Google Photos' unlimited backup expires today

After today (June 1), users will only have 15 GB of free cloud storage Fortunately, a new storage management tool will help you find all those awful photos that are taking up that precious space

After June 2, Google Photos will only offer unlimited storage for "high quality" photos uploaded from the Pixel 2-5 Photos uploaded from other devices will count toward total cloud storage; 15 GB will be free, and anything above that will be charged

Previously, you might have backed up all your photos to Google Photos Because wouldn't you? No need to worry about limitations Not so from now on, and this management tool will help you sift through and categorize your photos

This tool is already starting to be deployed in the Photos app and is designed to easily manage photos and videos that have been backed up but should really be deleted The tool can identify and highlight blurry photos, screenshots, and large files It also displays a list of thumbnails, which can be scrolled down to select files that should be deleted

The good news is that "high quality" photos (ie, compressed, not original file size) already uploaded to Google Photos will not count toward storage However, anything backed up after June 1 will count, so you can store everything in the cloud within a week without being penalized

For more information on how to use the tool, please see the following guide

The search giant is also set to make Google Photos easier to understand Each user will receive a personalized estimate of how long their storage will last and a notification when they begin to approach their limit Google estimates that about 80% of users can store three years' worth of photos on the free version

Google also plans to rename the "High Quality Storage" tier to "Storage Saver," but that is the extent of the change Photos and videos will be stored at the same quality as before, just compressed from their original file size Google also promises that users will be able to choose the quality of file storage, just as they do now

More information can be found on the Google blog, or in the description of what your options are now that Google Photos is going to be less attractive than before