A disaster for Gmail users.

A report suggests that Google will no longer offer 15 GB of free storage to new Gmail users unless they verify their account with a phone number.

Google will no longer offer 15 GB of free storage to new Gmail users. Photo: CNET .

According to a report from Android Authority , Google may reduce the free storage for new Gmail accounts from 15 GB to just 5 GB. Those wishing to upgrade their storage will need to provide their phone number to Google to unlock additional space.

A Google representative later confirmed that they are testing this new account option in certain regions.

"We are testing a new storage policy for newly created accounts in certain regions. This will help us continue to provide high-quality storage while encouraging users to enhance account security and data recovery capabilities," a Google representative said in a statement to CNET .

Typically, a verified phone number is a way to prevent users from storing multiple accounts and to secure their Google profile with a reliable recovery method. According to Android Authority , accounts with only 5 GB of storage are mostly located in African countries.

When Gmail launched in 2004, it offered users up to 1 GB of storage, and this fundamentally changed how many people used email.

Just a year later, Google doubled the free storage to 2 GB. This free storage package was further increased to 7 GB, 10 GB, and finally 15 GB in 2013, when Google Drive, Google Phones, and Gmail were merged into a single shared data storage for users.

One of the reasons Gmail was more successful than other email services in its early days was the reduction of barriers to entry, as the search giant increased free access to its services across the platform, making customers less likely to switch to competitors.

However, the situation has changed as Google is now facing intense competition from rivals in the AI ​​field. CNET suggests that this is why Google needs to integrate Gemini AI features into services like email, photos, and documents that users are already familiar with.

Source: https://znews.vn/tham-hoa-voi-nguoi-dung-gmail-post1652075.html