Google To End Free Unlimited Photos Storage From June 2021

Alphabet Inc's GOOG GOOGL Google Photos has changed its storage policy to discontinue free unlimited storage starting June 1, 2021, the company said in a blog post. 

What Happened: After five years of offering unlimited free "high-quality" photo backups to Google Photos, the company will start charging for storage exceeding 15 GigaBytes (GB) cap from Jun. 1st. All workspace documents like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files will also be counted against the 15 GB cap along with emails.

Currently, Google allows unlimited storage for images and high-definition videos as long as they are under 16 Megapixel resolution. Post the policy change date, all such images and videos will be counted against the cap.

Why It Matters: The search-engine giant argues that 80% of its users will have at least three years before exhausting the cap. To make the transition smoother, the high-quality images uploaded before Jun. 1st will not count against the cap.

Google is upgrading its storage tools and will show personalized estimates allowing users to manage their data better. It will also show the stored dark and blurry images and screenshots, which one may want to delete. 

The policy change doesn't apply to Pixel phone owners, who will still be able to upload unlimited high-quality photos for free.

TechCrunch claims that the change will push more users to pay for the Google One subscription service.

Price Action: GOOG shares closed higher by 0.71% to $1,752.21 Wednesday.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia