Google is about to roll out a controversial change for new users of Gmail accounts.
The company is reducing free cloud storage for new Gmail accounts from 15GB to 5GB.
However, to unlock 15GB of free storage, users need to verify their phone numbers with their accounts.
The new update is currently being tested for limited regions, including several African countries.
New users who don’t link their phone numbers will only be eligible for 5GB of free shared storage across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
This policy immediately sparked negative reactions. According to industry analysts, the reason behind this decision is twofold: first, to prevent spam by assigning unique phone numbers to each user; second, to encourage more users to sign up for Google One paid subscription plans.
While 15 GB of storage is already difficult for some users, 5 GB will be too little.
How to link your phone number to your Gmail account?
If you’re using a computer, open a browser and go to your Google account. Click “personal information” in the left menu, scroll to “contact information” and click “phone”. Select “Add Recovery Phone”. Enter the phone number and check the code received by SMS.
To pair via Android/iPhone, open the “Settings app” on your device. Tap “Google” or “Manage your Google account”. At the top, select “Personal Information”. Scroll down to “Contact Information” and tap “Phone”. Enter your “password” to confirm and type “verification code” to confirm your phone number.
