Google Leak Reveals Possible Google Photos Pricing Changes

Google is testing a change to its Google One subscription tiers that could affect Google Photos users. As revealed in a new Android Authority report by app expert Assemble Debug, code within the latest version of the Google Photos Android app contains references to an all-new, unannounced “Google One Lite” subscription plan. This addition suggests that Google Photos users in particular may soon see changes to how Google charges them for certain paid services.

Google One is Google's subscription service that offers users cloud storage across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos accounts. It comes in tiered subscription plans depending on the amount of cloud storage included, although there is currently no Lite plan. What does Google One Lite Plan provide?

So what do you know about the new light plan? For now, it's expected to coexist alongside Google's existing Standard, Basic, Premium, and AI Premium plans, which are still being mentioned in the code.

Given the "Lite" name, we can expect this unreleased plan to be the new entry-level option for Google One subscribers. This means we can expect it to include at least the 15GB of free storage currently offered to free users, plus some anonymous extras. It's also unlikely to be too close to the current 100GB basic storage tier, and assuming Google maintains the 15GB quota for free users, we can estimate it will include between 15GB and 100GB of storage.

Given that the new plan was first seen in the Google Photos app, it’s likely to be an option of particular interest to Google Photos users. It’s would also possible any new plan to simply offer users access to premium Google Photos features without having to buy any additional storage beyond the included 15GB. For example, Google Photos users are currently limited to 10 Magic Editor backups per month unless they have a Pixel device or a 2TB Google One Premium plan. Google could use the Lite plan as a cost-effective way to sell additional Magic Editor backups or perhaps other server-based AI features to those who don’t need 2TB of storage. Another possibility is that Google plans to introduce broader changes in its Google on current plans to accommodate a new Lite level.

Google 100 GB's basic plan is currently $ 1.99 per month, while the premium option of 2 TB will cost you a month upon $ 9.99. A 2TB AI Premium plan is also available, adding access to Google's Gemini Advanced features for a total of $19.99 per month.

Other plans are available to existing Google One subscribers, including a 200GB plan and larger capacity tiers ranging from 5TB to 30TB, but are not available to new customers at sign-up. It’s important to note that these 5TB and larger plans aren’t available with Gemini Advanced, meaning users will have to downgrade or create a second account to access Google’s premium AI features. This anomaly makes it very likely that Google will introduce a number of other new subscription options soon, perhaps alongside the Pixel 9 lineup, which is arriving in just a few weeks.