Google limits free cloud storage for some new accounts unless phone number is linked

Google has introduced a notable change to its account storage policy, with some newly created accounts no longer receiving the standard 15GB of free cloud storage automatically.

Under the revised approach, certain new users are initially granted only 5GB of free storage unless they link a phone number to their account. Once the number is verified, the storage capacity can reportedly be increased to the full 15GB at no additional cost.

For years, Google accounts routinely included 15GB of complimentary storage shared across services such as Google Gmail, Drive and Photos. The allocation was widely viewed as more generous than competing platforms, including Apple’s iCloud service, which provides 5GB of free cloud storage to users.

Recent reports indicate that some users now encounter a notification during account creation stating that only 5GB of storage will be available initially. The message explains that adding a phone number enables the user to unlock the full 15GB allocation.

According to the notification, Google uses phone verification to ensure the additional storage is granted “only once per person”, in an apparent effort to reduce abuse of the system through the mass creation of accounts to obtain effectively unlimited free storage space.

The company also appears to have adjusted the wording on its support pages earlier this year. In March 2026, references stating that “a Google Account comes with 15GB of free cloud storage” were reportedly changed to “up to 15GB of free cloud storage”, suggesting that the maximum free allocation is no longer automatically available to every user.

Although Google’s support documentation does not explicitly state that a phone number is required to obtain the full 15GB, account creation on both smartphones and desktop devices increasingly involves phone verification in many cases.

However, there are still limited situations in which users may be able to create an account without linking a phone number, including during the setup of certain Android devices without an active SIM card.

The move comes as major technology companies continue to face rising infrastructure and data storage costs, prompting tighter controls over free cloud services and account usage policies.