What you need to know
- Support for unlimited Original quality uploads is ending on Pixel 3 devices.
- The Pixel 3 was one of the last Pixel smartphones to support free unlimited Original quality uploads.
- Going forward, photos and videos will count towards your storage plan.
Pixel 3 owners should upload everything they can to Google Photos, as unlimited full-quality backups will expire for the device after Monday, January 31. That's today.
While this may come as a surprise for some that are still holding onto the Pixel 3, the writing has literally been on the wall that the deadline was approaching. As 9to5Google points out, Google has previously clarified its support for the Pixel 3, which you can find on the Google Photos support page:
You get unlimited storage in Original quality at no charge for all photos and videos backed up to Google Photos from Pixel 3 through Jan 31, 2022. Photos and videos backed up on or before that date will remain in Original quality at no charge. After January 31, 2022 new photos and videos will be backed up in Storage saver quality (previously named High quality) at no charge. Photos and videos backed up in Original quality will count toward your Google Account storage.
The Pixel 3 was one of the last Pixel phones to feature unlimited "Original quality" uploads after Google dropped support for other Pixel devices over recent years. However, the perk still remains with the original Pixel, while others, including the new Pixel 6, get unlimited high-quality or "Storage saver" uploads.
This also comes as support for the Pixel 3 ends, with only one final update expected to roll out sometime in Q1 2022.
Google has been aggressive in its move to get more people paying for cloud storage ever since the company dropped unlimited high-quality uploads for the best Android phones outside of its own Pixel devices. Aside from additional storage for high or original quality uploads, Google also provides extra features for anyone that subscribes to Google One, making it arguably much more worth it to pay for the additional storage.
More room for activities
With a Google One subscription, you can keep all your precious memories in the cloud, so no matter if you lose or break your phone, you can be sure that your information in backed up.
