Google seems to be altering the deal on free storage for brand new Google accounts. Beforehand, everybody who signed up for a brand new account acquired 15GB of storage. Now, it’s possible you’ll get caught with a measly 5GB until you hyperlink and confirm your telephone quantity.
As you’ll be able to see within the screenshot above, Google attributes the change to creating certain “storage is added solely as soon as per individual.” Nonetheless, it is simple to think about the present memory and storage crunch as an unstated motivation.
That is not the solely proof, as a Google support page not too long ago up to date its language on free storage. What beforehand promised a full “15 GB” when creating an account now says “as much as 15 GB.” Wayback Machine archives reveal that Google modified its wording someday between February 4 and March 23.
This would possibly not change a lot for most individuals. Normally, you haven’t any alternative however to hyperlink a telephone quantity when creating a brand new Google account — and that was the case even earlier than this alteration. 9to5Google notes that there are just a few exceptions, together with when signing up on an Android machine with out a SIM card.
It is not clear whether or not this can be a everlasting change or simply an A/B take a look at. Some commenters within the Reddit thread that first flagged the change say they’re nonetheless capable of get 15GB of free storage with out linking a quantity. (The assist web page URL within the screenshot is not serving to: It is at present a damaged hyperlink.) We reached out to Google for remark and can replace this story if we hear again.
