Key Takeaways
- Initially a search engine, Google now offers a suite of services including Gmail and cloud storage, sharing a 15GB free storage limit.
- When your storage fills up, you see the Gmail Storage Full message, which affects your ability to use Google services like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
- To free up space, you can delete large files, clean up Gmail storage, remove unwanted photos and videos, or transfer data to physical storage.
- You can also create a new Google account to transfer data and bypass the storage limit, giving you more flexibility with Google’s services.
Google started as a search engine but has grown into much more than that over the years. Today, it’s an indispensable part of our lives, offering tools like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, Calendar, and de facto Web ID. For many of us, Google isn’t just a service; it’s our go-to for everything digital. With 1.8 billion Gmail users worldwide, it’s clear that Google dominates the online ecosystem.
Every Google account comes with 15GB of free storage—enough for casual users but often too little for those living a digitally active life. Whether you’re saving work documents, vacation photos, or years’ worth of emails, it’s all stored in the same 15GB. As a result, many of us see that dreaded Gmail storage full message sooner or later. It’s frustrating but avoidable.
This guide will show you how to free up Google storage quickly and easily without spending a penny. Follow these tips to reclaim space and keep your Google account running smoothly.
Google Storage Full: 5 Ways to Free Up Space
If your Google storage is full, don’t panic. Here are practical ways to declutter your account and reclaim valuable space.
1. Find and Delete Large Files
Large files can be storage hogs, and deleting them is one of the simplest ways to free up space. Many of these files are things you don’t even need anymore—old presentations, videos you’ve backed up elsewhere, or oversized email attachments.
Delete Files by Size in Google Drive
Google Drive is often the biggest culprit when it comes to storage issues. The good news? It’s easy to locate and remove large files.
- Open Google Drive on your desktop or mobile browser.
- Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and go to Settings.
- Navigate to the Storage section and click View Items Taking Up Storage.
- Sort the files by size. The largest files will appear at the top.
- Review and delete any files you no longer need by selecting them and clicking the trash icon.
Afterward, make sure to empty the Trash in Google Drive, as these files will still occupy space until permanently deleted.
Delete Files by Size in Gmail
Your inbox may also contain emails with large attachments that you’ve forgotten about. Clearing them can help free up space.
- Open Gmail and type size:10mb (or any file size) into the search bar.
- Review the emails that show up. Pay attention to old or unnecessary emails with attachments.
- Delete the emails and their attachments if you no longer need them.
- Empty the Trash folder in Gmail to finalize the deletion.
Pro Tip: Download attachments you want to keep to your device before deleting the emails.
2. Delete Unwanted Images and Videos in Google Photos
Images and videos are some of the biggest culprits in storage consumption. Google Photos allows you to store pictures, screenshots, and videos, but duplicates, blurry images and outdated screenshots can quickly pile up.
Steps to Clean Up Google Photos:
- Go to Google Photos and log in to your account.
- Click on Storage to see how your photos and videos are using space.
- Use the Review and Delete option to identify unnecessary files like:
- Screenshots you no longer need
- Duplicate images or similar photos
- Blurry or low-quality pictures
- Old videos
- Select files to delete and confirm your choices.
Pro Tip: Use Google Photos’ built-in Free Up Space feature to remove locally backed-up images from your cloud storage. This won’t delete them from your device.
3. Empty Your Spam Folder
While ignoring the Spam folder in Gmail is easy, it can quietly accumulate hundreds of emails, eating into your storage. The good news? Cleaning it out takes just a few clicks.
Steps to Empty the Spam Folder:
- Open Gmail and click on the “Spam” folder in the sidebar.
- Quickly scan the list to ensure there’s nothing important.
- At the top of the folder, click the “Delete all spam messages now” button.
- Confirm the action.
Spam emails are usually auto-deleted after 30 days, but clearing them manually ensures your account stays tidy and frees up space immediately.
4. Download Files to a Physical Storage Device
If you prefer not to delete specific files, downloading them to a physical device is a great option. External hard drives, USB sticks, or even your computer can store files, freeing up space in your Google account without losing access to your data.
How to Download and Store Files:
- Open Google Drive or Google Photos, depending on where your files are stored.
- Select the files or folders you want to download.
- Click the three-dot menu (or right-click) and select “Download.”
- Transfer the downloaded files to an external storage device like a USB or external hard drive.
After transferring the files, delete them from your Google account and remember to empty the Trash. This way, they’ll no longer occupy cloud space but remain accessible offline.
5. Create a New Google Account and Transfer Messages
Creating a second Google account is another effective way to manage storage. Google doesn’t limit the number of accounts you can have; each new account comes with an additional 15GB of free storage. You can avoid hitting storage limits by splitting your data across multiple accounts.
Steps to Create a New Google Account:
- Visit the Google Account Sign-Up page and create a new account.
- Log in to your original account and forward emails or share files with the new account.
- Move files from Google Drive or Google Photos to the new account as needed.
Pro Tip: Use a descriptive email address for your new account (e.g., [email protected]) to keep things organized.
Bonus Tip: Optimize Your WhatsApp Storage
Lately, many people are getting the dreaded Your storage is almost full message. Why? Google now includes WhatsApp backups in its free 15GB storage limit. Before, these backups didn’t count, but now they share space with your emails, photos, and other files. This change means your storage fills up faster than before.
What can you do? You can switch your WhatsApp settings to back up only essential chats or reduce the frequency of backups. This simple tweak can save precious space and keep you under the limit.
How Much Free Storage Does Google Give?
Google provides 15GB of free storage for every account shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. While this may seem generous, modern usage patterns can fill it up quickly. Here’s how that 15GB gets used:
- Gmail: Emails, attachments, and Spam/Trash folders.
- Google Drive: Documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, and other uploaded files.
- Google Photos: Photos and videos, especially in high resolution.
If you exceed your 15GB limit, Google will stop you from sending or receiving emails and limit your ability to save new files until you free up space or upgrade to a paid Google One plan.
Closing Thoughts
Managing your Google storage doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a little effort, you can clear out unnecessary files, organize your account, and keep using Google services without spending a dime. Start with large files, clean out unwanted photos, and regularly empty folders like Spam and Trash. If you need more space, download files to an external device or create a new Google account.
Managing your digital clutter frees up storage space and ensures that your most important files are easy to find. Happy decluttering!
