Google tests 5GB free Gmail storage for some new accounts
Google has confirmed a test that gives some new accounts only 5GB free unless users verify a phone number. The change could tighten Gmail, Drive and Photos limits for new signups.
Google is testing a smaller free-storage allotment for some new accounts, and the clearest signal so far is not a rumor but a setup screen that offers 5GB by default and 15GB after phone-number verification. Google confirmed to Android Authority that it is running the reduced-storage policy in select regions, even as its help page still says each Google Account includes up to 15GB shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.
The confusion began when 9to5Google reported that Google had quietly changed its storage wording from a flat “15 GB” promise to “up to 15 GB” sometime in March 2026, with the revised language first showing up in the Internet Archive on March 18. In one new-account signup flow, users were told the phone number is used to make sure the 15GB allocation is added only once per person and to prevent abuse by bots or multiple throwaway accounts. In some setup paths, including certain Android phone activations without a SIM card, that verification prompt may not appear at all.
What is confirmed is narrower than the online chatter suggests: Google has not announced a universal change for every account, every country, or every signup method. The company has only said it is testing the reduced free-storage policy in select regions. That leaves open a crucial question for consumers and schools, families and small businesses that rely on fresh Google accounts for email, photo backups and file storage.
The stakes are easy to see because Google ties Gmail, Drive and Photos to one storage bucket. Once an account runs out of room, Gmail sending and receiving can be affected, Drive uploads stop, and Google Photos backups stop. Google’s help docs say that if an account stays over quota for two years or longer, it may remove content after giving at least three months’ notice.
For users setting up a new account, the practical step now is to watch the storage prompt closely and decide whether the account should be tied to a phone number. Anyone who expects to use Gmail heavily, keep Drive files online or back up photos from a phone should check how much space is available before making the account the main inbox or camera roll destination. Google One remains the paid path for additional storage, and Google Photos uploads have counted toward storage for new content since June 1, 2021. The broader message is familiar: free tiers can shrink quietly, and the real cost usually arrives when the quota fills up.
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