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Google Testing Reduced Free Storage Limit for New Gmail Accounts Without a Verified Phone Number

Google Testing Reduced Free Storage Limit for New Gmail Accounts Without a Verified Phone Number

Google currently gives 15GB of free cloud storage to users who sign up for a Gmail account.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 15 May 2026 12:46 IST

Google Testing Reduced Free Storage Limit for New Gmail Accounts Without a Verified Phone Number

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Google One Lite with 30GB is priced at Rs. 59 per month in India

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Highlights

Google could limit free account storage limit for new Gmail accounts
Right now, Google gives 15GB of free cloud storage for users
Users who need more storage can opt for Google One

Google currently offers a decent amount of free storage for personal Gmail accounts, which is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, but that limit may change soon. Multiple Gmail users spotted Google testing a reduced storage limit for new accounts, instead of the usual 15GB storage. For years, the tech giant has been offering 15GB cloud storage for users signing up for a Google account. If the company scales back free Gmail Storage for new users, it might force Users who need more storage to opt for a Google One subscription.

Google Testing Lower Free Storage Cap for Gmail

As reported by multiple users on Reddit and X, Google appears to limit free account storage to 5GB for new Gmail accounts unless users add a phone number to their account. Users who verify their numbers are provided the standard 15GB of free storage.

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Users can still choose not to link a phone number, but doing so reportedly caps their available storage at 5GB. But several users criticise this move, saying that the company will access more user data. A few users claim that the change will help the tech giant reduce spam.

Gmail Rolls Out AI Inbox With Smart Prioritisation for These Users

Currently, Google give 15GB of free cloud storage for users who are signing up for a Gmail account. Many create multiple Gmail accounts to bypass storage limits instead of paying for extra space. The company might be aiming to stop this practice by limiting free storage for certain new accounts.

Reddit posts suggest that the test is currently limited to some users in African countries such as Kenya and Nigeria. However, it could simply be an A/B test before a broader rollout. At the time of writing, Gmail's official support pages still show that new accounts receive 15GB of free storage. People who need extra storage can sign up for the Google One plan.

"We're testing a new storage policy for new accounts created in select regions that will help us continue to provide a high-quality storage service to our users, while encouraging users to improve their account security and data recovery," a company spokesperson told Android Authority.

Google's 'Verified Email' Feature Will Make Your App Signups Faster

The Google One Lite plan with 30GB is priced at Rs. 59 per month in India. The Google One plan with 100GB (Basic) and 2TB (Premium) storage limits is priced at Rs. 130 and Rs. 650 per month, respectively.

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Further reading: Google, Gmail, Gmail Storage

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More