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  "path": "/tech/google-drive-15gb-gmail-storage",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-21T16:30:58.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Google's new Gemini Spark AI can manage your Gmail and make purchases for you",
    "Google Chrome will soon let you stop being tricked by AI and deepfakes",
    "10 exciting new Android 17 features confirmed by Google",
    "Best VPN deals",
    "Googlebook is a new type of AI-packed laptop to challenge Windows 11",
    "Google brings the fight to Whoop with affordable Fitbit Air",
    "confirmed to Android Authority",
    "on its Support Page",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nGoogle could soon revoke its free 15GB of cloud storage ...unless you're willing to share your phone number.\n\nThe Californian company has offered 15GB to everyone who signs up for one of its Google Accounts since May 2013, when it combined the 10GB allowance available for Gmail with the 5GB shared across Google Drive and Google Photos. This cloud storage could be used flexibly across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.\n\nFor comparison, Microsoft only offers 5GB of storage for files and photos in OneDrive, its answer to Google Drive. However, this is separate from the 15GB available to store emails and attachments in an Outlook.com inbox. Apple offers 5GB as standard with its iCloud accounts, which is shared across your photo library, email, and more.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nWhile individual emails only use a small amount of storage — you could easily store between 100,000–200,000 text-based emails for that total allowance.\n\nHowever, if you're sending large attachments, like videos or PDFs, that 15GB will quickly evaporate.\n\nMore storage-intensive tasks, like storing photographs and videos via Google Photos or backing up your apps and data from an Android phone or tablet to Google Drive, will put that 15GB under even greater strain.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * **Google's new Gemini Spark AI can manage your Gmail and make purchases for you**\n  * **Google Chrome will soon let you stop being tricked by AI and deepfakes**\n  * **10 exciting new Android 17 features confirmed by Google**\n  * **Best VPN deals**\n  * **Googlebook is a new type of AI-packed laptop to challenge Windows 11**\n  * **Google brings the fight to Whoop with affordable Fitbit Air**\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nReduce that allowance to 5GB, and you'll need to reduce your inbox below 5,000–10,000 emails. And that's before you start thinking about Google Photos, Google Drive, and other cloud services.\n\nWorried about losing access to gigabytes of storage? Don't panic.\n\nIf you already have a Google Account, you won't be impacted by the latest shake-up. Google has confirmed it's only testing the reduced storage allowance for _new_ users who have registered for a Google Account for the first time.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nEven if you register for a Google Account today, there's a chance you might not be impacted. A spokesperson for Google **confirmed to Android Authority** that it was testing the smaller storage allocation in some regions. Of course, if the tests prove successful, we're likely to see Google roll out these changes worldwide for all new account-holders.\n\nThe spokesperson said: \"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.\"\n\nGoogle has refreshed the wording **on its Support Page** , stating that \"each Google Account includes up to 15GB of storage\". But the inclusion of \"up to\" is a relatively new addition, with versions of the same webpage from earlier this year not using that phrase and guaranteeing 15GB for everyone.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Dramatic shake-up coming to Gmail ...unless you promise to share your phone number with Google"
}