Microsoft has decided to give current OneDrive users a chance to keep their free 15GB of cloud file storage space, along with their extra free 15GB if they have the camera roll enabled on their smartphone. The catch is they have to make an effort to go to a special page and opt-in to keep that storage until January 31, 2016.

You may remember that back in November Microsoft said it was going to reduce the amount of free storage it was going to give OneDrive users from 15GB to just 5GB in early 2016, and eliminate the 15GB camera roll bonus completely. This caused a massive backlash from customers. Over 72,000 of them voted on the OneDrive UserVoice page, asking Microsoft to bring back their free storage amounts,

Today, Microsoft's Group Program Manager for OneDrive, Douglas Pearce, quietly posted a note on that UserVoice post, stating:

"For customers of our free service who have over 5 GB of content and who are directly impacted by the storage change, we will offer one free year of Office 365 Personal, which includes 1 TB of storage. These customers will receive an email with redemption information early next year." "Also, for our biggest fans who have been loyal advocates for OneDrive, we are adding a new offer that lets you keep your current 15 GB of free storage when the changes happen next year. If you also have the 15 GB camera roll bonus, you'll be able to keep that as well."

Users will have to opt-in and go to the Microsoft web page below to sign up and keep their current OneDrive storage amounts. Again, this option will only last until Jan. 31.

Pearce also apologized for how Microsoft presented these OneDrive changes in the first place, stating:

"We are all genuinely sorry for the frustration this decision has caused and for the way it was communicated."

While it's not a 100 percent reversal of Microsoft's changes to OneDrive, the company is, at least, offering a way for current users to keep their free storage amounts, rather than have them cut down as previously planned.

Sign up to keep your free OneDrive storage amounts{.cta .large}

Source: Microsoft; Via: Business Insider