PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 23: In this photo illustration, the logos of the applications, Google Maps, Google and Gmail are displayed on the screen of a tablet on October 23, 2018 in Paris, France. After being fined 4.3 billion euros last June for a dominant position in research with its Android mobile operating system, Google has decided to comply by charging for its applications and Play Store to manufacturers who want to sell their mobile devices in Europe, and this without integrating Google Search and Google Chrome. From October 29, Google will implement a fairly complex license system for manufacturers who sell Android-powered mobile devices in Europe and want to install the Play Store and its other applications. (Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images)
KEY STORY
Google has extended the timeline for the free storage to end on February 2022 instead of June 2021. However, this change is only for existing Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files limited to WorkSpace and GSuite users. The June 2021 deadline will continue to apply on personal Google account users. “High-quality photos will count towards the Drive quota beginning June 1, 2021.
There is no change to this timeline,” Google said in a blog post. “Any newly created Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files will count toward storage. Existing files within these products will not count toward storage, unless they’re modified on or after February 1, 2022,” it added.
Google itself estimates “that the majority of users will not be affected by these changes.” However, it serves as a good reminder for the June 2021 deadline for free, unlimited Google storage. Starting June 2021, Google will stop providing free storage to Google account users. It will give users 15GB of storage access across Drive, Gmail, and Photos beyond which it will start charging users.
Google in the past has explained that if users upload their photos and videos in original quality, the changes made will not impact them.
The original quality photos and videos will continue to count toward the 15 GB of free storage across users’ Google Account. It is the high-quality photos that will be counted towards the storage of users.
Google noted that it aims to empower Google Workspace admins and will provide new admin tools so that users can identify and manage how storage is used and allocated before the policy goes into effect. “We’ve decided to delay the count of Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files count toward storage quotas until that tooling is in place,” it noted.
CONCLUSION
Google, in December, announced a 50 percent price cut to 10TB, 20TB, and 30TB plans of Google One. However, the basic subscription of Google One will continue to cost you Rs 130 per month or Rs 1,300 on a yearly basis.
For the mentioned price, you will get 100GB of storage space. Google allows you to share the storage with your family as well. You can invite up to five additional family members to your plan. The 200GB cloud storage plan will still cost you Rs 210 per month or Rs 2,100 for a year. There is also a 2TB cloud storage plan, which is priced at Rs 650 per month and Rs 6,500 per annum.
