Summary
- Google is cutting some accounts to 5GB unless you verify by phone at sign-up.
- Existing accounts still show 15GB; new accounts require SMS verification to get 15GB.
- Google One Help pages no longer promise 15GB explicitly; most users may never notice.
It feels like ages ago that Google generously bumped Gmail’s standard free storage limit to 15GB. It’s relatively generous and sensible considering your Gmail storage is no longer exclusively for your overflowing inbox — Google Drive and Google Photos share the same pool.
However, evidence is bubbling (courtesy of PiunikaWeb) that Google is preparing to revert some accounts to a 5GB minimum. Posts across social media networks such as Reddit and X have reported seeing a notice upon signing up for Gmail that they’ll get the lower tier if they opt out of verifying their phone number. You get 15GB of storage if you decide to take Google up on its offer.
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Most Gmail users should still have 15GB
For now, anyway
Several writers here at MakeUseOf tested the claim by checking existing and newly created accounts in the US and UK. Those that were created before the change still had the standard 15GB of storage, and the new accounts wouldn’t even let us finish the sign-up process unless we first completed SMS verification with a working phone number. That behavior has been in place longer than we can remember. And with the phone number, you get 15GB storage.
Some folks suggest this limitation might appear for accounts created on Android smartphones without working SIM cards, which is an uncommon edge case we couldn’t easily replicate as of writing. There’s also no telling whether this restriction only applies in specific geographic regions.
While we can’t independently verify the claims, Google’s Help Center for Google One storage bears new wording that no longer explicitly promises 15GB of storage. “Your Google Account comes with up to 15 GB of cloud storage at no charge,” the page reads. A separate Google page uses similar language.
The vast majority of people may never even realize the nuanced change, and life should proceed as normal. That said, it’s a bit spooky to think Google might be getting stingier with its storage allowances, especially knowing how much of a premium memory of all types has become due to the rise of AI.
