No, Google isn’t ending its free 15GB Gmail storage policy: it’s testing an initial limit of 5GB that increases to the full amount if you add a phone number.

Google changes its storage policy for new Gmail accounts
New accounts in some regions will only get 5 GB of free storage space
Adding a phone number will unlock the standard 15 GB of space

For many years, Google has offered users 15GB of free cloud storage space when they sign up for Gmail (which is actually shared between Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive) – but a change to this policy is currently being trialled.

Google has confirmed to Android Authority that it is “testing” a new approach in “certain regions” where new users initially receive only 5GB. This then increases to 15GB once the account owner adds a phone number to their contact details.

This only applies to new accounts, only in certain parts of the world, and only a test (for now): if you already have a Google account, nothing will happen to your 15 GB of free storage for Gmail and other Google services.

Pay with your privacy

Gmail now offers 5GB free if you sign up without a phone number from r/degoogle

Officially, Google doesn’t require a phone number when you create a new account, but if you search the web you’ll find that it sometimes insists on having a number registered. It’s not clear why, but this requirement may apply if Google’s systems suspect some sort of fraudulent or spam activity.

The new approach means adding a phone number isn’t mandatory, but you’ll only get a third of the storage for free if you do. The change was initially reported by PiunikaWeb based on a Reddit thread from a user who hit the throttling.

The reactions on this thread are as negative as one might expect: one commenter suggests that Google has moved to the “stage of ‘corrupting your data'”, while another asserts that “you’re paying for your privacy” if you sign up for Gmail.

This comes amid a broader crackdown on age verification in the tech sector, with a growing number of apps and websites asking users to confirm they are who they say they are, apparently to increase user security and safely wall off adult content.

Google logo on black background next to text