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Google’s change, currently set for June 2021 will remove access to unlimited storage for Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, and more.
Google’s change, currently set for June 2021 will remove access to unlimited storage for Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, and more.
Google’s infamous infinite Docs and Photos storage is now coming to an end.
According to Google, starting June 1st, 2021, all Google apps will count any new media you save as going towards your storage limit, which starts at 15GB.
Google added, saying “(also) starting June 1, any new Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms or Jamboard file will begin counting towards your free 25GB of allotted storage or any additional storage provided through Google One.”
In essence, this is just Google going back on their past strategy of allowing you to back up as many photos as you wanted to Google Photos, and store as many Docs as you wanted on Google Drive.
As long as the photos were limited to 16 megapixels, and the videos to 1080p, photos could be stored infinitely, and Google’s own products (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) could be infinitely stored as well.
It’s planning to pull the plug on unlimited support however.
Google Photos VP Shimrit Ben-Yair wrote “this change also allows us to keep pace with the growing demand for storage.” The company also clarified that upwards of 4.3 million GB of storage is uploaded to Google products every day.
Google insists the change is to help it adjust to the exponential demand for data uploads, but many think it’s an adjustment to get more subscribers for its Google One data subscription service.
Google One, which launched this year, allows accounts to expand their storage limits for a monthly fee, starting at $1.99/month for a 100GB plan or $19.99 per year.
While this adjustment might be out of the blue, and quite unfriendly to consumers, Google is allowing all retrospective uploads and uploads within the next six months to be stored with unlimited data (Google products and photos).
This gives you until June 1st to backup whatever you need to, before the new policy takes effect.
Google furthered by stating that “once this change does take effect on June 1, 2021, over 80 percent of you (Google users) should still be able to store roughly three more years worth of memories with your free 15GB of storage.”
As you approach 15GB of storage used, Google will send an automated email to you and notify you in you app before denying further uploads.
The new policy says that if you fail to follow new rules, Google has the right to delete user accounts that break storage limits for two years, as well as accounts that have been inactive for that long.
The company says “we (Google) will notify you multiple times before we attempt to remove any content so you have ample opportunities to take action,” and “the simplest way to keep you account active is to periodically visit Gmail, Drive, or Photos on the web or mobile, while signed in and connected to the internet.”
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