Google is Testing 5GB Storage Limit for New Gmail Accounts Without a Phone Number

Following multiple reports pointing out that new Gmail accounts only had 5GB of cloud storage instead of the regular 15GB, Google has now confirmed to Android Authority that it’s running a new experiment. In some regions, new Gmail users will need to confirm their phone number to unlock their 15GB of cloud storage.

“We’re testing a new storage policy for new accounts created in select regions that will help us continue to provide a high quality storage service to our users, while encouraging users to improve their account security and data recovery,” a company spokesperson said today.

Obviously, Google requiring users to share their phone numbers to unlock more storage raises some privacy concerns. Unless you take the extra step to secure your account with multi-factor authentication, which is highly recommended, there’s a potential risk of identity theft or doxxing if your account is compromised.

As of this writing, it’s unclear if Google plans to expand this experiment more broadly. An official support page detailing how Google storage works still indicates that “each Google Account includes up to 15 GB of storage, which is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.”

To compare with Google, Microsoft currently gives 5GB of cloud storage and 15G of mailbox storage with a free Microsoft account. Apple, however, only offers 5GB of cloud storage with a free iCloud account.