GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
Google is testing a rather interesting change to Gmail. New users found that they were restricted to just 5GB of cloud storage, but they had to add their phone number to their Gmail account to unlock the full 15GB.
Google confirmed this test to Android Authority, saying it applied to new users in some regions and was supposed to help provide “a high-quality storage experience.” It also asserted that this move encouraged users to protect their accounts and improve data recovery. Nevertheless, there’s something really shady about effectively dangling the existing cloud storage cap in exchange for a phone number.
Would you give Google your phone number to unlock the full 15GB of Gmail storage? 2552 votes Yes, that's fine 21 % No, 5GB is enough 9 % No, but I still want 15GB of storage 44 % I already gave my number to Google 27 %
There are merits to this Gmail move
Joe Maring / Android Authority
There are a couple of good reasons why a cloud service provider would do something like this. As Google implies, adding a phone number to your Gmail account is one way to recover your account. There are other recovery options, too, though, such as adding a second email address or a recovery contact.
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The company also suggests that adding a number will help users protect their accounts. However, Google prompts, passkeys, and other authentication methods are all more secure than text messages. After all, text-based authentication is prone to SIM swap attacks, phishing, and other attack methods.
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