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Google has announced a major change to its Google Photos storage policy. Starting June 1, 2021, all new photo and video uploads will occupy your existing Google cloud storage and marks the end of your free unlimited storage feature.
Google Photos was first introduced in 2015. Unlimited storage was limited to photo quality up to 16MP and videos up to Full HD resolution, which is more than enough for most users.
Once set up, the app will automatically back up all your photos and videos to the cloud in the background. The service gives users the peace of mind of knowing that their digital memories are still safe in case their phone is damaged or stolen.
According to Google, there are more than 4 trillion photos stored in Google Photos, and 28 billion new photos and videos are uploaded every week. He emphasizes that it is important that it is not only a great product, but that it continues to meet your needs for the long term. Therefore, your storage policy needs to be updated to receive more memories and build Google Photos for the future.
To help users optimize storage, Google will introduce a free tool in the Photos app in June 2021 that highlights photos you may want to delete. This would include dark or blurry photos, as well as large videos.
So what about your existing photos?
According to Google, photos and videos that are uploaded in “High Quality” before June 1, 2021 you will not use the free 15GB storage. Your previous uploads will be kept for free and will be exempt from the storage limit.
Please note that this is only applicable if the images are supported in “High Quality”. If “Original Quality” is selected, it will occupy your storage space as usual. You can check the sync and backup settings for Google Photos in the app.
Unaffected Google Pixel owners
If you own a Google Pixel 1-5, Google says that photos uploaded in high quality will not be affected, but only if you upload them from the Google Pixel device. Photos and videos uploaded in high quality will continue to be exempt from the new policy change after June 1, 2021.
For the first-time owners of Google Pixel 1-3, they can enjoy the unlimited benefits of “Original Quality” for a longer period of time. It’s still free for the first Pixel, while Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 owners can still enjoy this benefit until 2021/2022, depending on their device. Google has stopped offering unlimited “original quality” storage for the newer Pixel models.
What if you need more storage space?
By default, Google continues to provide 15GB of free shared storage for Google Drive, Gmail, and Photos. You can upgrade your cloud storage with Google One.
The upgrade to 100 GB costs RM 8.49 per month, followed by 200 GB which costs RM 11.99 per month. If you need even more, you can get 2TB at RM42.99 / month, 10TB at RM214.99 / month, 20TB at RM429.99 / month, and 30TB at RM644.99 / month.
Since you will be using the service long term, you can save 17% by prepaying annually for the 2TB plan and below. The 100GB plan is offered for RM84.99 / year, 200GB at RM119.99 / year, and 2TB at RM429.99 / year.
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