Google Photos will soon cost you real money, for the first time ever since it was launched in 2015.
Google Photos is one of Google’s most liked services. But the days of unlimited free photo storage are coming to an end.
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Google first announced the change in November. And now it will become a reality for all, starting on June 1. On that day, Google will start charging you for uploads, but only after you reach 15GB of storage on the platform.
The good news is that your existing photos and videos that were uploaded on the platform before June 1 will not count towards the 15GB limit, only those uploaded after. That means that you do not have to start deleting content. And you have plenty of time to decide whether paying for storage on Google Photos is something you need or not.
The truth is, however, that many users will never need to pay anyway. According to Google, 80% of Photos users will not hit 15GB for at least another three years.
And even if you do need to pay, the fees will remain very reasonable. Google explained that a 10oGB plan will cost $2 per month, $3 for 200GB, $10 per month for 2TB, or up to $150 per month for 30TB. For comparison, Apple only gives you 5GB of free iCloud storage, and many users never hit that limit.
And you do have until June 1 to upload more photos for free on Google Photos.