The dreaded day for Google Photos users is here. Today, May 31st, is the last day to enjoy unlimited free, high quality, Google Photos storage. Starting tomorrow June 1st, all of your high-quality, express-quality images will count towards your 15GB free Google account storage.
Once you hit that 15GB limit, you’ll need to delete some of your photos or other Google Drive content to free up space. Alternatively, you can purchase a Google One plan to expand the storage of your Google Account up to 2TB.
If you’re a Google Photos user affected by the new storage policy, here are some frequently asked questions that you might want answers to before June 1st.
Changing Google Photos Storage: FAQs
What happens to my photos and videos that were backed up before June 1st?
The good news is, your high quality Express and Express quality photos and videos that were backed up before June 1, 2021 don’t count towards your 15GB Google Account storage. If you haven’t backed up some pictures, now is the time to do so.
What about storage for original quality photos and videos?
Photos and videos in their original quality will still be considered for the storage of your Google account. Photos that were backed up in their original quality and compressed to high quality after June 1, 2021 will also be considered for storage in your Google account.
How do I find out how much space is left in my Google Account?
You can use Google’s storage management tool to find out how much space you have left, clean up storage, delete blurry photos and screenshots, and get more space.
How much will Google One plans cost if I need to update my Google Account storage?
The prices for the Google One plan vary by region. If you’re in the US, Google One plans start at $ 1.99 / month for 100GB of storage. You also have the option to purchase 200GB of storage for $ 2.99 / month or 2TB of storage for $ 9.99 / month.
What are some of the best Google Photos alternatives?
There are plenty of great options if you are planning on ship hopping. Here is our list of the best Google Photos alternatives you can get.
I am a pixel owner. Will changes to Google Photos storage apply to me?
If you have a Google Pixel 5 device or earlier, you will still get unlimited storage for photos and videos backed up from your Pixel devices. Pixel 3 owners can still upload unlimited original quality images to Google Photos through January 31, 2022. Then it is switched to unlimited high-quality images. Pixel 2 owners switched to unlimited high quality uploads as early as January 16, 2021. If you own the original pixel, you can continue the upload in original quality without any restrictions.
What happens to my photos if I go over the limit?
If you exceed your 15GB storage quota, it means you are using more storage than you have available. Google says if you exceed the quota for 24 months it could affect your content.