Google is testing a new policy that could make fresh Gmail accounts less generous than before.
According to the article, Google confirmed that newly created accounts in selected regions may receive only 5GB of free cloud storage.
That is a major drop from the familiar 15GB free allowance used for years.
New accounts may start with 5GB
The new test applies only to newly created accounts in selected regions.
Existing users who already have 15GB of free storage are not affected.
The storage still covers Gmail, file storage, and photo storage under the same Google account system.
Google says it is still testing
Google reportedly explained that it is testing a new storage policy for accounts created in selected regions.
The company said the goal is to continue offering high-quality storage services smoothly.
Google also said the change may encourage users to improve account security and recovery setup.
Phone number linking may restore 15GB
There is still a way to regain the full 15GB allowance.
New users can link a personal phone number to the newly created account.
After that, the 5GB limit should be removed and the free storage should return to 15GB.
This may help with security, but some users may still feel concerned about privacy.
No global rollout yet
The policy remains a test for now.
There is no guarantee that Google will apply it worldwide.
The article also notes that the first test regions appear to be mostly in Africa.
For now, users who plan to create backup email accounts may want to pay attention to account storage rules before signing up.
THIS IS our take
Gmail storage has felt stable for years, so even a regional 5GB test will make users nervous. Linking a phone number may solve the issue, but many people will still ask whether free cloud storage is slowly becoming less free.
SOURCE: https://sea.mashable.com/tech/46199/new-gmail-accounts-might-only-get-5gb-of-storage-but-theres-a-way-around-it
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