I stopped hitting cloud storage limits for good by changing this Google Photos option

I'm not a Google One subscriber, which means I get only 15GB of free cloud storage that comes with every standard Google account.

I would've loved to get a little more for free, as that would've allowed me to store more items in cloud storage.

The free version works for me because I already have 1TB of cloud storage with my Microsoft 365 subscription. So, I store all those giant-sized files in OneDrive, and not Google Photos.

However, Google's 15GB of free cloud storage wasn't always enough for me, as I kept hitting that limit, primarily due to Google Photos. More specifically, backing up photos in Google Photos was the biggest contributor.

Ironically, the solution to this was hiding in the very same app that was causing the problem. All it took was changing one setting in Google Photos.

I stopped hitting cloud storage limits for good by changing only one Google Photos option.

Google Photos allows users to control backup quality

But the app makes the wrong default choice for many users

Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police

I don't take many photos every day, so I don't need to back up that many shots. Still, however small the number is, they pile up over time, and your free cloud storage keeps eroding as you back up those shots in Google Photos.

You get closer to that limit faster than you think because Google Photos assumes that you want to keep the original quality of your shots in backups. The only respite is that you can change the backup quality of photos and videos in the Google Photos app.

Google Photos stores photos and videos to the cloud at original quality by default. This means photos taken with a premium phone like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could occupy as much as 50MB of space in your free Google Cloud storage.

You can do the math on how much space 20 such photos will occupy. 1GB of space for that small number of photos is quite a lot, especially when you have only 15GB to work with.

This is why I use the Express option for backup quality in Google Photos. It compresses photos to 3MP and videos to standard definition. Still, it's a compromise with quality, but that's the price I can afford to pay.

I select photos and videos that I want to store at original quality and then send them to OneDrive, which offers me 1TB of cloud storage. These are usually the shots that are precious to me — ones that I wouldn't want to lose at any cost.

For everything else, I don't mind compromising on quality, given how seamlessly the backup process runs in the background. Google Photos is the easiest backup method on Android, and no other platform comes anywhere close. Not even OneDrive.

However, I don't love how it assumes everyone wants to back up their photos and videos with no change and sets the Backup quality setting to Original quality. Instead, the app should prompt users to choose when they turn on the Backup toggle.

Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge Cloud storage

Trivia challenge From gigabytes to the great beyond — how well do you really know where your files live? History Providers Security Technology Pioneers Begin 01 / 8 History Which cloud storage service, launched in 2006, is widely considered one of the earliest consumer-facing cloud storage platforms? A Google Drive B Dropbox C Amazon S3 D iCloud Correct! Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) launched in March 2006, making it one of the earliest and most influential cloud storage platforms. It was initially aimed at developers but helped lay the foundation for the entire cloud storage industry we know today. Not quite — the answer is Amazon S3, which launched in March 2006. While Dropbox and Google Drive are more recognizable to everyday consumers, Amazon beat them to market by years, building the infrastructure backbone that many modern cloud services still rely on. Continue 02 / 8 Providers How much free storage does Google Drive offer to new users as of 2024? A 5 GB B 10 GB C 15 GB D 20 GB That's right! Google gives users 15 GB of free storage shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. It's a generous starting point, though heavy users of Google's ecosystem can burn through it surprisingly fast. The correct answer is 15 GB. Google offers this free tier shared across Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. It's easy to confuse with competitors — Apple's iCloud, for example, only offers 5 GB for free, which is notably stingier. Continue 03 / 8 Providers Which company owns the OneDrive cloud storage service? A Apple B Google C Amazon D Microsoft Correct! OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage offering, deeply integrated into Windows and Microsoft 365. It was originally launched as SkyDrive in 2007 before being rebranded to OneDrive in 2014 following a trademark dispute. The answer is Microsoft. OneDrive is tightly woven into the Windows operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite. It was originally called SkyDrive when it launched in 2007, but a legal challenge from British broadcaster BSkyB forced the name change to OneDrive in 2014. Continue 04 / 8 Technology What does the term 'object storage' refer to in the context of cloud storage architecture? A Storage that organizes data in a traditional folder and file hierarchy B A method that stores data as discrete units called objects, each with metadata and a unique identifier C A type of storage that only works with multimedia files like photos and videos D Encrypted storage that requires hardware keys to access Spot on! Object storage treats each piece of data as a self-contained object with its own metadata and a unique ID, rather than fitting it into a folder hierarchy. This flat structure makes it incredibly scalable, which is why services like Amazon S3 use it to store trillions of objects. The correct answer is that object storage saves data as discrete objects with metadata and unique identifiers. Unlike traditional file systems with nested folders, this flat architecture is massively scalable — it's the reason cloud providers can store trillions of files without the system grinding to a halt. Continue 05 / 8 Security What is 'end-to-end encryption' in cloud storage, and which of the following services is known for offering it by default? A Files are encrypted only on the server side — Dropbox B Files are encrypted in transit and at rest, but the provider holds the keys — Google Drive C Files are encrypted on the user's device before upload so the provider cannot read them — Tresorit D Files are compressed and password-protected during transfer — OneDrive Excellent! Tresorit is a well-known cloud storage provider that offers true end-to-end encryption, meaning your files are encrypted on your own device before they ever reach the server. The provider has no ability to access your data, which is a meaningful privacy advantage over mainstream services. The correct answer is Tresorit. True end-to-end encryption means data is encrypted on your device before upload, so even the storage provider cannot read your files. Most mainstream services like Google Drive and Dropbox encrypt data in transit and at rest, but they hold the encryption keys — meaning they technically could access your files. Continue 06 / 8 Pioneers Drew Houston co-founded which major cloud storage company after famously forgetting his USB drive on a bus trip? A Box B Dropbox C Mega D pCloud That's right! Drew Houston founded Dropbox in 2007, inspired by his own frustration of forgetting a USB drive. He reportedly started coding the first version of Dropbox on the bus ride itself. The company went on to become one of the most recognized names in cloud storage. The answer is Dropbox. Drew Houston's founding story is one of Silicon Valley's most repeated origin tales — he forgot his USB drive before a long trip and decided to solve the problem himself. He started coding what would become Dropbox on that very bus ride, launching the company in 2007. Continue 07 / 8 Technology What is 'data redundancy' in cloud storage systems primarily designed to prevent? A Unauthorized access to stored files B Slow upload and download speeds C Data loss caused by hardware failure or outages D Excessive storage costs for users Correct! Data redundancy means storing multiple copies of your data across different servers, data centers, or even geographic regions. If one server or facility fails, your data can still be retrieved from another copy, making loss due to hardware failure far less likely. The right answer is preventing data loss from hardware failure or outages. Cloud providers replicate your data across multiple servers and sometimes multiple physical locations, so a single drive dying or a data center going offline doesn't mean your files disappear. It's one of the key reliability advantages of cloud storage over a single hard drive. Continue 08 / 8 History Apple's iCloud service was announced and launched in which year? A 2008 B 2009 C 2011 D 2013 Correct! Apple announced iCloud at WWDC in June 2011, and it officially launched in October of the same year alongside iOS 5. It replaced Apple's earlier MobileMe service, which had been widely criticized for poor reliability and its annual subscription cost. The answer is 2011. Steve Jobs unveiled iCloud at Apple's WWDC keynote in June 2011, positioning it as the successor to the troubled MobileMe service. It launched publicly in October 2011 alongside iOS 5, offering seamless syncing of photos, contacts, calendars, and documents across Apple devices. See My Score Challenge Complete Your Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again

How to change Google Photos' Backup quality

It should have been a lot simpler

The Backup quality setting in Google Photos is simple, but it's difficult to spot. You need to dig deep into the settings to find it. For something this important, it should've been available in the main settings page.

For now, it requires you to open Google Photos, click the profile icon in the upper-right corner, tap Photos settings, and then Backup. If the Backup toggle is on, you'll see the Photo and video quality option in the Preferences section.

Tap the option and change it from the default Original quality to Storage saver or Express. If you want to keep your photos and videos closer to original quality, Storage saver is the best option, as it compresses photos to 16MP and videos to high-definition.

The Express option is for people like me who care more about saving cloud storage space than preserving every last detail in Google Photos. The level of compression is a bit too aggressive, but that's what I'd call the necessary evil when I have only 15GB of storage space.

I wish I had changed it sooner

I found the setting by accident and changed the default to Express immediately. But before that, I spent a lot of time manually reviewing the items in Google Photos' backup when I hit the limit, which used to happen quite a bit.

Ever since I changed it from Original quality to Express option, I haven't hit the cloud storage limit even once. I would've saved a lot of time had I found the setting sooner.

If this doesn't work in the future, I plan to build my own local backup to stop Google Photos from holding my storage hostage.