Google has made an official change to the storage needs for its Android operating system. For the new Android 15, phones and tablets will need more internal storage space if they want to use Google’s apps and services. The new rule states that these devices must have at least 32GB of internal storage. This is more than the old rule of 16GB, which started in 2022 with Android 13. Because of this change, new devices with only 16GB of storage will not be able to have the full Google experience, which includes the Google Play Store.
Google’s updated rules for its Google Mobile Services (GMS) also say that 75% of this 32GB of storage (which is 24GB) must be available for the user’s apps, data from those apps, and other system files. This space is important because it is where all your apps and personal information are kept.  Google said that this change that they have made to the Android ecosystem will have a meaningful effect on the way the gadgets function, and cheaper devices will particularly benefit from it. Why Did Google Make This Change? To revamp the performance of the phones and match the new lifestyle, Google initiated this shift for a number of significant reasons. Â
 First, the Android system itself and its main apps use more storage now than they did before. Also, the apps many people use every day, like social media, games, and apps for work, need more and more storage. They need this space to be installed, to get updates, and to save temporary information.
For a long time, people with phones that had little storage space have had problems. These problems include their phones working slowly, apps stopping unexpectedly, not being able to install new apps, or updates not working. When a phone is almost out of storage, it does not have enough space to do its job well. The problem of the phone becomes even bigger and more irritating because now there are more things that cause trouble. Google has the intention to solve this problem in new gadgets by increasing their internal memory.
One more reason provided for the change is security. To be more precise, the security of the OS upgrades and the security patches can’t get on the devices without free space. When the storage capacity is higher, it results in more users that are capable of getting the latest security measures; thus, the Android system becomes safer for all the users.
This new rule of 32GB for storage is addressed mainly to those devices that wish to adopt Google Mobile Services.
The whole process of patching the system with the latest version of Android and the updates of security software will be sped up, and the devices themselves will be more secure in the process.
How to download, install, and use new apps on your Android device? Follow the recommended steps, and you will accomplish it without any inconveniences.
 GMS is a group of Google’s most used apps and tools. These include the Google Play Store, Google Search, the Chrome browser, YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps. For most people who use Android phones, these services are a very important part of their phone. They use them to get millions of apps and use features they know well.
Phone-making companies can still use the basic version of Android, which is called the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), on devices with less than 32GB of storage. Â These phones will, however, not have GMS, and therefore, they will not have the Google Play Store. The way users interact with the phone will be very different and rather hard. Most companies that wish to sell their phones to many people will also have to follow the GMS rules.
What impact will this have on the phone makers and the people who purchase the phones? The new rule will disrupt the telecom sector, particularly companies that are interested in cheap-phone manufacturing. These very low-cost phones, which usually go for less than $100, will no longer be able to use large-capacity storage to reduce the price. Â
 This is common in some countries.
Phone makers will now have to use parts with more storage in their new models. This might make the cheapest Android 15 phones a little more expensive. However, many phones, even those that are not very expensive, already have 32GB of storage or more. It is becoming common for phones to have 64GB or 128GB.
For people who buy phones, this change has good and bad points. New, less expensive phones with Android 15 should work better. They will have more space for apps, photos, and videos. Users should have fewer problems with messages saying their “storage is full.”
The bad point is that older phones that only have 16GB of storage will probably not get the official Android 15 update with GMS. This might mean that more users will keep using older versions of Android.
Is This Part of a Bigger Trend?
This is not the first time Google has increased storage requirements. Before, Google changed the minimum from 8GB to 16GB when Android 13 was released. Google is also increasing the need for RAM, which is the phone’s working memory. For Android 15, devices with 3GB of RAM or less will have to use a simpler version of Android called Android Go Edition. It is expected that for Android 16, the full version of Android will need at least 6GB of RAM.
 In addition to memory and RAM, Android 15 is designed to work with other capabilities of the phones. Some of the features that have to be supported are transmitting emergency contacts when a call is in progress and the newer graphics technology known as Vulkan 1.3. Changes mentioned play a significant role in implementing the Android platform better and the reflection of stability. How About the Future? What Does it Hold for Us?Â
What Does This Mean for the Future?
Google’s decision to require 32GB of storage for Android 15 shows where the phone industry is going. Apps are becoming more complex, and people expect their phones to perform well for a longer time. Because of this, the phone hardware needs to improve. Even if this means a small price change for the cheapest phones, the main goal is to create an Android system that is more reliable, secure, and easy to use for everyone. It seems that the time for new 16GB Android phones that offer the full Google experience is now ending.