Google users may soon have only 5GB free cloud storage

Google appears to be testing a change to its free cloud storage policy for new accounts. The move is said to reduce the default free storage for some new users to 5GB, unless they add a phone number to unlock the full 15GB at no cost. For people creating new Google accounts, the change could affect storage available across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos, according to a report by 9to5Google citing screenshots shared by Reddit users. 

For more than a decade, a standard Google account has come with 15GB of free cloud storage, a level that helped set it apart from rivals such as Apple. The report said the change was spotted during the set-up process for new Gmail accounts, where some users were shown two options: keep 5GB of free storage, or get the full 15GB by linking a phone number to the account.

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The notification shown to some users says, "Your account includes 5 GB of storage. Now get even more storage space with your phone number for Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. Unlock 15 GB storage at no cost by using your phone number Keep 5 GB storage Google will use your phone number to make sure storage is added only once per person."

Google’s stated reason for the reported shift is a “one-per-person” rule. By asking users to add a phone number, the company says it can make sure the 15GB allocation is given only once to each person. The report said this is likely aimed at limiting bot accounts and spam.

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Google has not made a public announcement on the reported change, but 9to5Google said the wording on the company’s support pages has already been updated. Using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, Google changed its language in March 2026. Earlier, the support page said every account “comes with 15GB”. It now says accounts come with “up to 15GB” of cloud storage at no charge.

For users, the immediate impact appears to be limited to new account sign-ups. People who already have a Google account with 15GB of free storage are not expected to be affected right away. However, anyone creating a new account may now have to share a phone number if they want the full 15GB across Photos, Drive and Gmail.