Google storage full: Gmail, Drive and Photos
A free Google account comes with a set amount of storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. When it fills up, you may stop receiving email and you may not be able to upload photos or files.
Google's pages change from time to time, so use the nearest wording.
See what is using the space
Search for "Google One storage" or go to your Google account page and look for Storage. It shows a breakdown across Gmail, Drive and Photos, and it may suggest large items to review.
Gmail
- Search for large attachments by typing has:attachment larger:10M in the Gmail search box.
- Open the messages and decide whether you still need them. Save any attachment you want to keep to your computer first.
- Empty Spam and Trash, as they still count towards your storage. Emptying the trash cannot be undone.
Google Drive
- Look at the list sorted by size and check any big old files.
- Remember that deleted files stay in Trash until it is emptied.
- Ask others before deleting files that were shared with you.
Google Photos
Photos and videos often take the most space. Download copies to your computer or an external drive before you delete anything. Check that the copies open properly first.
Other choices
- Buy more storage. Google sells monthly or yearly plans, but check the price and cancel terms.
- Move old files elsewhere.
- Close old accounts that you no longer need, after saving anything from them. Only do this using Google's official steps.
Be careful
Do not click on emails or pop-ups claiming your storage is full and asking for payment. Check your real storage only by going to Google's own site.
When to get more help
Contact us if you are not sure what is safe to delete, if your account is full but you cannot find what is using the space, or if you want a proper backup of photos and documents before clearing space.