With Google Photos, all users have benefited from free unlimited storage for many years, which made it easy and carefree to automate media backup. Unfortunately, these times are over for most users, but exceptions still apply to some Pixel users. We show you what the rules for pixel smartphones look like and how you can use them for yourself.
Google Photos has long made it super easy for all users, giving them a fair (as well as hugely rewarding) choice: either back up all the “High Quality” images and videos and shovel unlimited data into the cloud. Or you can use the “original quality” and benefit from the fact that all images and videos are saved in the cloud without compression. The latter is recommended for very important images but depends on the available storage space.
The vast majority of users should have opted for “High Quality”, which is perfectly adequate for a backup. At the same time, they left the auto backup enabled and included all media. This was very convenient for the users but made Google’s servers glow without any financial compensation.
Everyone should have been aware that things can’t go on like this forever (I had “warned” about it here in the blog years ago), but the surprise, you could also say shock, was very great last year. But that is history in the truest sense of the word.
Today, only users of a few pixel smartphones are offered special conditions, which curiously have changed a little with each generation. Anyone who still owns an older pixel smartphone can use it for themselves and perhaps benefit from having decided on such a smartphone including the promise of photos.
Pixels (2016)
You get unlimited storage for photos and videos in original quality for free. You cannot back up data using Space Saver (formerly High Quality). Anyone who still owns a Pixel or Pixel XL from 2016 has the jackpot from a Google Photos perspective: It is free, unlimited storage space in original quality for the lifetime of the smartphone. The lower quality backup is not even offered. It’s the optimal backup that you actually don’t have to worry about at all.
Pixels 2
Get free, unlimited storage for original-quality photos and videos backed up to Google Photos through your Pixel 2 by January 16, 2021. Photos and videos backed up on or before this date will remain free in their original quality. After January 16, 2021, new photos and videos will be backed up for free in Space Saver (formerly High Quality) quality. Photos and videos saved in the original quality count against the storage space in your Google account.
Already with the second generation, Google realized that storage space is valuable. Pixel 2 buyers were offered unlimited storage in original quality for “only” three years. After this period (+2 months) this only applies to the high quality. It was the status that applied to all users at the time and also at the beginning of 2021.
Pixels 3
Get free, unlimited storage for original-quality photos and videos backed up to Google Photos through your Pixel 3 by January 31, 2022. Photos and videos backed up on or before this date will remain free in their original quality. After January 31, 2022, new photos and videos will be backed up for free in Space Saver (formerly High Quality) quality.
Photos and videos saved in the original quality count against the storage space in your Google account. The same as with the Pixel 2. The same period of time, but due to the fact that it was released a year later, the deadline was of course also a year later. This just expired a few days ago.
Pixel 3a to Pixel 5
You can back up your photos and videos with either the Save Disk Space (formerly High Quality) or the Original Quality option. Photos and videos backed up on a Pixel 3a-5 in Save Space quality are unlimited and cost $0. Photos and videos saved in original quality count towards the storage space in your Google account. Information on changing the upload size and storage subscriptions
Starting with the Pixel 3a, people realized that storage really is valuable. There was no longer a special offer, only high-quality security. At the time, that was disappointing and not an advantage. Today, however, it is an advantage because the High-Quality offer has no expiry date, so you can continue to use the status that was taken away from all other Google Photos users in July 2021.
Pixel 5a & Pixel 6 & upcoming Pixels
The Pixel 6 appeared after the storage space change and unfortunately, Google no longer made the “mistake” (from the company’s point of view) of promising an additional photo incentive. Pixel users can benefit from some feature drop updates, but they are not as valuable as the update.
This is how you can use the pixel promise
Anyone who still owns an older pixel smartphone can use the above rules permanently. The 2016 Pixel comes with the Jackpot package, and from the Pixel 2 to the Pixel 5, it still comes with Unlimited High-Quality storage. It doesn’t matter which device the photo was taken with, but what it is uploaded with. So if needed, you can transfer the media to an old Pixel and then back it up with Google Photos.
Use this tip while you can. I could imagine Google pulling the plug on that one day. In principle, the promise will be kept, but perhaps the photos app for the older devices will no longer be updated and then the backup for older devices will be deactivated again. We’re probably a few years away from that, but time flies. You still have to pay for Google storage early enough.
It is certainly difficult to implement in everyday life and maybe not necessary. But if there are larger photosets or videos or huge galleries to be saved, then you should also use this advantage – after all, you paid for it back then with the purchase price and the advertising promise. It may not be the fine English way, but as is well known, Google doesn’t always give it to users.