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Google Photos Is Ending Free Unlimited Storage, Here Are Some Alternatives
By Mikelle Leow, 12 Nov 2020
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Image via rafapress / Shutterstock.com
If you’re one of the many who hoard their digital memories and opt for backup tools so they’ll never have to delete them, here’s unfortunate news. Google Photos, one of the more popular storage options for photos and videos, has announced that it is discontinuing the free unlimited service for hi-res visual uploads.
Come 1 June 2021, new hi-res images uploaded to Google Photos will count against its 15GB free data cap, which includes content from Gmail and Google Drive. Beyond that, users will have to shell out money for monthly plans starting from US$1.99 for 100GB of storage.
Take note that this will only apply for images and videos added to Google Photos from June 2021—existing content and anything uploaded before the deadline will not count against the 15GB limit.
Google says it will release an organization tool to help you better manage your Google Photos in 2021, so it will be easier to delete unwanted content.
The move comes with Google’s decision to remove Google Drive files for inactive accounts in a bid to manage its overall storage bandwidth. Users are encouraged to check in so that their old documents do not get wiped out.
Sadly, most reliable substitutes for Google Photos require subscription fees, but these are small prices to pay for eternalizing your memories. Check out some options below; USA Today has compiled a few more alternatives, which you can take a look here.
Amazon Photos
If you have an Amazon Prime membership, put it to good use. A subscription automatically entitles you to unlimited, full-resolution photo storage, along with 5GB of video storage.
If you’re not on Prime, worry not. A free account gives you 5GB of capacity for photos and videos.
Flickr
Flickr is a quality photo storage alternative if you require space beyond Google Photos’ 15GB limit. Users can upload up to 1,000 media items capped at 200MB for photos and 1GB for videos. The Pro version, which allows unlimited storage, has an annual fee of US$5.99 per month
Dropbox
You can’t have a list for online storage options without mentioning Dropbox. The basic free tier offers up to 2GB of storage. Beyond that, it’s US$9.99 per month for 2TB and US$16.99 for family storage.
Apple iCloud
Apple’s iCloud is an effortless alternative with a sophisticated search tool. There’s 5GB of free storage, and after that, you’ll probably want to make an upgrade to US$1 per month for 50GB, US$2.99 for 200GB, or US$3.99 for 2TB.
[via USA Today and The Next Web, cover image via rafapress / Shutterstock.com]
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