Google is reportedly giving affected Android users about 45 days of notice before device backups begin using storage in their Google Accounts. The change could matter most to people whose available account space is already close to full.
Once an account reaches its storage limit, Android will no longer create new automatic backups. Users will need to free up space, increase their storage plan, or turn off Android backup if they do not want the storage issue to continue.
Gadgets360, citing Android Authority, reported that Google has started sending email notifications to affected users. The message is intended to show how much additional account storage an existing Android backup is expected to use.
That estimate gives users an opportunity to review their remaining capacity before the policy takes effect on their individual accounts. The impact will differ because stored backup sizes are not identical across all users.
What an Android backup can include
Android backups can preserve information needed to restore a device after moving to another handset. The stored data may include SMS messages, call history, device settings, app settings, and other backup information.
After the policy is applied, those stored backups will consume available Google Account storage. Users who also keep substantial amounts of other files in Google services may reach their storage limit sooner.
| Feature | Change After Update | User Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Android backup | Counts toward Google Account storage | Reduces available space |
| Automatic backup | Does not create new backups when storage is full | New backup data is not saved |
| Backup settings | Apps and data categories can be selected | Some data can be excluded from future backups |
An example in the report showed an existing backup adding about 30MB of storage use. Earlier findings also estimated that the average backup size could increase by around 40MB.
For many accounts, an increase measured in tens of megabytes may not create a major problem. However, even a relatively small addition can be significant when only limited storage remains.
More control on Android 9 and later
Google is also reported to be expanding backup management options for devices running Android 9 and later. Users will be able to choose which apps and categories of data should be included in subsequent backups.
The setting can allow selected apps or information to be excluded from the backup process. This may help reduce storage use while letting users keep the data they consider important for a future device restoration.
The expanded controls are focused on backups made going forward. Users can therefore adjust the contents of future backups instead of retaining information they do not consider necessary.
Checking backup storage use
Android backup storage usage can be reviewed through the Google One storage manager. The page allows users to assess how much capacity is being used and consider the most appropriate next step.
Available options include deleting data to recover space, purchasing additional storage, or disabling Android backup when necessary. Once capacity becomes available again or the storage limit is increased, device backups can resume according to the account settings.