GoKawiilUpdate: May 15, 2026 (2:57 AM ET): Google has now confirmed this test in a statement to us while giving more details regarding the feature:
We’re testing a new storage policy for new accounts created in select regions that will help us continue to provide a high quality storage service to our users, while encouraging users to improve their account security and data recovery.
In other words, Google says it’s effectively incentivizing new users to add their phone numbers to improve security.
Original article: May 14, 2026 (9:07 AM ET): Signing up for a Gmail account normally gives you 15GB of free cloud storage. That’s fairly generous if managed well, and generally good enough for most people. However, it seems that Google is testing offering only 5GB free storage unless you add a phone number to your account.