Google is reviewing its free cloud storage policy: new users will only get 5 GB instead of the usual 15 GB. To keep the old storage amount, you need to verify your account with a phone number.
Google is reviewing its free cloud storage policy: new users will only get 5 GB instead of the usual 15 GB. To keep the old storage amount, you need to verify your account with a phone number.
As seen in the screenshot below, Google attributes these changes to a desire to ensure that “storage is only granted once per person.” However, it can be assumed that the real motivation is the current shortage of computing power and data storage resources, writes Engadget.
This isn’t the only evidence, as Google’s support page recently updated its free storage wording. Previously, it promised a full “15 GB” when you created an account, but now it says “up to 15 GB.” The Wayback Machine archives show that Google changed the text between February 4 and March 23.
In a statement to Engadget, a Google spokesperson called the changes a test. "We're testing a new data retention policy for new accounts created in certain regions. This will help us continue to provide high-quality data retention services while encouraging users to improve the security and recoverability of their accounts."
The fact that Google describes these changes as a regional test explains why some users on Reddit are noting that they can still get 15GB of free storage without a number.
For many users, this won't make much difference. Normally, when creating a new Google account, you simply have no choice but to link a phone number — and that was the case even before these innovations.
