Google will begin counting all Android backup data toward a user’s Google Account storage starting July 7, the company confirmed as part of a policy update reported by multiple outlets. Previously, only media such as Google Photos uploads and MMS attachments were deducted from the shared 15GB pool used by Gmail, Drive and Photos.
The change means device settings, SMS and MMS messages (the message text), call history and per‑app backup data will now consume a portion of account storage that until now sat outside that limit. Google said the adjustment is expected to add roughly 40MB on average per account.
New Android users setting up devices after July 7 will see the policy applied immediately, while existing accounts will receive the update gradually over the coming months, according to coverage based on Google’s notice to publishers.
Alongside the storage policy adjustment, Google has rolled out more granular per‑app backup controls on Pixel phones running Google Play services version 26.24, allowing users to view which apps use the most backup space and toggle backups for individual apps from Settings → Accounts and backup → Google Backup → Other device data. The interface surfaces the top three storage‑consuming apps with sizes and toggles, and warns that disabling an app’s backup will delete its existing archive from the user’s account.
The per‑app controls currently appear limited to Pixel devices on the specified Play services release, and have not yet been observed on devices from other manufacturers such as Samsung, according to reports. Google framed the controls as a transparency and choice measure while updating its backup accounting policy.
This update continues a recent trend of Google revising storage policies and limits, most notably tests earlier this year around reducing initial free storage for new accounts that don’t attach phone numbers and earlier changes to backup handling for third‑party apps and services.
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