Google alerts Android users about a major backup storage change
Android Police 2026-07-20 11:05:15
Context: Google is alerting Android users about a significant change to its backup storage policy, which will now count Android device backups against the user's Google Account storage limit. This change, effective in 45 days, aims to provide more granular backup controls and transparency. The update affects all Android device backups, and users can manage their backup settings through the Google One app or Android's backup settings.
Key Facts
- Google's new policy will count all data included in Android device backups towards the user's Google Account storage limit, a change that will take effect in 45 days.
- The additional storage usage from Android device backups is expected to be relatively small, typically ranging from 30-60 MB, as photos and media files are already accounted for against the storage limit.
- Users will have more granular control over their backups for Android 9 and newer devices, allowing them to choose which types of data to back up and select specific apps whose data they want to include.
- The change will not affect the automatic backup of Android phones that have sufficient storage, but users who hit their Google account's storage limit will have their Android phone stop backing up automatically.
- Users can view their Android phone's cloud backup storage usage and control its settings through the Google One app or Android's backup settings, providing more transparency and control over their backups.