Gone are the days when you could keep your audiovisual archive on Google Photos at no cost. However, the high-quality image storage service was no longer free in June 2021. But all is not lost: so you can use Google Photos without paying more.
From using free alternatives to manage your files to learning how to manage your storage quota, learn everything you can do to keep your Google Photos service free.
What happened to Google Photos
Until before June 1, 2021, media files stored in Google Photos did not count towards the free 15 GB quota for your account. Strictly speaking, Google will not charge you just for photos and videos, but for the total sum of the files you keep in Google Drive, including emails and documents.
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If you exceed the free quota, you will have to opt for a Google One subscription plan – which starts at $ 2 dollars per month for 100 GB – not only to be able to continue synchronizing photos, but also to receive emails in Gmail or store other files in Drive .
Adjust photo quality
Google Photos allows you to upload your photos in original quality or High quality. You must consider that in order not to be considered within the 15 GB, the files uploaded before June 1 must be in High quality. To do this, you must do the following:
- On your phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app.
- Sign in to your Google account.
- At the top right, check your account initial or profile picture.
- Choose Photos Settings > Backup & Sync.
- choose High quality.
Manage your storage
Another good idea is to manage your storage on Google Drive, to determine how much space your photos and videos actually take up.
- Know how much space you have available: Google launched a tool to have a approximate calculation of your available space and the ratio of photos and videos to Gmail and files in Drive. This will let you know if you need to take further action.
- Delete unnecessary files: in June Google Photos will implement a free tool to search and review your low-quality photos. However, a good idea is to move forward, deleting screenshot files and emptying the recycle bin.
- Suspend automatic backups: Another alternative is to disable the automatic backup of WhatsApp photos, which are the ones that take up the most space in Google Drive.
Use a Pixel phone
Not that you’re going to decide the type of phone based on what happens with Google Photos. However, it is important that you know that the photographs and videos in High quality uploaded on or after June 1, 2021 from a Pixel phone will also not count towards your storage space quota.
Bonus: look for a free option
If you come to the conclusion that even managing your storage, you will exceed the Google Photos quota, one option is to look for an alternative to keep your photos.
- drop box: Also allows you to automatically sync photos and videos. It offers 2 GB of free storage.
- Flickr: since 2019 it allows you to store your last 1,000 photos and videos for free.
- OneDrive: Microsoft’s service offers 5 GB free and allows you to automatically synchronize the upload of photos in original quality.
- pCloud: It provides 10 GB of free storage, although it also offers 500 GB or 2 TB subscriptions with a once-in-a-lifetime payment.
- Amazon Pictures: Amazon Prime subscribers get unlimited photo storage space and up to 5 GB of video storage in Amazon Photos.
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