Google will end the unlimited free photo and video storage it offers through Google Photos on 1 June, 2021, changing to a 15GB cap of free storage for each account.
The move coincides with other changes to the Google Drive policies that will bring in Google Workspace documents and spreadsheets (including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Jamboard files) under the same cap. Google will also delete data from accounts that haven’t been accessed for at least two years at the same time. Images and documents that were uploaded before June 1st will not count against that 15GB cap. Google has committed to sending out alerts and warnings to users when they begin to approach that cap. It will also introduce new storage management tools into Google Photos, including one that will identify blurred images and screen shots that users may not want to keep, giving them the option to free up storage space. It will also provide data on each user’s average uploads over time to help them manage their current storage.
