Google Photos Will Be Ending Its Free Unlimited Storage. What Does This Mean For Users?
This policy change will take place on 1 June 2021.
By Lee Yong Jin — 13 Nov 2020, 05:49 PM
Citing "growing demand for storage", Google has announced an update to its Google Photos storage policy, ending its free unlimited storage feature
In Google's blog post, all new uploads of photos and videos will take up your existing 15GB cloud storage, effective 1 June 2021.
However, any photos or videos you've uploaded in high quality before 1 June 2021 are exempted from your account storage limit.
As of now, you can upload your photos and videos in both original and high quality sizes
Media uploaded in original quality will retain the same resolution as you took them and count towards your Google Account storage.
Photos and videos uploaded in high quality are compressed to save space. Photos will be resized to 16 megapixels while videos will be resized to high-definition 1080p.
1. You will have to manage the rest of your space efficiently
This includes deleting old photos you have backed up or moving them out of your account.
Take note that any files that you have sent to the Bin will be permanently deleted after 60 days.
2. Consider other alternatives to store your photos and videos
There are other cloud storage options you can choose from such as Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, MEGA, and iCloud. You will have to do some research to find out what is best for you.
You can also buy physical storage devices like hard drives and memory cards as the prices have dropped over time.
3. Subscribe to Google One's monthly or yearly plans to increase your quota
If you have money and decided you want more storage, here are the current prices for the monthly subscription plans:
- 100GB (RM8.49 per month)
- 200GB (RM11.99 per month)
- 2TB (RM42.99 per month)
Annual plans can save you up to 17% if you are able to afford it:
- 100GB (RM84.99 per year)
- 200GB (RM119.99 per year)
- 2TB (RM429.99 per year)
