Gmail Users Face Potential Cut in Free Storage Space

Gmail users in Lithuania may soon face significantly less free storage space, as Google is reportedly testing a reduction from the current 15 GB to just 5 GB for new accounts.

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If new users are given only 5 GB in the future, the problem of lack of space will become even more relevant.

This change impacts the total storage allocated across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Andrius Archangelskis, an expert from "Bitė Lietuva," noted that while 15 GB might seem ample, it is quickly filled by emails, photos, and documents. A reduction to 5 GB would make storage limitations a more pressing issue for new users.

Google has confirmed it is testing new account creation conditions in some regions. In these test areas, new users receive 5 GB, while the standard 15 GB is only provided if the account is linked to a phone number. Archangelskis suggested this move could be related to enhancing account security and preventing the abuse of creating multiple accounts.

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Larger free space was once one of the most important advantages of Gmail.

Historically, Gmail offered 1 GB of free storage upon its launch in 2004, a generous amount at the time. This figure gradually increased over the years, reaching the current 15 GB in 2013, when Google also unified the storage limit across its services. Experts advise users facing storage issues to analyze their usage, delete unnecessary large email attachments, clear trash and spam folders, and review old photo backups. For persistent storage problems, archiving old emails to a separate account is also suggested.

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It is best to start with an analysis of the storage. This will help to see how much space emails, documents, or photos take up.