Google did it again. It is shutting down one of the most popular features in its product universe: free unlimited storage of Google Photos. The company said it is ending the service on June 1, 2021.
After that date, all uploaded photos will be counted in your 15GB free data limit. However, all photos uploaded before June 1 next year will still be available under the free unlimited storage option.
Google Photos, with over 1 billion users, offers free unlimited storage for high-quality photos (read: compressed) for users on the platform. So it was easy to just turn on the back and sync option from the quality configuration and let your photos be uploaded to the cloud without worrying about any storage. I have relied on it for backup photos of all Android and iOS devices I have used over the years.
The company said the photos host more than 4 trillion pictures and videos, with users uploading 28 billion every week. It added that while media uploads would be counted towards your 15GB free data cap, 80 percent of users would not reach that limit for 10 years.
Compressed images on Google Photos take up approximately 1-4MB of space. So you can easily squeeze in more than 300 photos per GB. So, with Gmail and Drive storage, you’ll still have plenty of space for many photos. You can check your current collection usage of Google Photos here.
This is because from next June your photo upload will be in the calculation of your storage limit. You want to check regularly what photos you want to keep. Fortunately, Big G said it will roll out a new storage management tool for Google Photos next year, so you can easily clear images that don’t qualify.
If you need more storage, you will need to make a payment. If you use multiple devices, it will still make sense to use Google Photos by paying for additional storage through a Google One subscription. Plans start at $ 1.99 per month for 100GB of storage, and prices may vary by country. On an individual level, you can get plans for space up to 2TB.
Just for storing photos, Flickr is an excellent service. It allows you to host 1000 media items with 200MB file limit for pictures and 1GB file limit for videos. It’s much easier if you just back up the content from your phone’s camera. Alternatively, you can go pro with an annual plan of 99 5.99 per month – and it gives you unlimited storage. Probably the best option if you take a ton of photos from your phone and camera.
Then there’s Dr D Pub Box X, which offers 2 TB of space for individuals for an annual plan of 9. 99.99 per month. You can check out other plans here. If you’re deep into the Apple Plus ecosystem, it makes sense that you’ll get extra iCloud storage after running out of the default 5GB space. Apple Pal plans to start at 0. 0.99 for 50GB per month. You can check prices in countries here.
Unlimited storage of Google Photos has been a favorite feature around the world. But free things don’t last forever. Google’s decision is more meaningful than its ruthless product shutdown, which includes Inbox and Google Reader. Also, this could mean that other cloud storage providers have the opportunity to offer some amazing deals and snatch some customers from Google.
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November 12, 2020 – 05:33 UTC Published
