We all have been using Google Photos for a long period of time since 2015. Well, it’s been one of the best features that Google is operating till now. Google users were able to upload an unlimited number of photos to the cloud. Google gave this opportunity to the user if it was a High-Quality option only. At the same time, users are still able to access 15 GB of Google space. They are able to upload their photos, and email attachments like Gmail Photos, and google drive files within the space given. So, in brief, Google Photos users choose the High-Quality option and they were able to upload an unlimited number of photos to the cloud. In the case of the option selected in Original quality, the quota was different.
So, in summary, if the Original Quality was selected, they were limited to their 15 GB space only. In conclusion, these were all the scenarios before 01 June 2021.
What? Google Photos Discontinues its unlimited storage option…
So, the main topic continues, from today June 01, 2021, and henceforward, Google users cannot upload an unlimited number of Photos even if it is in a high-quality option. And, the option we mentioned earlier i.e. the Original quality remains the same. So, in case you were wondering what the Original quality and High Quality have to do anyway then you don’t have to miss other information forward. Even though Google Photos online stated it as a High-Quality option it still compresses the photos to some amount. It cannot be noticeable in virtual displays. However, it is very much noticeable if the same photo is printed as hardcopy. In clear words, this applies to all the brand new Google accounts in their ‘My Google Photos’ section on the phone. If you are wondering what about the old users who had uploaded 100s of GB of photos to the cloud? Don’t worry guys, those photos will remain just as it is and they won’t be deleted either. But the newly added photos will start to eat the remaining 15 Gb of your space from now on.
An exception to Limited Google Photos storage
Well, there is one single exception to this new update from google. If you are a google pixel device user then it won’t be an issue for you. If you are a Google Pixel user of Pixel 2,3,4 and 5 then you will continue to get free, unlimited stage of photos at the high-quality option. However, if you don’t find it in need of an update to the latest new Pixel phones and still be using the original Pixel phone from 2016, then you will have access to free and unlimited storage of photos at the original quality option. It is the plus point of using Google Pixel phones, guys. However, Google wants to satisfy its customers by accepting loyalty towards its brand by providing Google Photos unlimited storage. Well, there it is, Pixel users don’t have to worry about Google Pictures for now. So, if you really want the Google Images to be exactly the same then you will have to go through the Original Quality option. Then, the worst scenario here will be the space right? So, what to do for space? Well, in that case, Google lets you get more space if you pay a certain amount for their subscriptions.
What are the Google Photos subscription Plans anyway?
If you want to save all those valuable memories without disrupting the quality of the image then just enlighten yourself with this knowledge. Google offers its users to increase its storage capacity up to 100 GB with a price tag of $1.99 a month. The subscription can be done via Google One subscription. The second storage capacity you will get is 200 GB with a price tag of $2.99 a month. However, if these options are still not enough for you then don’t worry Google won’t let you down. But you have to pay some extra bucks for their service. Google offers professional users with Professional Grade tiers
Alternatives And Cheap Sites besides Google Photos
There are numerous ways of storing your precious memories in the cloud in the form of Photos. Many other brands and products are offering the same option with high security and reliability to the customers. So, some of them are mentioned below:
1. Microsft OneDrive
Microsft Onedrive is the best alternative to google photos. It is a secure and trusted brand by many customers. It offers its users Gallery View UI for photo storage. There is an automatic image tagging system as well. Along with the Picture Storage, it also proves other Microsft services as well. So, it is free up to 5 GB after signing up. However, using the storage of 100 GB will cost $2 per month and 1 TB costs $10 per month. You can even get a subscription to Microsft Office as well with the same included price.
2. Amazon Photos
It is one of the best alternatives to Google Photos. It offers its users the editing notion as well. You can also share with up to 5 family members as well. Amazon Photos comes bundled with an Amazon Prime membership. The sort of Amazon Prime is $12.99 per month without taxes according to your region. It is way more expensive if you calculate it yearly. And it will cost its non-prime users $1.99 per month for 100 GB of storage.
3. DropBox
DropBox is famous for its purpose as a file-sharing platform. But is more than that. It offers a cloud storage platform as well. Also, it features DropBox Passwords and DropBox transfers. It gives storage options for photos as well. The storage and other benefit plan costs start at $9.99. There are three types of pricing. The first one is Basic which offers free service with the limited option of $0. The second one is Professional which costs $19.99 per month if billed annually. And the last one is Plus which costs $9.99 per month if billed annually.
4. DigiBoxx
The good side of DigiBoxx is that it offers 20 GB of free storage. That is 5 GB more than that of Google Photos. You can store photos and other files in the included storage. It has the security of end-to-end encryption as well. It also supports Gmail integration as well. There is a free user plan with 0 costs. And then there are individual/freelancer plans that cost about $0.41 per month. The other plan is SMBs which cost $13.71 per month. And the last one is the Enterprises plan which you have to contact the pre-sales team for the cost.
5. Apple iCloud and Apple one
If you are an Apple user then it won’t be hard for you to figure out how the apple ecosystem works. However, Apple is one of the best alternatives to Google Photos. So, in conclusion, you can get the apple iCloud storage in a bundle i.e. Apple one or the iCloud storage plan. 5 GB of storage is free per iCloud user account. 50 GB of storage for a single user will cost $0.99 per month. 200 Gb of storage for family use will cost $2.99 per month. And the storage of 2 TB of storage for family use will cost $9.99.
So, our final words on Google Photos are that it is the most useful and handy cloud storage for every Google user. It still is the coolest storage option out there in the market. It also has the easiest User Interface. But the storage limitation is not the option most Google users are not happy about. However, google profile picture is still available to upload unlimitedly. Guess what, it was the joke of the day. Enjoy using Google Photos.
