In November last year, Microsoft announced that it would be shrinking free OneDrive storage from 15 GB to 5 GB. Microsoft tried to soften the blow a month later when they allowed users to keep their 15 GB of free OneDrive storage, but they had to claim it by January 31.

If you are a OneDrive user, but missed the news about claiming the free storage or simply forgot, then come July your OneDrive storage is going to decrease to 5 GB.

We cover the details of how you can check how much storage you have used and what the implications will be in July if you are over the 5 GB limit. We also look at the options of getting additional OneDrive storage, and alternative cloud storage options.

How much OneDrive storage are you using?

To check how much OneDrive storage you are currently using, log into your OneDrive account and click on Settings (gear icon) > Options > Manage storage. Here you will be able to see how much storage you have and how much you have used.

What happens in July if you have over 5 GB stored on OneDrive?

If by July you have more than 5 GB of data stored on OneDrive you will need to start taking some action. If your account is affected, Microsoft will keep you updated with emails. 

You will have 90 days to either buy additional storage, delete items or move your files to an alternative cloud storage service. After 90 days your account will become read-only.

After the 90 days, you will have access to your read-only account for a further nine months. You will be able to view and download any files, but will not be able to add new files.

At this stage, if you still haven’t taken any action then your OneDrive account will be locked.

Increase your storage by referring some friends

It is possible to increase your OneDrive storage by referring friends, family, and coworkers to OneDrive. Every time a person signs up for a OneDrive account using your unique referral link, both you and the new user will receive an additional 500 MB of OneDrive storage.

To find your unique referral link, sign into your OneDrive account > click on Settings > Options > Manage storage > under Your additional storage, click on Earn more next to Referral Bonus. You will be able to copy your unique referral link or share it on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

Pay $1.99 for additional OneDrive storage

If you want to stick with OneDrive as your cloud storage option, but need more than 5 GB of storage then you can buy additional storage. For $1.99 per month, you can get 50 GB of OneDrive storage.  

Opt for an alternative cloud storage service

There are a variety of alternative cloud storage options out there and if you don’t want to stick with OneDrive, then you can move your storage to another service.

Here are details about four of the top cloud storage services:

Dropbox: Dropbox Pro costs $9.99 per month for 1 TB (1,000 GB) of space and has a free tier, Dropbox Basic, that offers 2 GB.

Google: Google Drive offers plans ranging from $1.99 per month for 100 GB up to $299.99 per month for 30 TB. It also has a liberal 15 GB free-tier.

Apple: iCloud plans start with a free tier that gives users 5 GB of storage. While paid plans start at $0.99 per month for 50 GB, $2.99 per month for 200 GB and $9.99 per month for 1 TB.

Amazon: Amazon Cloud Drive offers two plan options. Unlimited Photos offers unlimited photo storage, plus 5 GB for videos and files for $11.99 per year. Their Unlimited Everything plan offers unlimited storage for $59.99 per year. Both plans offer a three-month free trial.

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