Google may soon reduce the amount of free cloud storage available to some new users from 15GB to 5GB, according to reports online. The reported change could impact users signing up for Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, particularly those who choose not to verify their account using a phone number.
The development was first spotted by a Reddit user and later highlighted by Android Central. Reports suggest that users who skip phone verification during account creation may only receive 5GB of free cloud storage, while users who verify their accounts could continue receiving the full 15GB allocation.
Google has also reportedly changed the wording on its support pages from “15GB free” to “up to 15GB” of free storage, hinting at a possible policy update.
The reported change appears to affect only new Google accounts
Users without phone verification may receive just 5GB of free storage
Verified accounts could still retain the full 15GB limit
The storage quota is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos
Existing Google users are not expected to lose storage immediately
A reduced 5GB storage limit could become restrictive for users who rely heavily on Gmail attachments, cloud backups, photos, or large Drive files. Google’s previous 15GB offering had remained more generous compared to competitors like Apple, which provides 5GB of free iCloud storage.
Google has not officially explained the reason behind the possible change. However, the company may be trying to reduce spam accounts and prevent misuse of free cloud storage by encouraging stronger account verification through phone numbers.
