Google Includes Android Device Backups in Google Account Storage Limits

Google has announced a policy change regarding Android device backups. From now on, automatic backups of Android devices will count against the storage quota of the user's Google account. Previously, only photos and videos backed up via Google Photos were counted toward storage limits. The new policy expands this to include SMS and MMS messages, call history, and device settings as part of the storage calculation.

This change takes effect immediately for new users, while existing users will have a 45-day grace period to adjust. Google estimates that the average user will see an increase of about 40 megabytes in storage usage due to these additional backup components. However, users with large volumes of messages or nearly full storage accounts may experience a more significant impact.

To help users manage this change, Google is introducing more detailed backup controls, allowing users to select which data types, such as messages, call history, and settings, they want to back up. In Israel, free Google storage is capped at 15 gigabytes, with paid plans starting at 8 shekels per month.