Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t take any more of our stamina, Google has confirmed that one of its best-kept promises – a whopping unlimited free storage offer for users of Google Photos who opt to upload high-quality images instead of original captures.
On June 1st, 2021, Google Photos will move in cadence with the rest of the company’s service applications such as Google Drive and Google Workspace wherein users will have 15GB of free storage, and will need to subscribe to Google One in order to receive additional storage space.
Up until now, Google offers two means to store photos in Photos; namely, users can opt to upload their images at their original file size which will count against a free 15GB storage quota, or choose to upload “high quality” (ironically, compressed) images files, which are not counted against the quota itself.
Going forward, Google has reassured users that files uploaded before the 1st of June, 2021 will not retroactively count against their storage allocation. However, images uploaded after this date will.
Google claims that 80% of Google Photos users won’t hit their 15GB cap for at least three years. Google Pixel device owners will retain their ability to upload high-quality images without counting against their free storage quotas. A nice perk, if you happen to have a Pixel device.
Photos will soon be updated with new storage management tools, and the app will no proactively warn users when they begin to approach on their storage capacity. Additionally, a ‘personalised estimate’ will also reveal how much longer users will have to enjoy their free storage allocation based on how many pictures they take.
What are your thoughts? Would you be prepared to purchase additional storage in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
