Google has begun notifying existing users that it plans to count all data included in Android device backups toward Google Account storage. According to notification emails confirmed by Android Authority, the new treatment takes effect 45 days after receipt. SMS, call history, and device settings—previously excluded from storage calculations—will now share the same quota as Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
The focus of this change is not about adding backup features. It's about treating device state data already entrusted to Google as shared storage usage. For users with ample free space, this may seem like a minor change, but for accounts nearing their limit, it raises the question of whether automatic backups—needed during the next device migration—will continue to function.
New Rule Made Concrete Through 45-Day Advance Notice
According to an official announcement from the Google One team, MMS and some app data were previously the only items counted toward Google Account storage. Going forward, all data backed up from Android devices will count toward the storage quota. This expands the scope to include SMS/MMS, call history, device settings, and app data.
Users newly starting to use Android backup are already subject to the new rule. Rollout to existing users is described as happening "over the coming weeks." Meanwhile, the email confirmed by Android Authority gives individual users 45 days' notice, suggesting not all users will transition on the same date.
This email notification connects an abstract policy update to each account's remaining storage capacity. Users need to check their own email to confirm when the change takes effect for them. Since early application to new users and gradual rollout to existing users are happening in parallel, it would be premature to assume your device is unaffected simply because you haven't received a notification yet.
Not Just Photos—Device State Data Now Counts Toward Shared Storage
Google's Android Help page states that standard device backups include apps and app data, call history, contacts, and more. Photos and videos saved to Google Photos have long counted toward storage separately from device backups. On the device backup side, the old rule already counted MMS and some app data toward storage. What's newly being added to the calculation is primarily text SMS, call history, device settings, and app-saved data.
Google Accounts come with 15GB of free storage, after which additional capacity can be purchased through Google One. This storage is shared across Google Drive, Gmail, Google Photos, and other services. Therefore, the increase from device backups cannot be assessed by looking only at photo and video settings. If email attachments or data on Drive are already consuming remaining capacity, users could hit the limit even if their device-side data isn't particularly large.
With the selection feature Google is introducing alongside the new rule, users now have an option beyond simply reducing photos: they can keep the data they want restored on a new device while excluding items they wouldn't mind reconfiguring manually—thereby avoiding storage increases.
What Stops When You Exceed the Limit Is Automatic Backup
The notification email confirmed by Android Authority explains that once the change takes effect, if an account exceeds its storage limit, automatic Android backups will stop. They won't resume until the user frees up space or upgrades their Google storage plan. After suspension, any new settings or data changes on the device will no longer be reflected in Google's backup.
This doesn't mean existing backups are immediately deleted. According to Google One Help, deletion conditions are: turning off backup on the device, or leaving a device unused for 57 days. In the latter case, what gets erased is backup data excluding photos and videos. The suspension of automatic backup due to exceeding storage capacity and the deletion of the backup itself need to be considered separately.
That said, restoration typically happens during initial setup of a new device or after a device reset. The Android version on the restore target device must be the same as or newer than the original device. If automatic backup remains stopped for an extended period, what's available during device migration will be limited to the state at the time of the last successful backup. For users already close to their storage limit, managing storage now also serves as preparation for a future device change.
Android 9 and Later: Choose Data Types and Apps
Starting with Android 9, Google is introducing controls that let users select which data types and individual apps get backed up. The official announcement explains this allows users to choose what data and apps to save, giving them control over managing their own backups.
This selection isn't just a setting for saving storage space. Excluding SMS, call history, or app data changes what information can be restored from Google's backup when setting up a new device. Apps where restoration isn't critical shouldn't be weighted the same as apps where you want to preserve authentication or history.
Google's official announcement doesn't specify exactly when the new screen will become visible on all devices, or how much each individual account's storage usage will increase. The most realistic approach under the new rule is to first check the effective date in your notification email and your remaining Google Account storage, then make selections based on what you'd want restored after a reset or device change. That's the practical path to keeping automatic backup functioning under the new rules.