Google Photos Storage Limit: Now What?
Back in November 2020, Google announced that Google Photos will be ending the unlimited free storage for photos and videos feature on June 1st, 2021. Any new photos or videos uploaded after that date will count as part of the free 15GB storage that comes with your Google account. Now that the deadline is approaching, it is worth taking a look at your Photos settings and maybe think of Google Photos alternatives.
Users who currently rely on Google Photos to upload their content into the cloud don’t have to worry about their already uploaded files. All the existing high-quality files will be exempt from the new policy changes. Only after June 1st, that any new uploaded files will start to count out of the 15GB. Knowing that now is the perfect time to go through your gallery and upload any important content that is not yet on the cloud.
Google mentioned in its blog post that over 80% of users should still be able to store around 3 years’ worth of photos with the 15GB free storage. The company also provides a personalized estimate tool for how long your storage may last. The tool uses data about how frequently you back up photos and videos to Google Photos.
On the mentioned date, users will also get a new photos and videos management AI tool. The new feature will analyze stored files and notify users about blurry photos or big video files that take up a lot of storage. The new tool is aimed to help users manage their photo library to fit the free 15GB limit.
Also Read: Apple Music to support Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
Google Photos Alternatives
While you won’t need to think of alternatives until you reach the 15GB free limit, you should at least know your options. If you are enjoying the Google Photos experience and would like to keep using the app, then your best option is to sign up to Google One which is a cloud storage service for all Google services like Photos, Drive, and Gmail. The service launched in 2018 and is available in most countries around the world.
Your options start at the 100GB plan which costs $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year. Going up, there is a 200GB storage plan for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. The next plan is the 2TB plan for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. As a normal user, these three plans should be more than enough. In case you need more storage for your business, then you have the 10TB plan for $99.99, 20TB for $199.99, and 30TB for $299.99 per month.
If you are not big on Google’s ecosystem and prefer to try something else, then the best alternative would be the Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage service. OneDrive plans start at 5GB free storage that comes with every account. After that, the 100GB plan costs the same $1.99. Going up, the 1TB plan costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. It’s worth mentioning that the 1TB plan comes with access to Skype and other Microsoft apps like the whole Office 360 bundle.
The next alternative is Dropbox which starts at 2GB for the free plan, then the 1TB plan costs $9.99, while the 2TB plan is for $19.99 per month.
Personally, I will go for the Google One option for the variety of plans and the ability to upgrade slowly, also so I don’t have to change my photo app. But OneDrive is also a great option, especially with the Office 360 suite.
