Flickr Introduces Unlimited Storage for Flickr Pro Users at $49.99 (While Limiting Free Accounts)

• Flickr updates its usage limits for free users on the photo storage platform in an effort to offer a better user experience all-around. 
• Regular (free) users will now be restricted to 1,000 uploads per account, down from the initial 1TB of storage.
• Flickr Pro users can take full advantage of unlimited storage, advanced statistics, and more for an annual fee. 

Flickr announced some major changes to the photo management platform after it was acquired by SmugMug earlier this year. Free users previously had access to 1TB of storage when signing up for the service, but that is now being cut down to 1,000 uploads only. Users have time until January 8, 2019, to remove excess photos or upgrade to the Pro version. Beyond the deadline, free users who have capped out their upload limit will no longer be able to add new photos until they make room.

VP of Product at Flickr Andrew Stadlen revealed in an announcement “First, and most crucially, the free terabyte largely attracted members who were drawn by the free storage, not by engagement with other lovers of photography. This caused a significant tonal shift in our platform, away from the community interaction and exploration of shared interests that makes Flickr the best-shared home for photographers in the world."

Flickr revealed that giving away vast amounts of storage to free users leads to advertisers being prioritized over the customers. By reducing the free storage on offer, the company seeks to avoid advertising on the platform and is completely reliant on subscriptions. The platform hopes to offer a better experience with the model.

Flickr Pro users have reasons to be happy with the service now offering unlimited storage to subscribers for the same fee of $49.99 per year. In addition to unlimited storage, Pro users will also get access to photos, ad-free browsing, access to the community boasting over 100 million photographers and more. Users who upgrade to the new plans will also get an additional 30% discount for the first year.

Finally, the photo-sharing community will no longer need Yahoo accounts to sign up for the service. You can now use any email to sign up. Also, the service has tied up with experts from Amazon Web Services’ machine learning team to offer better account protection.

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