The consumer version of Google Drive is getting a makeover, with a new name, new benefits, and cheaper prices for data storage.
According to a new blog post from the search engine giant, all paid Google Drive accounts will become Google One accounts, starting in the US this summer, while Canadian users will be added at a later date. This doesn’t apply to business customers using Google Drive as part of G Suite.
“We’re introducing Google One, a simple plan for expanded storage that includes extra benefits to help you get more out of Google,” the announcement states. “In the next few months, all paid consumer Google Drive storage plans will be upgraded to Google One. This change doesn’t affect G Suite business customers.”
The update makes Google‘s consumer storage plans more competitive against options like Dropbox and Microsoft’s OneDrive.
The rebranding also brings a handful of new features. With Google One you’ll be able to share that storage plan with up to five family members. Google says it’ll also now include “one-tap” customer support for your other Google products – including Google hardware devices like the Pixel phones and Google Home speakers.
The new plans aren’t actually all that different, bar the arrival of a new 200GB option for $2.99 USD per month. But the big news is that the 1TB plan is now a 2TB plan for the same price – $9.99 USD per month. The original 1TB and 2TB plans are gone, and as people are migrated, anyone on 1TB will get 2TB free of charge.
As Google did when it rolled out its early Chromecasts, One members will also be able to take advantage of discounts, from Google Play credits to hotel deals. It’s possible this could turn into a Google-specific version of Microsoft Rewards.
Overall, Google One represents a soft expansion of Google’s services, using the honey of support and freebies to secure a long-term commitment to the ecosystem. Google is also obviously trying to coax users out of the free Google Drive and into paid options.
