Google may reduce the free storage offered to new Gmail users from 15GB to just 5GB, according to a report from Android Authority. The report also says that users who want to expand beyond the 5GB limit would need to provide Google with a phone number to unlock additional storage.

A Google representative confirmed that it's trying out new account options.

"We're testing a new storage policy for new accounts created in select regions that will help us continue to provide a high-quality storage service to our users, while encouraging users to improve their account security and data recovery," the representative said in a statement to CNET.

Typically, a verified phone number blocks multi-account storage abuse and secures Google profiles with a reliable recovery method. Some online speculate that the move could also be a way for Google to encourage more people to subscribe to paid cloud storage plans under Google One. 

It's unclear if the test regions include the US. Android Authority reported that accounts with only 5GB of storage were primarily in African countries.

Google has been expanding the tiers of paid accounts it offers, combining Gemini AI features into bundles. It recently added three new tiers focused on AI features, starting at $8 a month with 200GB of storage included.

Google's storage space

When Gmail debuted in 2004, it offered users a full 1GB of storage, which fundamentally changed the way many people used email: They could keep everything and search for what they needed. 

The next year, Google doubled the amount of free storage to 2GB. The storage kept ticking up, to 7GB, then 10GB and finally to 15GB in 2013, when Google Drive, Google Phones and Gmail merged into a shared pool of data for users.

Why did Google do it? In 2013, CNET wrote: "Google -- as we all know -- is in the business of making money. If Google is offering you more storage, then there is something that extra storage helps you do that will help Google make more money."

One reason Gmail succeeded over other email services in the early days was lowering the barrier to entry by increasing free access across the platform, making it less likely that customers would leave for competitors.

These days, Google is battling its competitors on the AI front, which explains why it's increasingly bundling Gemini AI features with the email, photo and document services users have come to depend on.