Running out of Google Storage? Use these tips to avoid paying extra

2 minutes read

If you’re a regular user of Google services like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, you’ve probably already received a warning message telling you that your storage is almost full. The 15 GB of free space offered by Google can be used up quickly, especially if you use these services extensively. Fortunately, there are several tips for freeing up space without having to upgrade to a paid storage plan.

Table of Contents

Delete large files first

One of the first things to do to free up space is to delete large files. Indeed, deleting one or two large files can free up more space than deleting dozens of small files. Here’s how to do it on Google Drive:

Log in to your Google Drive account.
Click Storage from the menu on the left side of the screen.
Files are normally ordered from largest to smallest. If not, click Space Usage on the right of the screen.
Select the large files you want to delete and click the trash can that appears at the top of the screen.
Go to the Trash menu on the left of the screen and click Empty Trash.

Note that this operation can also be done from the Google Drive app on your smartphone.

Free up space in Gmail

Gmail is another service that can quickly take up a lot of your Google storage space, especially if you receive a lot of emails with large attachments. Here’s how to free up space in Gmail:

Log in to your Gmail account.
Type has:attachment larger:10MB in the search bar and hit Search. This will show all emails with attachments larger than 10MB.
Select the emails you want to delete and click the Trash icon at the top right of the screen.
Go to the Trash menu on the left of the screen and click Empty Trash Now.

This operation can also be done from the Gmail application on your smartphone.

Empty the junk folder

The junk folder is often overlooked, but it can take up a lot of your storage space unnecessarily. It is therefore recommended to empty it regularly. Here’s how to do it:

Log in to your Gmail account.
Click Junk in the menu on the left of the screen.
In the Junk Email folder, click Delete all junk mail now.

Again, this can be done from the Gmail app on your smartphone.

In summary

By regularly deleting large files from your Google Drive, effectively managing your Gmail inbox, and regularly emptying your junk folder, you can free up a significant amount of Google storage space. This will allow you to avoid having to upgrade to a paid storage plan.