxy does not delete local saves or previously uploaded cloud copies. It does stop future Galaxy syncing.
For a manual backup, first identify where the game stores saves; common locations include DocumentsMy Games and folders under %APPDATA% on Windows, but each title can differ. Copy the relevant save folder to another location or a USB drive while the game is closed. You can also download cloud saves through GOG’s save-management tools. Keep local and cloud copies distinct and date-labelled so you can tell which version is newest before restoring one.
GOG’s offline backup installers are useful for preserving the game installer itself, but they are not a backup of your save files. Save-file backup and game-installer backup solve different problems, so plan for both if you want to preserve a game and your progress independently of Galaxy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does uninstalling GOG GALAXY delete my save files?
Uninstalling the client does not delete local saves or cloud copies already uploaded, according to the supplied GOG guidance. It does mean Galaxy will no longer sync new progress; back up the game’s local save folder before changing computers or reinstalling an operating system.
How do I check which version of GOG GALAXY I have?
Open the gear menu and choose Check for updates to see whether Galaxy offers an update. For the exact installed version, use the client’s About or version information area if available in your release; compare the platform-specific download listing rather than assuming the macOS package number is also the Windows build.
Does GOG GALAXY have a native Linux client?
No current official native Linux Galaxy client or published release date was identified in the available public guidance. Linux players may use third-party launchers that connect to GOG, but that is different from an official Galaxy client and may have different feature support.
Are GOG cloud saves the same as a backup of my game installer?
No. A cloud save preserves game progress, while an offline installer preserves the game’s installation files. If you want both the game and your progress available independently, keep separate copies of the installer and the game’s save folder.
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