Yahoo Mail Users Must Pay Monthly as Free Storage Shrinks to 20GB
Yahoo Mail has announced a significant change to its storage policy, cutting the free storage cap to 20GB and prompting users to subscribe to monthly storage plans to continue uninterrupted service. The change, which took effect immediately, marks a downgrade for long-time users who had previously benefited from far more generous storage limits.
New Yahoo Mail Storage Limits and Pricing Plans
Under the new structure, free Yahoo Mail accounts are capped at 20GB, a limit that applies solely to email storage. This differs from Google’s Gmail, which offers 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
Yahoo now offers two new paid tiers for users who need more space:
- 100GB for $1.99/month
- 1TB for $9.99/month
Additionally, Yahoo Mail Plus, the platform’s premium subscription, includes 200GB of storage, an ad-free experience, and other premium features.
Important: Once a user reaches the 20GB limit, they will no longer be able to send or receive emails until they either free up space or upgrade to a paid plan. However, inbox access remains available to manage stored messages.
Paid Plans Still Include Ads
One major point of criticism is that both the 100GB and 1TB subscription plans still include ads. Only Yahoo Mail Plus offers a fully ad-free inbox, which may deter users from subscribing to lower tiers.
In contrast, Gmail offers a more seamless experience: its free accounts are mostly ad-free, with minimal ads shown only in the Promotions tab, and even the $1.99/month Google One plan includes additional benefits such as:
- Expanded Google Drive
- Google Photos backups
- Access to Google experts
This puts Yahoo at a potential disadvantage in the eyes of users in terms of value for money.
New Mailbox Management Tools Rolled Out
To ease the transition, Yahoo has launched new tools to help users manage inbox space, including:
- Real-time storage tracking on web and mobile
- A storage usage dashboard
- Sorting tools for locating large emails
- An attachment manager to delete space-heavy files
These features aim to help users better manage their mailboxes without needing to upgrade immediately, but may not be enough for users with email histories going back a decade or more.
Final Thoughts
Yahoo’s sudden change to its email storage policy has drawn mixed reactions. While the company introduces helpful storage management tools, the addition of ads in paid plans and the forced downgrade of long-time users may prompt some to consider alternatives, such as Gmail.
If you’re a Yahoo Mail user, it’s advisable to:
- Check your current storage usage
- Clean up your inbox
- Decide whether to upgrade or switch providers
