Google Photos ends its unlimited free storage policy. This change impacts millions of users. Google announced this shift previously. The free storage offer officially ended on June 1, 2021.

(Google Photos: From Unlimited Free Storage to a Paid Model)

Before this date, users enjoyed unlimited free storage for “High quality” photos and videos. This feature was a major reason people chose Google Photos. Many users relied heavily on it to back up their entire photo libraries without cost. That unlimited backup option is now gone.

Now, all new photos and videos uploaded in “High quality” count towards a user’s free Google Account storage. Every Google account starts with 15GB of free storage space. This 15GB limit is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Once a user hits this 15GB limit, they cannot upload more photos or videos. Their Gmail might also stop receiving new messages.

Google offers a solution. Users need to buy more storage through Google One subscriptions. Google One plans start at $1.99 per month in the US for 100GB of storage. Higher tiers offer 200GB or 2TB. Existing Pixel phone owners get a small benefit. Photos uploaded from Pixel devices still don’t count against the free storage limit. This Pixel perk remains active.

(Google Photos: From Unlimited Free Storage to a Paid Model)

Users have choices. They can manage their storage by deleting old files. They can upgrade to a Google One plan. Google provides tools to review storage usage. These tools help identify large files or old emails for deletion. The change means free storage is limited. Most users will eventually need to pay for extra space. Google One is the primary way to get more storage.