Gmail is changing for some users.
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Google is offering new Gmail users a free upgrade in some regions — a 300% uplift in email and photo storage. But there’s a catch. Those users are given just 5GB initially — not the usual 15GB. To recover the missing 10GB “at no cost,” users need to give Google their phone number. And that has prompted a backlash.
“Google’s 15GB free cloud storage may be going away soon,” Android Authority says. While it’s limited for now, “if Google’s tests prove successful, this could possibly become the norm for new sign-ups in more regions.” Thus far, existing users are unaffected by the change, and free storage levels remain the same.
In the message to new users, Google says the request for a phone number is “to make sure storage is only added once per person.” That sounds plausible. But in response to Android Authority, it had a different explanation: “encouraging users to improve their account security and data recovery.”
The reports first surfaced on Reddit, with one poster dismissing the move as “the ‘bribery for your data’ stage.” With somewhere around 2 billion accounts and more being added every day, the savings from reducing free data are significant.
New Gmail storage upgrade
As PCMag explains, “one of the biggest perks of signing up for a Gmail or Google account has been the 15GB of free cloud storage. It can store data from Google services, including Sheets, Docs, Photos, and Gmail, as well as files uploaded from your personal device.” Well, that may now be changing.
While there are benefits in adding a phone number to an account, there’s certainly no security rationale that couldn’t be achieved a better way. A phone number is a form of identification — especially in markets where government ID is needed for a new mobile phone account. As such, the era of anonymous emailing changes.
The use of a number to limit free storage accounts to one per person makes more sense that a security explanation. That said, if you have a Google account, adding a phone number will help you recover your account if it’s hacked. But don’t use a phone number for two-factor authentication. That’s not secure.
