Google Photos' most endearing feature is going out the window starting June next year

• Google Photos will no longer be offering free unlimited storage started 1 June 2021.
• Before June, users can upload as many photos as they wish into their Google Photos account since the limit will only kick in next year.
• Those who run out of storage next year can either upgrade to a Google One account or delete the blurry and unnecessary photos from their backup.

Google Photos will no longer be offering unlimited free storage to users starting June next year. But, the change only applies after the date. So, if there’s anything you want to back up and get on the cloud — do it before 1 June 2021.

This undercuts one of the most endearing aspects of Google Photos — knowing that you always had a place to back up your memories. Existing Google One subscribers, who have more than 15GB of storage, will also be subject to the same regulation.

If you’re clicking an image with a 12-megapixel lens, the average size of an image will be 3.6 MB. This means you can store 277 photos per GB. With 15 GB, you can squeeze in over 4,000 images.


You can get a personalised estimate of how long your existing storage will last here.

All photos are equal
Until now, only images that were in the uncompressed ‘original’ quality preset counted towards storage space and those which were under the ‘high’ quality present were free.

However, once summer rolls around again, all uploads — regardless of style or stature — on Google Photos will count towards the overall 15GB of storage that users get with every free Google account.

And, while the platform is called Google ‘Photos’, it should be highlighted that the change applies to uploads of both photos and videos.

Is there a way out?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. But, you may have to loosen the purse strings a little bit.

In case you exhaust that limit after June 2021, it’s not a complete loss. You can always sign up for one of the fancy Google One accounts, which allows users to expand their storage quota.


Is there ANOTHER way out?
In order to make the transition for habitual Google Photos users, the company will be rolling out a new tool for its users to help manage photo uploads.

The tool will help users sort through their backed up photos and videos. Allowing you to pick and choose what you want to keep, and highlight what you can afford to delete — like photos that seem blurry or dark.

It’s not perfect but it does help with the filtering process, and will help users manage within the limited space they have.

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