“Out of storage space”. If you open Google Drive, Gmail or Google Photos you find a similar message appearing on your account screen Googleyou have evidently already occupied the 15 GB of space available for free. When this happens, Google invites its users to upgrade to a Google One plan, but before paying for more space, you can try free up memory on your Google account by adopting the measures we are about to show you. You may be surprised to discover that you have most likely accumulated a ton of useless files that have eroded your available space.
How to manage space on your Google account
Delete large files from Google Drive
A first thing you can do for free up space on your Google account is clearly that of locate and delete large files. Removing one or two videos that take up multiple megabytes or even multiple gigabytes of space is easier than getting more free space by removing many small files.
To locate “heavy” files by acting as Google Drivethe online storage and synchronization Web service, you can proceed this way.
- From smartphone: log in with your Google account inofficial Google Drive apptouch the button ≡ (top left) and press on the item File. Then press the button Nametouch the item Storage space in usepress the ⋯ button and press up Remove.
- From computer: log in with your Google account to the Drive home page and click on the button Storage which is on the left. At this point, click on the file to be deleted and then click on the symbol dustbin (above). If you want to download it locally before removing it, click on the symbol ⋮ and then select Download.
Manage Gmail space by identifying large files
If, however, you want to free up space by acting as Gmailthe online storage and synchronization Web service, you can proceed this way.
- From smartphone: log in to Gmail fromofficial app of the servicetype has:attachment larger:10MB in the search bar and start the search. Now that you are faced with messages containing attachments that you no longer consider useful, select them by making a long tap on one of these and then touching all the others with a “simple” tap and pressing on the symbol dustbin to eliminate them.
- From computer: log in to your Gmail account from the service’s home page, type has:attachment larger:10MB in the search bar up and press the button Sending of the keyboard. This way you will see all emails that have attachments larger than 10 MB, from largest to smallest. Now, select the boxes to the left of each message you intend to delete and, finally, click on the symbol dustbin.
Of course, you can use this “trick” to filter emails based on the file size you prefer to indicate: just replace 10 MB with the desired size.
Free up Google Photos storage from old or duplicate content
The 15 GB of free storage included with your Google account also includes content on Google Photos. And usually it is the images and videos saved on this “Big G” service that are among the main “culprits” of running out of storage space. Delete old or duplicate content from Google Photostherefore, can be a truly decisive solution.
- From smartphone: access Google Photos fromofficial app of the servicetap on the thumbnail of the Google account profile photowhich is located at the top right, and follow the path Manage storage > HD photos and videos. Finally, press on the item Selecttap the multimedia content to delete, tap the dustbin symbol and tap on Delete,
- From computer: go to the Google Photos home page, log in via the Google account on which you need to free up space, click on the button Storage space and then press the button Large photos and videos. At this point, select the contents to remove, click on the button Download (if you intend to save a copy locally as a backup) and, when you are ready to do so, delete the selected contents by clicking on the wording Move to trash twice in a row.
