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Google Photos will stop free unlimited backups starting June 1, 2021

Published

4 months ago

November 12, 2020

Google Photos will stop free unlimited backups starting June 1, 2021

We used to call Google Photos the most useful and the best photo storage app on the planet. The one key feature of Google Photos was its free unlimited photo and video uploads and backups in a ‘high quality’ option. That is about to change next year, and Google has now announced that this feature will be going away on June 1, 2021.

If you are still not using Google Photos free unlimited storage option, our in-depth guide might help you, spoiler alert: thank us later

After five years of launch, Google Photos has more than 4 trillion photos and videos, including yours, and nearly 28 billion new photos and videos are uploaded every week. That is a tremendous amount of storage. Keeping up with the ever-increasing demand for storage, especially at such a huge scale, is a task in itself. So they are now changing their storage policy.

Starting June 1, 2021, all new photos and videos backed up in High quality will count toward the free 15 GB of storage that comes with every new Google account the same way other Google services like Google Drive and Gmail already do. If you have a Google One subscription, then it will be counted towards that.

If you are a Google Photos user and you heavily rely on its free unlimited backup option, this might arise a lot of questions in your mind. So we are trying to answer everything by FAQ format

What will happen to my existing photos in Google Cloud?

All photos and videos you back up in High quality before June 1, 2021, will be considered free and exempt from this change and will not count toward your Google Account storage.

Do any of these changes affect the “Original Quality” option?

Suppose you upload photos and videos in original quality. In that case, the new changes do not make any changes, because it is already counting towards the 15GB limit across your Google account and continue to do so.

Does anyone opt-out from these new changes?

Yes, Pixel users get to enjoy the benefits of free storage at high-quality even after June 1, 2021.

Do I need to take any precaution right now?

No, you can continue to use Google Photos to back up your photos and videos. After June 1, 2021, Google will send you alerts to warn you when you are about to approach the cap.
Most users will have years before they need to take action.

How can I clean Blurry and unwanted photos?

According to Google, they will release a new storage management tool which will help you enable you to review and delete dark, blurry, and otherwise unwanted content.

How can I extend my 15GB storage limit?

If your free storage comes to an end, you can still enjoy the benefits of uploading photos in high-quality by expanding your storage through a Google One subscription. Google One plans start at 130 per month for 100GB of storage and go all-the-way up to 2TB for 650 per month. They also give yearly payment options with slight discounts. In addition to the increased storage, you can also access other benefits with Google One subscription.

What will happen if my account is Inactive?

Google warns that it “may delete” photos if you’re inactive for two years or stay over your limit for that period. If you are inactive in one or more services(Gmail, Drive and Photos) for two years, Google may delete the content in the product in which you are inactive.

But Google will notify you multiple times before they attempt to remove any content. The simplest way to keep your account active is to periodically visit Gmail, Drive or Photos on the web or mobile.

When will I reach the 15 GB quota?

Google also created a new “personalized estimate” to show how much time you have until to reach your storage quota. It estimates each user’s average uploads overtime to guess how much longer they’ll be able to use their 15GB storage limit.

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