Google is reportedly testing a major change to its storage policy that could significantly affect new users creating google accounts in 2026. Instead of the long-standing 15GB of free storage, some new accounts are now seeing only 5GB of free storage by default.
📦 What Has Changed?
Traditionally, every google account came with:
But now:
- Some new users are being offered only 5GB by default
- The full 15GB can be unlocked by linking/verifying a phone number
📱 Why Is google Doing This?
Google has not officially confirmed a permanent change for everyone, but reports suggest the move is part of a test or policy adjustment.
Possible reasons include:
1. Preventing Fake Accounts
- Phone verification helps stop users from creating multiple accounts just for free storage
2. Reducing Storage Abuse
- Large-scale free storage usage increases infrastructure costs
3. Encouraging Account Security
- Phone-linked accounts are harder to misuse or spam
🔓 How to Get Full 15GB Storage
Even under the new system:
- Add/verify a phone number during account creation
- This unlocks the standard 15GB free storage
So in most cases, users can still get the full storage—but only after verification.
📊 Old vs New Policy (Simple Comparison)
Feature
Earlier Policy
New Test Policy
Free storage
15GB
5GB (default)
After phone verification
15GB
15GB unlocked
Requirement
No verification needed
Phone number required (in many cases)
⚠️ Is This a Permanent Change?
Not confirmed yet.
- Google appears to be testing this change for new accounts
- It may apply only to some regions or selected users
- Google may adjust based on feedback
💡 What Users Should Do
If you're creating a new google account:
- Always add a phone number during signup
- Regularly clean google Drive & Gmail storage
- Consider google One plans if you need more space
📌 Conclusion
Google is testing a shift where new accounts may only get 5GB of free storage unless they verify a phone number, replacing the long-standing automatic 15GB offer in some cases. However, the full 15GB is still available after verification, meaning this is more of a policy tightening rather than a complete removal of free storage.
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