Mail.ru Cuts Free Lifetime 1 TB Cloud Storage for Early Users

Mail, the company owned by VK, has told early users of Cloud Mail.ru that it is withdrawing the free lifetime 1 TB of storage they were granted more than a decade ago. The quota is being reduced to the standard 8 GB.

The offer ran from 20 December 2013 to 20 January 2014 and was open to anyone who installed the Cloud Mail.ru app on a smartphone or computer.

Timeline for deleting files

According to the notice, the promotional space shrinks to 8 GB on 30 October. Deletion of files above the limit begins on 30 January 2027, and all excess files will be removed on 3 February 2027. Users can keep their data by downloading it or by buying extra space through a Cloud Mail.ru subscription.

The company's explanation

The press service said Mail's services and their core functions remain free for all users, each of whom gets a free quota and all levels of data protection. It said the changes affect fewer than 0.5% of Cloud subscribers.

Support staff pointed to clause 6.4.1 of the user agreement, which says the licensor may change the content of the service and its functions at any time. As the reason for the revision, support cited the service's expanded functionality and a wish to focus on developing productivity services.

Not the first rollback

This is the second such cut. In late October 2024, Mail warned customers that it was cancelling the free lifetime 100 GB given to the first Cloud Mail.ru users, 11 years after the project launched. The original 100 GB offer dated from the service's August 2013 launch, and the 1 TB promotion followed that December.

For affected users, the practical step is to check how much data they store and either back it up locally or choose a paid plan before the late-January deadline.