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Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

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Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#131
post #40

Google is 100% running out of space. Google Photos no longer unlimited - https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560810/google-photos-u... GSuite no longer unlimited - https://9to5google.com/2020/10/08/google-workspace-drive-sto... Google Drive to delete trash after 30 days. Before, it stored till you perma deleted - https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2020/09/drive-trash-aut... Google Docs to be counted as storage sp…

Google is running out of ways to keep up with revenue expectations, it's becoming quite obvious. Even Chrome has small ads at the bottom from time to time now, the desperation is quite clear.

> Chrome has small ads at the bottom

Congratulations, you've got malware on your machine. Chrome doesn't do that.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google is 100% running out of space. No, Google's decided that, in the language of their critics, they want users to be customers, not “products”.

Don't they make more by treating their customers as products (though i wouldn't call them customers because they receive no support, whether they pay or not)

How do they make money from giving their users free photo storage? I think the only path for that to be profitable was to grow the username for future subscription revenue.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#133
post #40

Google is 100% running out of space. Google Photos no longer unlimited - https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560810/google-photos-u... GSuite no longer unlimited - https://9to5google.com/2020/10/08/google-workspace-drive-sto... Google Drive to delete trash after 30 days. Before, it stored till you perma deleted - https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2020/09/drive-trash-aut... Google Docs to be counted as storage sp…

Big players do this to lock out competition. Give away a product or keep the price absurdly low until all the competition is wiped out. Then slowly start turning up the cranks to maximize profits.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#134
In light of multiple companies attempting to redefine what the words "free" and "unlimited" mean, I would like to propose the following update-for-the-21st-century definitions:

Free: A product or service that is entirely without cost to the end-user until after it has already been purchased.

Unlimited: A reasonable amount that should in no way exceed average consumption.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#135
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And then you're responsible for backing that local content somewhere else... maybe the cloud?

the long term cost of buying something like a 12TB USB3.0 external hard drive and periodically letting it synchronize from your master copies, then unplugging it and storing it at a trusted family member's house is a great deal less than paying for 12TB+ of "cloud" storage indefinitely forever.

Sure, except no drive sync software is as convenient or user friendly as google photos.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#137
post #19

Are there other services providing unlimited ( for now ) photo storage? The only other company I can think of is Amazon which provides unlimited storage if you pay for Amazon Prime.

Amazon photos provide unlimited photo storage for Prime customer.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#138
post #28
post #15

Interesting to keep photos uploaded from Pixels exempt from this new policy.

Pixels have always had that special selling point but newer ones have an end date of free storage for original quality. I think only the Pixel 1 has lifetime storage.

On one hand I wonder if it makes sense to get an old Pixel 1 from eBay so that I can continue to upload free photos forever (or at least until the Google Photos APK is not updated anymore for the old Android version running on the Pixel 1).

On the other hand I wouldn't be surprised if Google just closes the accounts of people who upload large amounts of pictures and videos (taken on another phone) with the Pixel 1.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#139

The search function in Google photos is really the main factor why I'd want to continue using it. I wish there were a photo search index I could run on my own hdd.

If you use Windows the built-in Photos app has pretty good indexing.

Re: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage in June 2021

#140
post #40

Google is 100% running out of space. Google Photos no longer unlimited - https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560810/google-photos-u... GSuite no longer unlimited - https://9to5google.com/2020/10/08/google-workspace-drive-sto... Google Drive to delete trash after 30 days. Before, it stored till you perma deleted - https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2020/09/drive-trash-aut... Google Docs to be counted as storage sp…

> Google is 100% running out of space. No, Google's decided that, in the language of their critics, they want users to be customers, not “products”.

> they want users to be customers, not “products”

Google will basically need to re-invent their whole business to do this and there are few signs this is where they are going. They still track the hell out of everyone. They still make the overwhelming majority of their money from advertising.

This isn't going to make Google stop being creepy Google. They are just trying to get some of their sideline projects to break even.

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