Google May Limit New Accounts to 5GB Storage Unless You Verify a Phone Number

A Subtle Wording Change in Google’s Documentation

Alongside the test, Google quietly adjusted how it describes free storage in its support documentation. Instead of saying accounts include 15GB of storage, the language now says each account includes “up to 15GB” shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos.

That phrasing leaves room for conditional allocations such as the 5GB default being tested.

Where Google Is Testing the Policy

Google has confirmed the change is a test in select regions, but it has not published a full list of affected countries.

Reports suggest the experiment has appeared in:

• Parts of Africa, including markets such as Kenya and Nigeria
• Some cases reported by users in India

Because the rollout appears limited and experimental, not all new accounts currently see the 5GB default.

Why Google Says It’s Doing This

Google’s explanation focuses on abuse prevention.

The company says linking a phone number helps ensure the free storage allocation is “added only once per person.”

In practice, that means the policy could reduce:

• Large numbers of throwaway accounts
• Automated bot sign‑ups
• People creating multiple accounts to accumulate extra free storage

Tying the larger storage tier to a verified phone number makes it harder to farm multiple free accounts.

Why the Change Matters for New Users

For new users who prefer not to provide a phone number, the change significantly reduces the value of Google’s free tier.

Without verification, they may only receive 5GB, which is much closer to competing services. Apple’s iCloud, for example, has long provided 5GB of free storage for Apple ID accounts.

If the policy expands globally, the difference between the two ecosystems could look like this:

• Verified Google account: 15GB free
• Unverified Google account: 5GB free
• Apple iCloud free tier: 5GB

That would remove one of Google’s historic advantages unless users complete phone verification.

Why Existing Google Users Aren’t Affected (So Far)

Current reports indicate the change targets newly created accounts only. Existing Google accounts have not been reported to lose their current 15GB free storage allocation.

That means the immediate impact is mainly on:

• People creating new Gmail accounts
• Privacy‑focused users who avoid linking phone numbers
• Users who previously relied on multiple free accounts for extra storage

Whether the experiment becomes a permanent global policy remains unclear, but the test suggests Google is rethinking how its free cloud storage tier is distributed.