Google Photos won’t offer free uploads starting June 2021

Google Photos won’t offer free uploads starting June 1, 2021: What this means?

Google Photos storage: Google noted that all the existing high-quality content will remain exempted from storage quota. Read on to know more about it.

By: Sourabh singh | New Delhi | Updated: November 12, 2020 11:33:53 am

Starting June 1, 2021, all your photos or videos will be counted toward the free 15GB of storage that comes with every Google account.

Google is all set to change its unlimited high-quality storage policy. The company has announced that those using Google Photos won’t get free uploads starting June 1, 2021. From next year, if you upload high-quality images or videos, then those will be counted toward your Google Drive storage limit. Google on Wednesday asserted in a blog post that to “welcome even more of your memories,” the company needs to change its policy.

No free uploads from June 1, 2021: What this means?

Starting June 1, 2021, all your photos or videos will be counted toward the free 15GB of storage that comes with every Google account. In case you are unaware, Google offers a total of 15GB free storage for Gmail, Drive and Photos. So, if the provided storage space gets full,then you will have to buy the Google One subscription to get more storage. Google noted that all the existing high-quality content will remain exempted from storage quota. This also means that if you upload new photos and videos in high quality before June 1, 2021, then those won’t be counted toward your Google account storage.

What is the current Google storage policy?

Currently, Google is offering the unlimited backup option for “high quality” photos and videos. However, the pictures are automatically compressed to 16MP and videos to high definition. There is also an Express option, which gives free unlimited storage, but compresses photos by 3MP and videos to standard definition. If you have opted for the Original Quality option, then the new changes won’t affect you. Google already counts all your “original quality” photos against a storage cap in the Photos app. If you are an owner of a Google Pixel phone, then you don’t need to worry as Google will allow you to upload photos and videos at the high-quality setting for free.

Why is Google changing the storage policy?

Google Photos Product lead David Lieb explained on Twitter that the policy needs to be changed because free backups are costing big to the company. It is a necessary step to “align the primary cost” of offering free service while also accepting the “primary value” of online storage.

What is the price of Google One subscription in India?

The basic subscription of Google One offers you 100GB storage space for Rs 130 per month or Rs 1,300 on a yearly basis. By paying this, you get lots of storage space, which you can even share with your family. For 200GB storage space, you will be required to pay Rs 210 per month or 2,100 per annum. For 2TB, the price of Google One in India is Rs 650 per month and Rs 6,500 per year. For 10TB, the price is Rs 3,250 per month.

You have 6 months to decide

As the changes will take place in June next year, you have a lot of time to decide. You can either accept the policy of Google or switch to any other cloud storage with a better deal. Google claims that “once this change does take effect on June 1, 2021, over 80 percent of users should still be able to store roughly three more years worth of memories with your free 15 GB of storage.” Google is saying that it will notify everyone in the app and follow up by email before June 1.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Geekbuddys on Facebook, and Google News. For the latest video on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel.