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

WhatsApp will introduce usernames to hide your phone number

Hide your number from others.

Published

June 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

WhatsApp is about to get an extra later of protection. After thriving on number-based chatting, the platform will soon add usernames, eliminating the need to share your number with strangers.

Usernames are the standard way of maintaining your anonymity online. Though most platforms today require users to log their email addresses or phone numbers, establishing a username can prevent other users from seeing this information way too easily.

Today, Meta has started rolling out reservations for WhatsApp usernames. The feature itself isn’t available yet, but early adopters can grab theirs as soon as the setting becomes available on their app.

To access the reservation, users can go to Settings > Account > Username. Of note, this isn’t available for everyone yet. But if you want to take dibs on a specific name, be on the lookout for the setting.

As for the username itself, users can reserve anything as long as it’s unique. Business owners and creators can also use their Facebook or Instagram handles as their WhatsApp usernames.

The feature, once it launches, will stop users from accessing your phone number when messaging. Similarly, other users will now need your exact username to start a conversation. Users can also set a separate code to protect conversations further.

Apps

HONOR, Xiaomi are working on their own Privacy Displays

Samsung’s Privacy Display is apparently very popular

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Normally, a smartphone brand’s blatant copying of another brand’s feature is not a good practice. Today, however, there is a new feature that we wish other brands would copy: Samsung’s Privacy Display. Thankfully, some brands, like HONOR, have finally gotten the message and are working on version of the feature.

As reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, HONOR is reportedly working on a privacy screen for its smartphones. Likewise, Xiaomi is working on the same thing, potentially launching the feature for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Privacy Display is a built-in feature that blocks visibility of the screen at certain angles. If you’re not looking at the screen from the front, all you’ll see is a black void. It’s a built-in version of those protective screens that you can buy separately. Besides adding a nice layer of protection against scratches, it’s also meant to prevent snooping from your shoulder.

Samsung’s take was widely acclaimed for being insanely useful. When it arrives, this feature will be a godsend to more brands. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on third-party screen just to enjoy the privacy.

That said, there’s still no indication as to when these features will arrive on either HONOR or Xiaomi.

Apps

Meta is reportedly experimenting on a gambling app

Users can spend virtual points on Arena.

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Meta does not have the most stellar of reputations. Despite offering the world’s most popular social media platforms, the company, through its various experiments throughout the years, continuously proves that it has other priorities than just providing the best for its users. Today, another reported experiment wants to take Meta to a new market that its users might fall into: the prediction market.

If you haven’t heard of the prediction market, consider yourself lucky. These apps, such as Kalshi, are basically just gambling platforms without the glitz of playing cards or the rigor of the stock market. Users gamble on mundane circumstances like the weather and more serious ones like war.

Today, as reported by The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly asking Meta to develop a prediction app of its own. Interestingly, the experimental app, supposedly called Arena, will use virtual points, rather than real money. However, Meta has not ruled out real money — and hence, real gambling — in the future.

Meta is entering the industry at an extremely volatile time. The world is starting to crack down on prediction markets. Some users, for example, have been accused of using insider information to get easy wins on these platforms. Some markets have also accused these platforms of subverting anti-gambling laws.