Google Changes Android Backup Rules

Google has introduced a major change to its Android backup policy, which came into effect on July 7. Under the new rules, all Android backup data will now count toward the 15GB of free cloud storage available with every Google account. Previously, certain backup items such as app settings and call logs were excluded from this storage limit, but they will now be included.

With this update, SMS and MMS messages, call logs, wallpapers, Wi-Fi passwords, user settings, installed apps, and app data will all consume cloud storage. Google says the average backup size will increase by only about 40MB per device, but users who are already close to the 15GB limit may need to delete old files, reduce backups, or upgrade to a paid Google One storage plan for additional space.