Why Gmail’s latest storage change should make everyone upset

Google is testing a rather interesting change to Gmail. New users found that they were restricted to just 5GB of cloud storage, but they had to add their phone number to their Gmail account to unlock the full 15GB.

Google confirmed this test to Android Authority, saying it applied to new users in some regions and was supposed to help provide “a high-quality storage experience.” It also asserted that this move encouraged users to protect their accounts and improve data recovery. Nevertheless, there’s something really shady about effectively dangling the existing cloud storage cap in exchange for a phone number.