Google trims free storage allowance to 5GB for new accounts

Google is modifying the free storage allowance for new accounts, reducing the default allocation from 15GB to 5GB unless users link and verify a phone number. The company attributes the adjustment to a need to ensure storage is allocated only once per person, a move that tightens the parameters for new users entering its ecosystem.

Support documentation has been updated to reflect this shift in policy. Language on Google’s support pages previously guaranteed a full 15GB of space, but has now been revised to state "up to 15 GB." Archives from the Wayback Machine indicate that this wording change occurred between 4 February and 23 March, preceding the widespread reporting of the reduced default.

The practical impact of this change is limited for most consumers, as linking a phone number remains a standard requirement during account creation. This practice was already mandatory for the vast majority of users prior to the storage adjustment, meaning the new policy primarily formalises existing verification habits rather than introducing a novel barrier.

Exceptions to the phone number requirement do exist, however. Reports from 9to5Google highlight scenarios such as signing up on an Android device without a SIM card, where the verification step may be bypassed. The ambiguity of these exceptions, combined with anecdotal reports from Reddit users claiming they still receive 15GB without linking a number, suggests the implementation may be inconsistent or part of an A/B test.

While Engadget speculates that broader industry memory and storage constraints could be an underlying factor, Google has not confirmed any such motivation. The current broken state of the referenced support page URL prevents independent verification of the exact terms, leaving the permanence of the 5GB default unclear until further official clarification is provided.