• 2 min read
Google Will Count Android Backups Toward Storage
Google will count Android backups against shared cloud storage in 45 days, potentially stopping automatic backups when accounts hit their quota.
Image: ITzine
Google is changing how Android backups use cloud storage. In 45 days, device backups will begin counting toward an account’s shared storage quota. Once that quota is full, automatic backups will stop until the user frees space or upgrades to a paid Google One plan.
The quota already includes photos, videos, and MMS messages. After the policy change, backups will also include:
- SMS messages
- Call history
- Device settings
- App data
Google warns users by email that backup sizes may increase noticeably when the new policy takes effect. That could put additional pressure on free storage not only for people with large photo libraries, but also for users carrying extensive message histories and device settings to a new smartphone.
Android backup controls and storage limits
To reduce the impact, Google is preparing more precise Android backup controls. On devices running Android 9 or later, users will be able to choose which data types—and which individual apps—are included in a backup.
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The change reinforces the role of cloud storage as a subscription gateway. Apple’s iCloud quota can also be quickly consumed by backups and media, while Microsoft and Dropbox have long positioned their free storage tiers primarily as an entry point to paid plans. Google One is competing not only for photos and documents, but also for the habit of keeping backups enabled automatically.
Users whose accounts are already close to the limit could see backup pauses immediately after the new rules take effect, rather than only after another round of file cleanup. The key variables will be the final backup size and which data users can disable manually.
Marta Barinova is an editor on the news desk specializing in software analysis, streaming services, and policy changes by global technology platforms. She has written more than 140 articles covering Windows updates, changes to Spotify and Google, and antitrust regulation of app stores.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via ITzine
