Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek Published May 14, 2026, 2:45 PM EDT Jon is a seasoned journalist who has written definitive coverage of consumer tech at publications like Engadget, Android Authority, and BetaKit. He's an expert on making tech accessible ranging from mobile and PCs to emerging platforms like wearables. When he's not writing, he's going on adventures with ihis family and is an avid photographer. Sign in to your How-To Geek account Google has offered 15GB of free storage with its accounts for years, but there can now be some strings attached to claiming the full amount. Users have noticed that some new account holders have to link their phone number to get the expected storage. Otherwise, they're capped at just 5GB. Google quietly changed its language around the included storage in mid-March, according to 9to5Google . Where it previously promised an unconditional 15GB, it now offers "up to" 15GB shared between Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.…