Will Google Delete My Photos If I Don’t Pay? Find Out What Happens Next

Preface

Yes, if you don't pay, Google can delete your photos, but don't panic! Let's see what's really going on and how we can preserve our precious memories.

Google Photos offers free storage (15 GB) at a certain resolution, making it a great tool for storing documents, videos, and photos. But what happens if I exceed my free storage limit? Does Google really delete my photos if I don't upgrade to additional storage? To help you understand what happens when you don't pay for Google Storage on time, let's take a closer look.

Will Google Delete My Photos If I Don't Pay?

Let's start with the most important question: Google has the right to delete or make your photos inaccessible if you don't upgrade to additional storage after you've exceeded your limit. However, this process isn't instantaneous. Before the deletion can actually happen, Google goes through a number of steps.

For photos up to 16 megapixels and videos up to 1080p, Google Photos offers free storage (expired on June 1, 2021). If you want to store more than 15 GB of photo or video collections, you'll need to purchase additional storage through Google One. This subscription service lets you protect your data and media in the cloud and not worry about running out of storage. However, if you don't upgrade or pay for additional storage, your account will be affected. This includes deleting photos.

Google Photos Deletion If Not Paid

If you choose not to purchase additional storage, Google will send you the first set of alerts to warn you that you're nearing your storage limit. If you continue to ignore this alert, here's what happens next:

In other words, if you don't upgrade to more storage and continue to exceed your limit, Google may delete your photos. However, Google will provide multiple warnings and grace periods before deleting your data.

3 Easy Ways to Avoid Losing Your Photos

You don't want to find out one morning that your precious photos have been deleted because you didn't pay for them. Here's how to avoid this:

1. Upgrade to a Google One Subscription

Upgrading to Google One is one of the easiest ways to keep your photos safe. Here's how to do that:

Step 1: Open Google Drive or Photos on your device.

Step 2: Tap the "Upgrade Storage" or "Storage" button.

Step 3: Choose the Google One plan that best suits your needs; the basic plan is 100 GB, but you can choose a larger plan.

Step 4: Complete the payment process using your Google Account information.

You don't have to worry about exceeding your limit or losing data. Google will automatically back up your photos, videos, and other files after you upgrade.

2. Free up Space Without Spending Money

You can free up additional storage by deleting unnecessary photos or moving to other cloud storage services. If you don't want to pay for additional storage, here are some other ways to do it:

Step 1: Open the Google Photos app and click on your profile picture.

Step 2: Select "Free up space" in the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Choose to "Free up" the space on your device.

This will reduce the storage space you are using and prevent you from exceeding your storage limit.

3. Use Other Cloud Storage Options

There are other cloud storage options available. If you think Google One is too expensive, here are some:

You can move your images to another platform to protect them and reduce the chances of them being deleted due to insufficient payment.

Bonus Tip: Automatically Transfer or Sync Files between Google Photos and Other Cloud Services

If you're considering migrating photos from Google Photos to other clouds, MultCloud can be extremely useful. Trusted by over 3 million users, MultCloud is a multi-cloud management tool that facilitates the transfer or synchronization of files between various cloud services.

For instance, it allows for seamless file transfers from cloud drives like Google Photos to OneDrive without the need to download and then re-upload files. MultCloud also enables you to access and manage all your cloud accounts via a single application. Currently, it supports more than 30 different cloud services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Photos, iCloud Photos, FTP, WebDAV, and more.

Google Photos Storage and Deletion Service Fees

You may be wondering how much it costs to prevent Google from deleting your photos. Here are the different pricing levels offered by Google One:

If you are primarily using Google Photos for personal photos, the 100 GB plan is the basic and cheapest option, which may be all you need. If you need more storage, such as backing up documents, videos, and photos, you may want to opt for the 200 GB or 2 TB plans.

By paying this fee, you will be able to store more than the free 15 GB of data, reducing the chances of your photos being deleted. If you use Google Photos as your primary backup system, losing access to important media could be disastrous if you don't upgrade.