Google clarifies storage rules as Photos and Gallery diverge on cloud backup
Google's comparison highlights that Photos automatically backs up images to the cloud via a toggle in account settings, while Gallery requires manual backup. New Google accounts created after March 9, 2026 will get only 5GB of free storage by default, down from the current 15GB, though verifying a phone number unlocks an extra 10GB. Storage is shared across Gmail, Drive, WhatsApp and Photos, and additional space can be purchased through Google One starting at $2 per month for 100GB.