For years, Google has been the most generous player in the cloud storage game. The company offers 15GB of free space to anyone with a Gmail account. However, recent evidence suggests that Google is quietly testing a stricter policy that could see those 15GB of free cloud storage limit drop to just 5GB for certain users.
Google 5GB free cloud storage cap for new users—unless they register their phone number
As spotted by Piunikaweb, some new users are discovering that their initial storage allocation is being capped at 5GB. To “unlock” the traditional 15GB, Google is asking these users to verify a phone number. This change appears to target the specific scenarios where a user is able to skip the initial phone verification during the signup process.
9to5Google also discovered a significant modification in the wording of the company’s official support pages. Previously, the instructions clearly stated that every Google Account “comes with 15 GB of cloud storage at no charge.” That language has now been quietly updated to say users get “up to 15 GB.” This new phrasing, mirrored across several pages including “How your Google storage works,” suggests that the full 15GB is no longer mandatory.
The prompt essentially offers a choice: keep the anonymous 5GB account or provide a phone number. This could be a move to curb spam and automated account creation.
Limited test or new normal?
Currently, these tests seem most prevalent in specific regions, including parts of Africa like Kenya and Nigeria. When tech analysts tried to replicate the 5GB cap in other areas, they often found that Google simply wouldn’t allow the creation of an account without a phone number in the first place.
Critics argue that this is a clever way for the tech giant to harvest more personal data. Meanwhile, proponents see it as a necessary step to prevent the abuse of free services.
For now, existing accounts seem safe. There are no signs that Google is clawing back storage from those who haven’t linked a number yet.
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