u/sungusungu / Reddit
Google appears to beryllium altering nan woody connected free retention for caller Google accounts. Previously, everyone who signed up for a caller relationship sewage 15GB of storage. Now, you whitethorn get stuck pinch a measly 5GB unless you nexus and verify your telephone number.
As you tin spot successful nan screenshot above, Google attributes nan alteration to making judge "storage is added only erstwhile per person." However, it's easy to ideate nan existent memory and retention crunch arsenic an unspoken motivation.
That isn't nan only evidence, arsenic a Google support page precocious updated its connection connected free storage. What antecedently promised a afloat "15 GB" erstwhile creating an relationship now says "up to 15 GB." Wayback Machine archives reveal that Google changed its wording sometime betwixt February 4 and March 23.
This won't alteration overmuch for astir people. In astir cases, you person nary prime but to nexus a telephone number erstwhile creating a caller Google relationship — and that was nan lawsuit moreover earlier this change. 9to5Google notes that location are a fewer exceptions, including erstwhile signing up connected an Android instrumentality without a SIM card.
It isn't clear whether this is simply a imperishable alteration aliases conscionable an A/B test. Some commenters successful nan Reddit thread that first flagged nan alteration opportunity they're still capable to get 15GB of free retention without linking a number. (The support page URL successful nan screenshot isn't helping: It's presently a surgery link.) We reached retired to Google for remark and will update this communicative if we perceive back.