If your Google account storage has suddenly spiked despite not uploading new Drive files, Google Photos is usually the culprit. Prior to June 1, 2021, Google Photos offered unlimited, free cloud storage for all photos and videos uploaded under the “High Quality” tier. On June 1, 2021, Google permanently retired this perk. Any photo or video backed up in High Quality (now rebranded as “Storage Saver”) after that cutoff date counts directly against your 15 GB free storage or your Google Workspace pooled quota.
Quick Answer
Google ended unlimited photo storage on June 1, 2021. Any photo or video uploaded in “Storage Saver” (formerly “High Quality”) after that date deducts from your storage quota. Photos uploaded before June 1, 2021, remain grandfathered in as free, provided you do not edit them or upload new copies.
The Policy Shift: What Changed?
For over five years, Google Photos allowed users to back up photos at no cost, provided they let Google compress them:
- Photos were compressed to 16 megapixels.
- Videos were downscaled to 1080p high definition.
- Storage consumption for these files registered as 0 bytes.
On June 1, 2021, Google aligned Google Photos with Google Drive and Gmail under a unified storage quota model. Google also changed the name of this tier from “High Quality” to Storage Saver to clarify that while the file is compressed to save space, it is not free.
The Grandfathering Rule (What Still Counts as Free)
Google applied a strict grandfathering rule when this policy went into effect:
- Uploaded BEFORE June 1, 2021: Any photo or video uploaded in High Quality / Storage Saver prior to June 1, 2021, does not count against your Google storage limit. Google committed to honoring these legacy uploads permanently.
- Uploaded ON OR AFTER June 1, 2021: Every photo and video backed up after this date takes up space. A standard 16 MP compressed photo typically consumes 1 MB to 3 MB; a 1080p video consumes approximately 100 MB to 200 MB per minute.
The “Edit” Trap
There is an important catch with grandfathered photos: If you modify an older grandfathered photo using the Google Photos web editor or mobile app today, Google may re-save the image as a newly created file. That newly modified file will lose its grandfathered status and begin consuming your active storage quota.
Device Exceptions: The Google Pixel Hardware Rules
Depending on which Google Pixel phone you use, your photos may follow different rules:
- Pixel (Original 2016): Retains unlimited backup in Original quality for the lifetime of the hardware.
- Pixel 2 through Pixel 5: These legacy devices received varying promotional windows for Original quality, but all retained unlimited Storage Saver uploads from that specific phone even after the June 2021 deadline.
- Pixel 6, 7, 8, 9, and Newer: Google completely removed hardware-specific photo backup perks starting with the Pixel 6. All media backed up from modern Pixel devices consumes storage quota under standard rules.
How to Stop Google Photos from Eating Your Drive Space
If automatic photo backups are pushing your account over quota:
1. Compress Existing “Original Quality” Backups
If you accidentally backed up media in uncompressed “Original quality,” you can instruct Google Photos to retroactively compress them into Storage Saver quality, drastically shrinking their footprint:
- Open a browser and visit photos.google.com/settings.
- Look for the Manage storage button.
- Under the storage recovery options, click Convert existing photos & videos to Storage Saver (formerly labeled “Recover storage”).
- Confirm the prompt.
Note: This process is permanent. It will compress all eligible items in your library to 16 MP / 1080p to reclaim storage space.
2. Turn Off Video Backups on Mobile
Videos are the primary driver of photo storage exhaustion. On your phone:
- Open the Google Photos app.
- Tap your profile icon > Photos settings > Backup.
- Scroll down and review your backup options. Under Back up device folders, turn off automatic backup for high-volume folders like WhatsApp Video, screen recordings, or messaging apps.
3. Enterprise & Education Domain Restrictions
For Google Workspace administrators, personal photos on institutional accounts are a major operational issue under pooled storage caps. To review how photos affect institutional quotas, see “Storage limit reached” for Workspace for Education. For instructions on isolating large media files across your account, follow How to Identify Large Files (Photos vs. Drive).