Google Photos isn’t the most intuitive service. The way files are stored locally and in the cloud, navigating the library can be laggy and inefficient. Also, Google does a poor job explaining how the increased storage, advanced editing features, and original-quality backups from Google One subscriptions tie into Google Photos, leaving many to wonder if Google Photos is actually free or a paid service.
Another nagging question is whether Google Photos will keep your images forever. The short answer is no, it won’t. If an account is inactive for two years or blows past its storage limit, Google may begin deleting its photos and videos three months after sending email warnings.
To avoid these Google Photos deletions, keep your account active. You can also subscribe to Google One to increase the storage limits. Not only will this let you keep more media files, but your files will remain safe regardless of your subscription model or your account activity. If you’d like to keep your Google Photos account in good standing with the company to prevent it from erasing your photos, here are the best ways to do so.
Keep your Google Photos account active and under its storage limit
Google will only begin deleting photos from your account if you haven’t used it for at least two years or blow past your storage limit. So if you’d like to rest easy without worrying about such deletions, all you have to do is sign in to your Google account and open Google Photos on Android, iOS, or a computer at least once every two years, if you’re keeping your storage under its limit. If you happen to be using a default Google account without any extra Google One storage, you are limited to 15GB, which is pretty easy to fill.
So, if you notice your storage is reaching its capacity, a few tricks can help cut down on clutter and clear some space. Jump on over to the Google One Storage page, and look to see if you have any large files that can be deleted from Drive or large photos and videos that can be removed from Google Photos. Don’t worry if you don’t pay for a subscription; this is still where you access your Google storage.
Another way to clear extra storage is to log in to Gmail and delete your old emails. Thankfully, Google does a pretty good job surfacing what can potentially be deleted with suggestions on the Google One storage page, taking the guesswork out of what’s eating your storage. Really, it’s this easy to keep your account in active standing and under Google’s deletion limits, but if you find the default 15GB just isn’t enough for your photo storage, paying for a Google One subscription is the solution.
Subscribe to Google One to increase your storage limit
Paying for a Google One subscription will let you bypass the two-year activity rule and keep your files. This subscription can be paid either annually or monthly, and even if you leave automatic billing on and don’t sign into your account, Google Photos won’t erase your files. Beyond this, adding extra storage to your account with any subscription tier will ensure you have much more room to store photos before you run out, avoiding deletion due to a lack of storage. If you’re patient, you can even snag a solid deal on a Google One plan.
It’s a simple solution. Plus, the benefits of Google One’s extra storage are hard to ignore, since not only will you be able to store more photos, but you will be able to store more phone backups, more Drive files, and more emails. Plus, it isn’t even a large expense if you go with the $1.99 monthly plan for 100GB. Better yet, if you need a lot of storage, say if you wish to store a lot of your photos at full quality, 2TB is $19.99 a month, and a whopping 30TB is $249.99, which is better suited for photo and video professionals. It’s up to you how much storage you require to keep your account from going over its limit, so dial in your experience to ensure your photos remain safe on your account.
