Starting July 7, all data in Android backups will count toward the storage limit on Google accounts. Previously, only media uploaded to Google Photos and specific MMS data contributed to the storage cap. This change will apply immediately to new Android users, while current users will see the update in the coming months.
“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,” a spokesperson from Google told Engadget. “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.”
Enhanced controls will allow users to select which data and apps to include in the backup process. Users can opt out of backing up device settings, call history, or SMS and MMS messages, in addition to managing individual app data backups.
This adjustment follows a policy change in May, when Google began testing a reduced default free storage limit for new accounts, decreasing it from 15GB to 5GB unless the user linked their phone number.
