NewDelhi: Google gmail 5gb storage: Google reportedly is planning to change the rules of its long-standing Gmail free storage policy. According to a Reddit user, new Google account holders in some regions are being offered just 5GB of free storage. To get the familiar 15GB of storage, users need to verify their phone number. This shift by Google reportedly began rolling out in March 2026. Once officially announced, it could affect Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos all at once. Here’s what it means for you.
What Google is actually doing
Google reportedly has made a notable change to its account storage policy, limiting the full 15GB of free storage only to accounts verified with a phone number.
For years, signing up for a Google account automatically granted users 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos. According to the Reddit post, that is no longer guaranteed for everyone.
One user was notified during the setup of a new Google account that they would only receive 5GB of free storage. To unlock the full 15GB, the user would need to link a phone number to the account. Google’s on-screen message read: “Unlock 15 GB storage at no cost by using your phone number… Google will use your phone number to make sure storage is added only once per person.”
When did this quietly happen?
According to 9to5Google, they caught the change by digging through Google’s own support pages.
Previously, a support page stated that “Your Google Account comes with 15 GB of cloud storage at no charge,” but that language has since been updated to read “up to 15 GB of cloud storage at no charge.” Using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, 9to5Google confirmed that Google made this change sometime in March 2026.
Is this a full rollout or a test?
Not everyone is seeing the 5GB cap yet, and that is worth noting before you panic. In many regions, Google’s sign-up process already strictly mandates phone number verification before an account can even be created, rendering the storage ultimatum irrelevant.
Older accounts created without an associated phone number currently remain unaffected, retaining their legacy 15GB capacity. So, if you already have a Google account, you are safe — for now.
This inconsistency strongly suggests that the 5GB cap is currently a localized test rather than a finalized global rollout.
Why is Google doing this?
Two reasons may drive this change: abuse prevention and rising costs.
Google positions this policy as a way to ensure that the 15GB storage pool is only added “once per person,” stopping users and bots from exploiting Google’s system by creating effectively unlimited accounts.
Like everyone else, Google might be doing this to curb the increased cost and scarcity of memory and storage hardware.
What should you do right now?
If you already have a Google account, no immediate action is needed. But if you are planning to create a new one — or help a family member do so — be ready to verify a phone number if you want the full 15GB from day one.
Google has not issued an official statement yet. If announced, this will affect millions of Gmail users.
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