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Free cloud storage: What you really get and what to do when it runs out

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You set your phone to back up photos, turn on file sync, and next thing you know, you get a message: “Storage full.” Wait, what the heck happened?

Let’s clear up your cloud storage confusion.

🎁 What you get for free

Google (Drive, Gmail, Photos) → 15 GB
Shared across your Gmail inbox, Drive files and Google Photos. That’s enough for a few thousand photos and emails. But once it’s full, Gmail might stop working.
- To see how much space you are using, go to Google Drive > Storage.
- Price: 100 GB for $1.99/month or $19.99/year.
Apple iCloud → 5 GB
Shared across your iPhone backups, photos, files, email and more. For most people, a single phone backup eats up 3–4 GB. Add a couple hundred photos, and boom, you’re over the limit.
- Price: 50 GB for $0.99/month.
- To see how much space you are using, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Storage.
Amazon Photos → Unlimited full-resolution photo storage
But only if you’re a Prime member. Videos are limited to 5 GB unless you pay. If you have Prime, this hidden gem is worth using.

📸 How fast does it go?

I want you to have an idea of how much space your stuff takes.

1 minute of HD video = ~100 MB
1,000 photos = ~2–3 GB
iPhone backup = 3–6 GB
Gmail inbox = 1–10 GB over a few years

So if your monthly costs for iCloud or Google storage are higher than you want, get in there and start removing duplicates, screenshots, old backups and movies. I was guilty of having a bad Nicolas Cage movie in my backups so I could watch it offline. Why, I have no idea.

🧠 The smart approach

You want to sync what matters and vault the rest. Keep only the essentials on iCloud or Google so you stay under their free limits, or get on an affordable plan. This way, you can use iCloud or Google to sync your everyday stuff like contacts, calendars, emails and device backups.

I pay for iCloud+ and save money by using Apple’s Family Sharing plan, which lets me share cloud storage with up to five other people all without anyone losing privacy or access to their own data. It’s a smart way to avoid each person paying for separate plans, especially if you have lots of photos, videos or device backups.

Google offers a similar setup through Google One, which also allows family sharing for their cloud storage tiers. Both services make it easy to manage storage across multiple accounts, and the shared plans are typically more affordable than buying individual subscriptions.

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Unwrap the awesome

These gift ideas will make everyone say, “Where’d you find that?”

🖼️ Digital picture frame (31% off): Send vacation photos from your phone straight to the grandparents’ living room.

Heated throw blanket (20% off): Ten heat settings, machine washable and safely turns off automatically.

😌 Shower steamers (18% off, 15-pack): Drop one in and enjoy up to 20 minutes of fizzling essential oils.

Dog puzzle toy (33% off): Fill it with treats and watch your pup burn energy while brain-training. Works for any size dog.

🪐 Gskyer telescope (40% off): A perfect starter scope. Hook up your phone, snap some stellar pics and flex on Instagram.

📦 Ditch the e-card: When in doubt, an Amazon physical gift card wrapped in a box feels special, not just another email.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

Will I use AI to bring my mom back?

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An AI startup offered to build me a digital avatar of my late mom using photos, videos, and recordings. Thousands of you wrote to me about it. In this show, I reveal my emotional decision.

Meta’s new smart glasses come in two flavors: Oakley Meta ($449) for sporty types with 3K video, 12MP photos, eight-hour battery and rugged, polarized lens options. Or go sleek with Ray‑Ban Display ($799) for AR in your lens, hands-free texting, calling and navigation. So if you see anyone wearing these, you’re probably being recorded.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

🖼️ Download all your Google Photos: You can make a local backup of your pictures on your PC. Open Google Photos and select the first image. Scroll to the bottom, hold Shift, and click the last one to highlight everything. Then hit the three-dot menu in the top right, choose Download, and check your Downloads folder.

📸 Try the new Photos app: On iPadOS 26, Photos got a big makeover. The sidebar now lets you jump from Library to Collections, and you can reorder sections by tapping Edit (top left). For example, drag Videos above Favorites in the Pinned area. See a hexagon icon on a pic? Tap it to add a 3D effect.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Some Android phones still let you expand storage with a microSD card. Pop one in and move apps or photos over to free up space. Sorry, iPhone folks.

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🍏 iPadOS 26: The Journal app has landed on iPad. To create an entry, open the app and tap the (+) next to Journals in the left sidebar. Name it, pick a color and choose an icon. Then tap (+) at the top of the screen, add a title and start writing. You can also insert photos, record audio or draw with markup tools.

🖥️ macOS 26: In Messages, set a background if the person you’re talking with is also on the latest Apple OS. Click the chat name at the top, go to the sidebar on the right and select Backgrounds. Choose from solid colors, themes, photos from your library, or generate one with AI.

✅ Back it up, or risk losing it. Total Drive automatically backs up your precious memories, family photos, graduation videos and all your important documents. Get 10TB for just $18 with this limited time offer.

AI is stealing your photos off social media

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AI is scraping billions of selfies from social media to train facial recognition. Bots target unmarked photos, but a simple watermark can protect your images. Here’s what you need to know.

📱 iOS 26: The new Photos app can turn a regular 2D picture into one with a 3D effect. Open a photo, tap the Spatial button under the ellipses icon, then hit Share > Use as Wallpaper. Tap the Spatial button again. Now when you lock and wake your phone, your wallpaper will pop with a 3D effect. Super cool.

📱 iOS 26: iPhones got a visual overhaul with liquid glass. Search bars now sit at the bottom in apps like Messages, Mail and Photos, while ellipses menus return in the top right with floating options. Not a fan of the see-through look? Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency.

Delete a selfie? Facebook saw it

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A former exec says Facebook tracked teen girls deleting photos, then pushed beauty ads right when they felt vulnerable. Plus, New York City is testing crime-predicting AI, and Ken from Ohio shares how his Apple Watch saved his life.

🦖 You don’t need 3D software: Google’s new AI model Nano Banana can turn regular photos into toy-like action figures. Just head to the Gemini app or website, upload your picture and enter this special prompt (it’s the first comment on the post). Pro tip: Use a full-length, well-lit, high-res shot for the best results.

🎶 TikTok goes wholesome: There’s a new TikTok trend where people just post about a nice day. That’s it. Reminds me of Facebook’s early days when politics and influencer ads didn’t bombard you. A couple photos, soft rock and a caption like “golf + burgers = good.” They call it “Dudes Rock,” but it’s gender-neutral, just celebrating small wins.

Ultrasounds for sale? People were selling them, along with positive pregnancy test photos, on the marketplace app Mercari. They went for about $14 a pop to fake pregnancies and extort men. Wild.

Check app permissions on Mac: New apps often ask for access to your files, microphone or location. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, then check sections like Location Services, Contacts, Photos and Camera. You can disable access on an app-by-app basis.

Check sketchy apps on Android: Before installing something from the Play Store, see what info it collects and shares. Open the app page, scroll down and tap Data Safety. You’ll find whether it gathers personal details, photos, location or financial info, and if your data is encrypted in transit.

Log in or lose everything

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Old accounts can vanish faster than you think. Gmail, Shutterfly, Dropbox, Yahoo, and more may delete your photos, emails, and memories if you haven’t signed in. Here’s how long you really have to log in before it’s all gone.