For weeks now, a bulky blue banner has greeted me when I open my Google Drive: “Almost out of storage,” it warns, while dangling a 75-per-cent discount for three months of extra space.

My iPhone recently delivered a similar pitch, though without sweetening the deal.

Right now, I pay about $4 a month for extra room in iCloud, and it’s only a matter of time before I’ll need to cave into Google’s offer. If the warnings on my iPhone hold true, I could soon see my files withheld until I pay this ransom.

Before you dismiss me as a digital hoarder, consider this: As our digital footprint grows, major companies are trimming their free storage tiers while changing default settings to upload more costly data to the cloud (a collection of servers managing online files).

Microsoft, for example, used to save users’ documents to their local computer storage. Now, its default settings upload files to the cloud, a move that prevents meltdowns over lost files, but quickly consumes virtual space.

Google used to offer unlimited storage for photos, but trimmed that to 15 gigabytes about five years ago.

“That allowed users to build up huge photo libraries that then exceeded their storage capacity,” said Ryan Eric Grant, an associate professor in Queen’s University’s department of electrical and computer engineering.

Beyond selfies, photos of the kids and screenshots of texts from ex, we’re now also worrying about backing up data from smartwatches, fridges and toasters. Newer iPhones capture photos with higher megapixels, creating larger files.

Storage costs could “potentially skyrocket with AI generation,” Mr. Grant said.

Today, iPhone cloud storage starts at $1.29 a month for a modest 50 gigabytes (about 11 feature-length films) and climbs to $79.99 for 200 gigabytes (around 50,000 photos). Google’s cloud plans range from $2.79 a month for 100 gigabytes to $27 for two terabytes.

Across those two apps alone, storage costs add up to $50 a year for the lowest tiers and roughly $1,284 for the highest – which is still chump change if you consider studies that peg our spending on subscriptions at US$924 a year.

But as we spend more of our lives online, that figure is set to grow. And with just a handful of companies dominating the market, the biggest players are cashing in.

When Snapchat noticed millennials returning to the app to revisit old photos and videos, for example, it began charging users to access those memories.

To be fair, “free” cloud storage was never free. “Servers aren’t cheap, networking isn’t cheap, and you need to pay for maintenance and re-engineering,” said Richard Paige, director of the McMaster Centre for Software Certification.

If you want to get your digital storage under control, Mr. Paige recommends regularly auditing automatic backups rather than spending hours manually deleting photos of your pets.

“Most of the time your phone will default to ‘back up everything,’” he said. But this security feature also saves trivial things such as your Candy Crush high score.

If you have an iPhone, you can adjust your default cloud backup settings by going to settings and tapping your name. Select iCloud, then “Saved to iCloud,” and toggle off anything you don’t need backed up.

If you need to do a digital audit, some apps can make the process less tedious. Clever Cleaner helps you delete duplicate photos for free. I’ve also heard good things about Slider and Swipewipe.

If you’re still running out of space, indulge in some tech nostalgia. A two-terabyte external hard drive can store hundreds of thousands of photos and files for a one-time cost of as little as $40.

How are you dealing with your online storage woes? Send any questions, concerns or tips my way to mpostelnyak@globeandmail.com