Google Counts Android Backups Toward 15GB Free Storage, Adding About 40MB per User

3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 21

Google has begun counting Android device backups against each account’s 15GB free storage cap, adding SMS, call history, device settings and app data to usage totals.
The change is rolling out through updated support pages and customer emails, with Google telling 9to5Google the average increase should be about 40MB per user.
Android backup settings now show separate toggles for device data and app data, letting users disable unneeded backups; one example in the report showed the biggest app backup using 6.1MB.
The policy adds pressure to storage already shared across Gmail, Drive, Docs, Photos, Gemini and some third-party backups such as WhatsApp, making cleanup or paid Google One plans more relevant.

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