Google unifies storage for Drive, GMail, Google+

Users of Google’s online services now have another reason to use Gmail (email), Drive (storage) and Google+ Photos: the three now have an increased storage capacity of 15 GB.

 

In a blog post, product management director Clay Bavor said this will help ensure a more seamless experience in using the three services.

 

“With this new combined storage space, you won’t have to worry about how much you’re storing and where. For example, maybe you’re a heavy Gmail user but light on photos, or perhaps you were bumping up against your Drive storage limit but were only using 2 GB in Gmail. Now it doesn’t matter, because you can use your storage the way you want,” Bavor said.

 

Previously, Google had imposed separate capacity limits for Gmail, and 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos.

 

But Bavor said that as Google aims to make its products work better together, “separate storage doesn’t make as much sense anymore.”

 

“So instead of having 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos, you’ll now get 15 GB of unified storage for free to use as you like between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos,” he said.

 

Also, Bavor said they will update the Google Drive storage page to help users “better understand how you’re using storage space.”

 

“Simply hover over the pie chart to see a breakdown of your storage use across Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos. And if you need more storage, this is your place to upgrade, with plans starting at $4.99/month for 100 GB,” he said.

 

The changes to Google Drive storage will roll out over the next couple of weeks, Bavor said.

 

Also, Bavor said Google Apps users will also be getting shared storage. — TJD, GMA News