No one wants to be without all their photos or files while out and about, and that's why cloud storage is so essential. Not only does it back up all of your data in case of emergency, but it also leaves space on your phone for locally downloaded content, like offline playlists and your favorite games. Google includes an allotment of cloud storage for free with every account, but if you're willing to shell out a few bucks a month, that space expands pretty quickly.

Considering more Google apps than ever require a chunk of your account's storage, that's probably for the best. The days of unlimited photo backups are long gone, and even the latest Pixel phone is liable to this policy. Android devices keep essential data like SMS messages and call logs in the cloud in case of an emergency, and even apps like Google Docs now count against your storage quota. With all of those factors, it's more important than ever to keep a little extra space in your account.

Thankfully, Google One's current lineup of plans makes it easy to pick an affordable option. Just $2 per month grants you 100GB per year, likely enough for most average users. Of course, our readers have probably sprung for higher tiers, like 200GB for $3 per month, or even the full 2TB plan for $10 per month. That's a surprisingly large jump in data between plans, although a new 500GB tier is coming soon exclusively for T-Mobile customers. If you still need extra space, the 10TB, 20TB, and 30TB plans provide it in spades, though you'll need to be already subscribed to the 2TB plan for those offers to show up.

Although Google offers a couple of different cloud storage platforms, One is its user-focused service, so it's the one we'll be focusing on today (sorry, IT managers). Do you pay for cloud storage on your Android device, and if so, how much space do you have? Or are you trying to manage that free 15GB as best you can?