Google has officially confirmed it is testing a major change involving free Gmail storage limits for new accounts in selected regions.
According to recent reports, some new Google accounts are now receiving only 5GB of free cloud storage instead of the traditional 15GB offered across:
- Gmail,
- Google Drive,
- and Google Photos.
Users affected by the test can reportedly unlock the full 15GB storage allocation by linking a phone number to their Google account.
Google later confirmed the experiment in a statement, saying the company is testing new policies designed to:
- improve account security,
- reduce abuse and spam,
- and maintain storage service quality.
The company also quietly updated wording on some of its support pages, changing references from “15GB free storage” to “up to 15GB” of free storage.
The possible reduction has generated strong reactions online, especially among privacy-conscious users concerned about linking phone numbers to cloud storage services.
Some analysts believe the change could also help Google:
- reduce fake account creation,
- limit storage abuse,
- and encourage more users to migrate toward paid cloud plans such as Google One.
The test appears limited for now and may vary depending on:
- region,
- device setup,
- and account verification requirements.
Meanwhile, existing Google accounts with 15GB of free storage do not appear to be affected at this time.
The potential policy shift arrives during a period of growing competition in cloud services, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and digital storage markets, where companies face rising operational and hardware costs.
Industry experts say storage limits are becoming increasingly important as AI-powered tools, high-resolution media, and cloud backups continue driving massive increases in global data usage.
