Google Photos Unlimited Storage Is Officially Dead — Here’s What Photographers Should Do Next

Key Takeaways

• T-Mobile is ending its exclusive Google One 2TB + Unlimited Photos plan on March 31, 2026 — the last remaining way to get unlimited Google Photos storage.
• After the deadline, affected users must switch to a standard Google One plan where all photos count against their storage quota.
• Photographers who shoot RAW or video will burn through 15 GB of free storage in days — see our recommended alternatives below.
• You can export your entire Google Photos library via Google Takeout before the transition.

The era of unlimited Google Photos storage is officially over. On March 31, 2026, T-Mobile will shut down its exclusive Google One plan that included unlimited photo and video backups — the last subscription anywhere that offered this perk. Affected subscribers must transition to a standard Google One plan managed directly by Google, where every photo and video counts against their storage cap.

For photographers who relied on Google Photos as a bottomless backup destination, this is a significant shift. Here’s what changed, what it means for your workflow, and where to move your photo library next.

What Exactly Changed

Google first ended unlimited free storage for all users back on June 1, 2021. After that date, all new photos and videos uploaded to Google Photos began counting toward the 15 GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Photos uploaded before June 1, 2021 in “High quality” mode were grandfathered and don’t count against that limit.

However, one loophole remained. In April 2022, T-Mobile launched an exclusive Google One 2TB + Unlimited Google Photos add-on at $15/month. This plan gave subscribers 2 TB of Google One cloud storage plus unlimited photo and video backups that didn’t count against their quota. It was the last remaining way for anyone to get truly unlimited Google Photos storage.

That loophole is now closing. T-Mobile stopped accepting new enrollments on September 30, 2025, and on March 31, 2026, all remaining subscribers will be migrated to Google-managed billing. The 2TB + Unlimited Photos plan simply doesn’t exist in Google’s standard lineup — so the unlimited photos perk disappears entirely.

Google One Storage Plans and Pricing

Once you’re on a standard Google One plan, here’s what you’re looking at:

Free tier: 15 GB shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos.
100 GB: $1.99/month ($19.99/year).
200 GB: $2.99/month ($29.99/year).
2 TB: $9.99/month ($99.99/year).

For casual smartphone shooters, 100 GB or 200 GB may be enough. For serious photographers, it’s a different story.

How Much Storage Do Photographers Actually Need?

The 15 GB free tier sounds generous until you consider how quickly photographers chew through storage:

• JPEG files from a modern mirrorless camera: 15–30 MB each. 15 GB holds roughly 500–1,000 photos.
• RAW files: 25–80 MB each (depending on sensor resolution). 15 GB holds fewer than 200 RAW files from a 45 MP camera.
• 4K video: approximately 350–400 MB per minute. 15 GB is about 38 minutes of footage.
• Smartphone photos: modern flagships shoot 12–50 MP images at 5–15 MB each, plus 4K video. A week of vacation shooting can easily consume several gigabytes.

A working photographer generating even modest volumes of RAW files and video clips will blow through 2 TB in under a year. Cloud-only storage at Google One pricing quickly becomes expensive at scale.

Best Alternatives for Photo Storage

The end of unlimited Google Photos storage is a good reason to rethink your backup strategy. Here are the most practical options for photographers.

Cloud Storage Services

Amazon Photos (free with Prime): The closest replacement for unlimited photo storage. Amazon Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage — including RAW files — at no extra cost. Video storage is limited to 5 GB on the free tier, but the unlimited photo backup alone makes this the top alternative for photographers already paying for Prime.

iCloud+: Apple’s ecosystem play. Plans start at $0.99/month for 50 GB and go up to $9.99/month for 2 TB. Seamless if you’re shooting on iPhone, but it doesn’t support RAW files from standalone cameras as natively as dedicated photo services.

Backblaze: For pure backup, Backblaze offers unlimited computer backup for $9/month (or $99/year). It backs up everything on your drive — including your entire Lightroom catalog and RAW archive. Not a photo gallery service, but unbeatable for peace-of-mind backup.

Dropbox: 2 TB for $11.99/month. Useful as a working storage solution that syncs across devices, though it’s pricier than alternatives for pure backup.

Local and External Storage

Cloud subscriptions add up. For large archives, local storage is far more cost-effective in the long run.

External SSDs: Fast, portable, and increasingly affordable. A 2 TB portable SSD costs roughly $100–$150 — the same as one year of Google One 2 TB, except you own it permanently. See our guide to the best external hard drives and SSDs for photographers for specific recommendations.

Dedicated photo storage laptops: If you need a mobile editing setup with plenty of internal storage, check out our picks for the best laptops for storing photos.

NAS (Network Attached Storage): For photographers with large archives, a NAS from Synology or QNAP provides multi-drive redundancy and remote access — essentially your own private cloud. Higher upfront cost, but no monthly fees.

The Hybrid Approach (Recommended)

Most professional photographers use a layered strategy: external SSDs for active projects, a NAS or large hard drive for long-term archives, and a cloud service like Backblaze or Amazon Photos for off-site backup. This gives you speed, redundancy, and disaster protection without a single point of failure.

If you’re currently backing up your Lightroom catalog to the cloud, our guide on how to back up your Lightroom images walks through the full workflow.

How to Export Your Google Photos Library

Before the March 31 deadline (or any time you want to pull your photos out of Google), use Google Takeout to download your entire library:

1. Go to takeout.google.com.
2. Deselect all products, then select only Google Photos.
3. Click “Next step” and choose your export format (ZIP recommended), file size (2 GB or 4 GB chunks), and delivery method (download link via email, or send directly to Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box).
4. Click “Create export.” Depending on your library size, Google may take hours or days to prepare the download.
5. Download the ZIP files and extract them to your external drive or NAS.

Important note: Google Takeout exports photos in their original quality, but metadata (dates, albums, descriptions) is exported as separate JSON sidecar files rather than embedded in the image EXIF data. You may need a tool like google-photos-exif to merge the metadata back into your files.

What to Do Before March 31

If you’re currently on the T-Mobile 2TB + Unlimited Photos plan, here’s your action plan:

1. Check your storage usage at one.google.com/storage to see how much space your photos actually occupy.
2. Export your library via Google Takeout (see above) as a precaution.
3. Choose a Google One plan that fits your storage needs, or switch to an alternative service.
4. Set up a secondary backup — whether that’s Amazon Photos, an external SSD, or a NAS — so you’re never dependent on a single service again.

The broader lesson: relying on any single company for unlimited free storage was always a temporary arrangement. The best time to diversify your backup strategy was five years ago. The second-best time is now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do photos uploaded before June 2021 still not count against storage?

Yes. Photos and videos uploaded in “High quality” before June 1, 2021 remain free and don’t count toward your 15 GB quota. Only uploads after that date consume storage.

Does the Pixel 1 still get unlimited Google Photos storage?

As of early 2026, the original Google Pixel and Pixel XL still upload at original quality without counting against your quota. Pixel 2 through Pixel 5 get unlimited uploads in “Storage saver” (compressed) quality. Pixel 6 and later have no special storage perks.

Can I just create multiple Google accounts for more free storage?

Technically each Google account gets 15 GB free, but splitting your library across accounts makes searching, sharing, and managing photos extremely cumbersome. It also violates the spirit of Google’s terms of service. A proper backup solution is a better investment.

Is Amazon Photos really unlimited for RAW files?

Yes. Amazon Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage, and Amazon explicitly supports RAW formats including CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, and ORF. Video storage is limited to 5 GB unless you pay for additional Amazon Drive space.