Google may be reducing free storage for some new accounts from 15GB to 5GB unless users link a phone number.
The company has long offered 15GB of free storage with every Google account. That storage is shared across Google Drive, Google Photos, and Gmail. Google’s support page now says each account includes “up to 15GB” of storage at no cost.
A Reddit user recently reported that a new Google account showed only 5GB of free storage unless they added a phone number, PiunikaWeb reported.
Gmail now gives 5gb free if you sign up without phone number by u/sungusungu in degoogle
The notice reportedly said users could keep 5GB of free storage without linking a number. However, adding a phone number would unlock the full 15GB at no extra cost.
Google reportedly said the phone number helps ensure the free storage bonus is applied only once per person.
Google has also changed the wording on its support page. The page previously said every Google account came with 15GB of free storage. It now says users can get “up to 15GB” at no charge.
The change suggests that 15GB may no longer be guaranteed for every new account.
Google usually asks for a phone number during account creation. In one test, the signup flow required a phone number and did not allow the step to be skipped.
Because of that, users who complete the phone number step may still see the full 15GB storage limit from the start. However, users who manage to skip phone verification may now receive only 5GB of free storage.
Google has not clearly explained why it may be making this change.
The move comes shortly after the company increased storage for paying Google AI Pro users to up to 5TB. At the same time, Google appears to be adding new limits around free storage for some new users.
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