Google Photos will end free unlimited storage from today; Check out other alternatives
The policy change also means that Google wants more consumers to pay for the storage service. Starting June 1, every Google Photos user will receive just 15GB of storage space for free.
New Delhi: Google Photos is ending its unlimited free storage policy for pictures at high resolution and express resolution starting June 1.
As per Mashable, the existing high-quality photos and videos are exempt from this and will not count towards the 15GB default storage that comes with a Google account.
The policy change was announced late last year. If you have relied only on Google Photos to back up all your pictures and videos, you will soon need to start worrying about the storage space on your account.
The policy change also means that Google wants more consumers to pay for the storage service. Starting June 1, every Google Photos user will receive just 15GB of storage space for free.
Any media you upload to the service after the first of the month that goes above those free 15GB will require a paid subscription plan. Those subscriptions will start at USD 1.99 a month for 100GB.
That may sound cheap, but remember, as the photos and videos accumulate as you upload more over time, you’ll probably find yourself having to upgrade to a more expensive plan.
So, how do you upload to Google Photos if you haven’t yet?
Sign in to your Google account and head over to “photos.google.com” in your web browser. It’s as easy as dragging and dropping your pics and videos right onto the page.
You can also download the Google Photos Mac or PC app and upload photos from your desktop or laptop in the background while you do other things on the computer. Users can download the Google Photos iOS or Android app to easily upload content from their mobile devices and tablets too.
The one exception to the changing Google Photos plans is for existing Google Pixel phones. While future versions of Google’s smartphone line will also have to pay for Google Photos storage, the current models will continue to get free unlimited storage, at varying photo quality depending on which phone you own.
What was the earlier policy and what has changed?
Google offers 15GB of free storage space. This space is divided across Gmail, Google Drive and Photos. Under the previous policy, photos at the high or express resolution, which are both compressed formats, did not account for free storage. This meant one could upload photos for free without worrying about running out of space.
From June 1, these photos will count towards the 15GB free storage space. So if you are uploading photos to your Google account continuously, then you will need to buy some extra storage space.
Google Photos storage: How much do the storage plans cost?
Google One storage is a paid subscription that will add 100GB or more storage to your account depending on what plan you decide to choose.
The basic plan starts at 100GB which is Rs 130 per month or Rs 1300 per year. The 200GB plan starts at Rs 210 per month. The other plans are 2 TB at Rs 650 per month or Rs 6,500 per year, 10 TB which is Rs 3,250 per month, and 20 TB at Rs 6,500 per month, and 30 TB at Rs 9,750 per month.
You can try out these alternative services:
1. Flickr
2. Microsoft OneDrive
3. Adobe Creative Cloud
Google Photos had launched in May 2015. Over the past five years, more than 4 trillion photos have been uploaded to the platform.