Muhammad Aman Ullah | July 22, 2026
California (Web News): Google has announced a significant change to its cloud storage policy, ending a long-standing free benefit for Android users. Under the new policy, Android phone backups will now count toward a user’s Google Account storage limit, meaning many users may need to purchase additional storage or reduce their backup data.
According to Google, the updated policy will take effect 45 days after users receive notification emails, giving them time to manage their storage and adjust backup settings.
Android Backups Will Now Use Google Storage
Until now, Google Account storage included:
- Gmail emails
- Google Drive files
- Google Photos images and videos
However, Android device backups did not count against the available storage quota.
With the new policy, Android backups—including system settings, installed apps, app data, SMS messages, call history, and other backup files—will also consume storage space within the user’s Google Account.
Users May Need More Storage
Google warned that users whose backups exceed their available storage limit will have two options:
- Delete unnecessary files and backups.
- Subscribe to Google One for additional cloud storage.
The company also said users will have greater control over backup settings, allowing them to choose which apps and data are included in cloud backups.
Part of Google’s Ongoing Storage Changes
The latest announcement is part of Google’s broader effort to revise its cloud storage policies.
Earlier in May 2026, the company began testing a reduction in free storage for newly created Google accounts, lowering the free allocation from 15GB to 5GB in selected markets.
Technology analysts believe the latest change will particularly affect Android users who rely on automatic cloud backups, as their free storage could fill much faster than before.
Why Google Is Making the Change
Google says the updated policy is intended to make cloud storage management more efficient while giving users better control over their backed-up data.
Despite these improvements, the decision is expected to impact millions of Android users who have relied on free backup storage for years and may now need to either purchase additional storage or manage their backup files more carefully.
