Google is shrinking free storage from 15GB to 5GB unless you add a verified phone number

Google has reportedly introduced a new policy for free storage on newly created accounts. Some users have reported that newly created accounts now start with only 5GB, instead of the 15GB that was previously available by default, unless they link a phone number during setup.

In the setup notice, Google presents the phone number step as a way to increase the account’s free storage limit to 15GB. Users who skip that step keep the default 5GB, and Google says the phone number helps ensure the extra storage is added only once per person. The change effectively creates two free storage tiers for new accounts: 5GB without verification and 15GB with verification.

Google’s support documentation also now says accounts include “up to 15GB of cloud storage at no charge,” instead of promising 15GB by default. The storage still applies across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, while existing accounts have not been reported as affected.