How To Free Up Space on Google Drives

If you use Google services intensively, you may be facing a problem: Google Drive has run out of space“. How is that possible? At Techidence, we have prepared a complete guide that will help you identify the problem and fix it. We’ll give you some tips to free up space on your Google Drive and explain how you can expand your storage quota with the Google One subscription.

Why have I run Out of Space on Google Drive?

Free Google users have 15 GB of cloud storage. It is possible that, when you signed up, this seemed more than enough. We must admit that the company is more generous than the competition. Apple and Microsoft offer 5 GB free on their respective platforms. And Dropbox only 2 GB. But, despite that 15 GB free, Drive has just announced that you no longer have more space. Why?

The space available on Google Drive is shared with the rest of the company’s services. So, that 15 GB you get when you sign up covers Gmail, Drive, and Photos. It is possible that, even if you have uploaded few files to the cloud, Gmail is taking up a large amount of space on your account. Or the same may be true for Google Photos, especially since it is no longer unlimited.

So why does the quota exceeded appear in Google Drive? As you have seen, this can be due to different reasons. Here are some tips to free up space on the main Google applications.

Over Quota in Google Drive: How to Free Up Space

If you have reached your Google Drive limit, don’t worry. There are still a few things you can do before signing up for more space.

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Delete Large Emails in Gmail

gmail

The documents and files you send to the trash still take up space in Google Drive. We advise you to take a look at this section from time to time and use the “Empty Bin Now” button to permanently delete all items. You can also delete large emails in your inbox. There is no point in getting rid of large files if they remain in the Google Drive bin for 30 days.

Identify the Largest Files Stored in Google

google drive

Google Drive allows you to sort all files by size. This makes it much easier to locate the largest documents and files and delete them without further delay. Simply click on the “Storage” section at the bottom of the side menu. It is only available in the web version. There you will see a list of all your documents sorted by size from largest to smallest.

Empty the Trash in Google Photos

Google Photos also has a recycle bin. In it are all the items you have recently deleted kept for 60 days. As with Google Drive, they still take up space on your drive. This can be a problem, especially if you store heavy videos or a large number of images there. To free up space, visit the “Bin” section, located in the side menu. Then, make sure that you want to permanently delete the items. To do this, use the “Empty Bin” button.

Activate Storage Saving in Google Photos

google storage saver

Another feature that can help you get more out of your free 15 GB is Google Photos storage saving. This system reduces the quality of your images when creating a backup. You can activate it this way:

  • Open Google Photos settings;
  • Locate the Size of uploaded photos and video;
  • Select the Saving storage option.
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From this point on, the photos and videos you upload to the cloud will take up less space. Specifically, Google will reduce all videos that exceed 1080p and photos that are above 16 megapixels.

What is Google One?

If all the tricks we have mentioned in this article have not worked for you when it comes to freeing up space on Google Drive, you still have one option left. We refer to the purchase of more storage for your virtual drive. Google has dubbed this service as Google One, as it provides space to all its services. How can you buy more space in Google Drive and the rest of the applications?

Google one
  • Access Google Drive from your computer.
  • On the left side, click on “Buy storage”.
  • A summary of the space occupied by each Google service on your drive will appear on the screen.
  • Click on the blue “Get more storage” button.

Select the plan and follow the instructions to complete the payment.

Google one plans

Remember that the rates shown are for a monthly subscription. Therefore, the amount you see on the screen will be charged to your account via Google Play on the same day of each month. The current rates offered by Google to expand space are as follows:

  • 100 GB. $1.99 per month. Shared space with other members of your family;
  • 200 GB. $2.99 per month. Shared space with other members of your family;
  • 2 TB. $9,99 per month. Shared space with other members of your family.

Advanced support from Google customer service is included in all cases.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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