Apps

Google may soon delete unopened files and folders in Drive

If your account has been inactive for two years

Published

December 8, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

You should probably open your Google Drive from time to time starting next year. Google just updated its storage policy stating that it could delete your files if you don’t use them for long.

Before you worry though, there are two conditions to keep in mind for it to be a target of Google’s new storage policy. First, your Google account should be inactive for at least two years. Accounts that have never been opened for two years will have their files or folders automatically deleted.

Second, your Google account must have been over its storage limits for two years. If you remain above the storage limits for two years, Google will delete contents across Gmail, Drive, and Photos. By default, a Google account has 15GB of storage, which could take years to fully reach depending on usage.

Once you have met either of the two conditions, Google will notify you multiple times at least three months before deleting any file or folder. If you have been inactive, it is recommended that you “periodically visit Gmail, Drive, or Photos on the web or mobile.” Take note of the wording — using a third-party app or sync provider won’t likely work.

It is also worth noting that this change in policy won’t affect any setting you set on the Inactive Account Manager, a little-known feature for managing your accounts in case of prolonged inactivity.

Now, if the problem lies in going above storage limits, the only way is to trim files and folders you probably don’t use. You can also buy more storage through Google One. Storage plans start at 100GB and have additional perks that you may benefit from, like access to Google experts, family plans, and more.

The new storage policy will take effect on June 1, 2021. After that date, Google will delete any files or folders that meet the conditions. So right now, look into your Google account and see if it goes above the storage limits.

Aligning with the industry standards

According to Google, this change counts towards aligning storage policies across their products. Such reasoning makes sense given that the company has been a little inconsistent with its storage policies over the years.

As a matter of fact, the default 15GB storage limits for Google Accounts only applies to Gmail and Google Drive until recently. Now, every upload to Google Photos will count on the storage limits of a user.

Granted, you still have 15GB of free online storage to work with. Google’s storage limit is actually one of the generous out there. Apple, for example, still provides a paltry 5GB for a free iCloud account.

Related Topics:Gmail Google Google Drive Google Photos

Apps

Apple Creator Studio: Creative apps bundled into single subscription

All the tools you need, one payment

Published

January 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Apple has officially streamlined its popular creative apps into one single subscription suite with the introduction of Apple Creator Studio.

The collection includes some of the most useful apps for today’s creators: Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage.

New AI features and premium content in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers also make the Apple Creator Studio an exciting subscription suite. Freeform will eventually be added to the lineup.

The groundbreaking collection is designed to put studio-grade power into the hands of everyone. It builds on the essential role Apple devices play in the lives of millions of creators worldwide.

The apps included cover video editing, music making, creative imaging, and visual productivity to give modern creators the features and capabilities they need.

Final Cut Pro introduces exceptional new video editing tools and intelligent features for Mac and iPad.

For the first time, Pixelmator Pro is also coming to iPad with a uniquely crafted experience optimized for touch and Apple Pencil.

Logic Pro, meanwhile, for Mac and iPad introduces more intelligent features like Synth Player and Chord ID.

Apple Creator Studio will be available on the App Store beginning January 29. In the Philippines, the rates are PhP 399 a month or PhP 3,990 annually.

There is also a free one-month trial which includes access to:

Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad
Motion, Compressor, and MainStage on Mac
Intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and later Freeform for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

College students and educators can subscribe for a discounted price of PhP 149 per month or PhP 1,490 per year.

Apps

Apple gives up on making AI, inks a deal with Gemini to power Siri

Gemini gets another feather in its cap.

Published

January 14, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In the not-too-long-ago past, the biggest names of the tech industry competed to build their own AI software. Now, though some brands are still on the hunt, it’s easier to name certain software that have more successfully drowned users in a flood of AI-powered features. Today, Google gets another win by adding Apple’s Siri to its Gemini cap.

In the past, Apple peddled Apple Intelligence, an upcoming AI-powered system to compete against the giants of the industry. However, much like other features from other brands, Apple Intelligence came out half baked with features still lacking months after the initial launch.

Now, Apple has signed a deal with Google to use Gemini for a revamped Siri. The former plans to launch a new version of Siri later this year. Because of the deal, the voice assistant will start using Gemini as a foundation for its own services. Currently, Samsung’s Galaxy AI already uses Gemini.

Formerly a battleground between so many competing brands, it’s now looking like a battle between two major companies: Google and OpenAI. Google now has a huge grip, though. Both Samsung and Apple are no slouches when it comes to owning market share in the world’s smartphones.

Now, as consumers, Apple’s deal probably doesn’t mean much besides the continued influx of features that add little to no value to a smartphone.

Apps

Microsoft continues to shove Copilot where it’s not wanted

This time, it’s reportedly coming to File Explorer.

Published

January 14, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If you look at a modern keyboard, you’ll find that the Copilot button is the cleanest one on the entire panel because no one ever willingly presses it. And yet, Microsoft still believes in the feature’s value. To show their odd commitment, the company is reportedly adding Copilot to File Explorer.

According to @phantomofearth from X (via Windows Central), a new Windows 11 preview build will add a button beside File Explorer’s navigation menu. Currently, the button is invisible and doesn’t do anything. However, the report says that the feature is tied to something called “Chat with Copilot.” It’s becoming clear that the system aims to add the AI software right inside the file organization app.

Besides revealing the potential addition of the egregious feature inside File Explorer, @phantomofearth also added mock-ups of a desktop with Copilot right on the taskbar, hinting at a potential nightmare of the feature lording itself over where it’s not wanted.

Thankfully, the preview build doesn’t always represent a final version of the system. There’s still a chance that Microsoft will not add the AI to the File Explorer.

As of late, Microsoft has received a lot of flak for persistently pushing Copilot onto users, regardless of how they feel about the feature. The company is also facing criticisms in the background for being a major proponent of AI data centers in the United States, which, in turn, have caused the prices of tech to skyrocket this year.