Google changes Android backup policy for free 15GB storage accounts, it will now count …

Google is changing the rules for Android phone backups that may force users to either clean their accounts or pay for a storage upgrade. According to the company, it will begin counting all Android backup data, including SMS and call history against users’ Google Account’s free 15GB storage limit.

Under the new policy, your phone backups will now directly compete for space with your Gmail messages, Google Drive files and Google Photos.

What is changing

Previously, Google was quite generous with what it excluded from your storage quota. Android backups would only count media files such as images and videos uploaded to Google Photos or sent via MMS text messages against the free 15GB limit. Under the new rules, came into effect on July 7, every single piece of data your phone backs up to the cloud is included. This means the following data types will now eat into your storage space:

How much space it will take

Google claims the real-world impact for the average user will be relatively minor.

According to the tech giant, the newly counted data should only increase the average backup size by about 40MB per device. However, even a small increase can trigger low-storage warnings for users who are already hovering close to their 15GB limit.“Android backup lets you save the data on your phone to your Google Account so you can easily restore it or set up a new device. We’ve updated our policy so that all Android backup data now counts toward Google Account storage.

We expect this to only add 40MB on average. We’re also giving you more transparency and new controls that let you select which data and apps you want to back up,” a Google spokesperson said, as per 9to5google.

New controls to limit the backup

To soften the blow, Google is introducing new, granular on/off toggles within Android's settings. While users could already choose which apps to back up, they will soon see dedicated switches to completely disable backups for SMS/MMS messages, call histories, or device settings.