Google doubles Android storage requirement again, now set at 32GB

In brief: Starting with Android 15, Google is enforcing a new minimum storage requirement that should help improve the experience on low-cost Android hardware. New Android 15 devices must have at least 32GB of onboard storage – a major jump over the previous 16GB requirement.

The doubling represents a steady rise in the minimum storage requirements for Android. In Android 12, Google allowed the OS version to install on just 8GB. This rose to 16GB with Android 13, followed by 32GB with Android 15. The change was first reported by Android Authority, which spotted it in a GMS (Google Mobile Services) requirements document.

This doesn't mean Google is outright banning super-cheap 16GB phones. Manufacturers can still make those if they use the open-source Android code. But to access must-have Google apps and services like the Play Store, they'll probably need to follow the new rules.

It's a smart move by Google. While 32GB isn't a massive amount of space, it's still double what the cheapest Androids have been shipping with. That means precious breathing room for apps and user data, rather than having the system take up most of the pathetically small 16GB capacity.

The requirement also states that 75% of a device's total storage must be allocated to the data partition used for apps and user content. So on a 32GB phone, 24GB would be available for apps, games, downloads, and other files.

Of course, more storage doesn't necessarily mean faster storage speeds. Many affordable Android handsets still use cheaper, slower eMMC flash chips rather than the faster UFS storage found in more premium devices. But having adequate capacity is the bigger problem budget phones have faced.

There are a couple of potential downsides to this storage increase. First, any existing 16GB phones out there may not be able to upgrade to Android 15 since they don't meet the new storage minimum. That shouldn't be a huge loss, though, considering most brands choose not to version upgrade such devices at all.

The other potential issue is that this change could lead manufacturers to raise prices slightly on their lowest-end offerings, though once again, for most buyers, paying those extra bucks could be well worth it to avoid that constant "insufficient storage" headache. Apps and games just keep growing heavier, and the trend doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon.