Google Photos will no longer be providing unlimited storage for image and video backups for its users. Google had announced last year that the unlimited storage provided by the app will be ending by June 1, 2021.
After June 1, Google Photos will have a 15 GB free storage limit for each Google Account. This 15 GB storage will be shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.
What does it mean for users?
For users, it simply means that they have to manage the storage space on Google Photos or buy extra storage options through Google One. Google One is a new storage option from Google. Google Pixel device users can still enjoy unlimited storage as well.
Google has also clarified that high-quality pictures or videos uploaded before June 1 will not count against the 15 GB limit. Google Photos allows users to upload and backup their pictures in three qualities— Original, High-Quality, and Express.
High-quality pictures are compressed to 16MP and High-quality videos to high definition. Express compresses photos to 3MP and videos to standard definition.
What should users do?
The first thing users should do is to check how much storage they are currently using. People can easily do this by using the Google Photos app. Simply open the app and open the settings option by tapping the profile icon on the top right-hand side of the screen.
In the settings options, users can see how much storage they are currently using across their accounts under the Account Storage tab. Clicking on that reveals options for image upload size and the option to buy additional storage.
Users can even use this link (https://photos.google.com/storage) from Google to figure out how much longer their storage will last according to the estimation from Google.
Where can users save all their pictures?
In case users wish to download all or some of their pictures from Google Photos, it is easy to do so. The easiest way to download all the pictures at once is through Google Takeout. Google Takeout is an easy-to-use app through which users can export any and all data that they have saved over various Google apps.
