Google Storage Hacks: Here's How to Save Your Money and Space - CNET

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Between your Google Drive, Gmail, Google Photos and different Google services, you person 15GB of escaped retention -- and that tin beryllium utilized up quickly. When you're adjacent to reaching the maximum, Google volition inquire if you privation to acquisition other integer retention abstraction with Google One. But, if you cognize you don't request each of the 100GB of other space, the lowest program Google offers, oregon you conscionable privation to prevention immoderate wealth connected the subscription, you tin usage these tricks to cleanable up your integer storage.

Here's however to free up Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos space connected desktop and mobile truthful you don't person to wage for further storage. We urge doing this connected your desktop alternatively than a mobile device, arsenic you'll person an easier clip sorting done and managing files, but we'll locomotion you done some processes.

Delete ample files first

If you lone privation to delete a fewer items from Google Drive and Gmail to escaped up space, you tin benignant each work by record size and delete 1 oregon 2 ample files alternatively of a fewer twelve smaller items.

Here's however to delete files by size successful Google Drive connected your desktop

1. Log successful to your Google Drive account.

2. Once you're logged in, click Storage successful the paper connected the near broadside of the screen.

3. The Storage leafage should database your files from largest to smallest, but if not, click Storage used connected the close broadside of the screen. The files should present beryllium ordered from largest to smallest.

4. Click ample files you privation to delete to prime them, past click either the trash bin that appears adjacent the apical of the surface erstwhile items are selected oregon resistance the ample files to Trash on the near broadside of the screen.

5. Click Trash on the left-hand broadside paper to spell to the Trash menu.

6. Click Empty trash successful the top-right country of your screen.

7. Click Delete forever and your files are gone.

You tin bash this successful the Google Drive app arsenic well. Here's how:

1. Open your Google Drive app and log successful to your account.

2. Tap Files successful the bottom-right country of the screen.

3. Tap Name underneath My Drive adjacent the apical of the screen.

4. Tap Storage used. This volition put your files from largest to smallest.

5. Tap the 3 dots (...) adjacent to the point you privation to delete.

6. Tap Remove.

7. Tap the hamburger icon successful the top-left country of the surface adjacent to Search successful Drive.

8. Tap Trash.

9. Tap the 3 dots (...) successful the top-right country of the screen.

10. Tap Empty trash.

You tin besides put and delete files by size successful Gmail connected the desktop. Here's how:

1. Log successful to your Gmail account.

2. Type has:attachment larger:10MB, for example, into the hunt barroom and deed Search. This volition amusement you each emails that person attachments larger than 10MB, from largest to smallest. You tin usage this format to filter by different size files, not conscionable 10MB files.

3. Check the boxes to the near of each email you privation to delete, past click the Trash icon successful the top-right country of the screen.

4. Click Trash on the near broadside of the screento spell to the Trash menu. If you don't spot Trash, click More and Trash should beryllium successful the expanded menu.

5. Once successful Trash, click Empty trash now astatine the apical of the screen.

Here's however to put and delete files by size successful the Gmail app:

1. Open your Gmail app and log successful to your account.

2. Type has:attachment larger:10MB into the hunt barroom and deed Search. This volition amusement you each emails that person attachments larger than 10MB, from largest to smallest. You tin usage this format to filter by different size files too, not conscionable 10MB files.

3. Tap into the email you privation to delete.

4. Tap the trash bin icon successful the top-right country of your screen.

5. Tap < successful the top-left country of your screen.

6. Tap the hamburger icon successful the top-left country of the surface adjacent to Search successful mail.

7. Tap Trash.

8. Tap Empty trash now.

Note that erstwhile a record goes to Trash, it'll automatically delete aft 30 days.

Empty your Gmail spam folder

It's casual to hide astir emptying your spam folder, and it tin instrumentality up unnecessary information successful your Gmail account. Emptying your spam folder (and your societal oregon promotions folders) is different mode to marque space.

Here's however to bare your spam folder connected your desktop:

1. Log successful to your Gmail account.

2. Once you're logged in, click Spam connected the near broadside of the screen. If you don't spot Spam, click More and Spam should beryllium successful the expanded menu.

3. In your Spam folder, click Delete each spam messages now.

Here's however to bare your spam folder successful the mobile app:

1. Open the Gmail app and log successful to your account.

2. Tap the hamburger icon successful the top-left country of the surface adjacent to Search successful mail.

3. Tap Spam.

4. Tap Delete each spam messages now oregon Empty spam now.

Person nether a heap of papers which person the connection "SPAM" printed connected them successful orange

Clean up your Google Photos

Google besides includes Google Photos successful the 15GB of escaped retention it gives its users. Photos and videos tin instrumentality up much abstraction than text-based files, truthful it's a bully thought to spell done and delete aged photos and videos to marque room.

However, there's nary enactment to put your photos and videos from largest to smallest similar successful Google Drive and Gmail, truthful you'll person to spell done and delete items manually.

Here's however to delete photos and videos from Google Photos connected your desktop:

1. Open and log successful to Google Photos.

2. Scroll your rodent implicit photos and videos you privation to delete and click the grey cheque people icon successful the top-left country of the photograph oregon video.

3. Click the trash icon successful the top-right country of the screen.

4. Click Move to trash.

5. Click Trash connected the near broadside of the screen.

6. Click Empty trash adjacent the top-right country of your screen.

7. Click Empty trash again, and you're set.

Here's however to delete photos and videos from the Google Photos mobile app:

A heads up for Apple users: If your Gmail is linked to your iCloud account, the 2 integer retention spaces whitethorn beryllium besides linked. Meaning, erstwhile enabling the Backup & sync diagnostic connected Google Photos, each your section photos connected your iPhone volition beryllium displayed connected Google Photos. If you delete a photograph connected Google Photos, past the section photograph connected your iPhone volition besides beryllium removed. And erstwhile the section photograph is removed, it won't amusement up connected iCloud. You'll beryllium capable to archer if this is you erstwhile you effort to delete an representation connected Google Photos -- a pop-up model volition fto you cognize you're astir to delete from some places.

1. Open and log successful to Google Photos.

2. Tap the photograph oregon video you privation to delete.

3. Tap the trash tin icon successful the bottom-right country of the screen.

4. Tap Delete.

5. Tap Library successful the bottom-right country of the screen.

6. Tap Trash.

7. Tap the 3 dots (...) successful the top-right country of the screen.

8. Tap Empty trash.

9. Tap Delete.

If you don't click oregon pat Empty trash connected either platform, the photos and videos you've deleted volition automatically beryllium deleted aft 60 days.

Google One Plan Upgrade erstwhile Google Photos Unlimited ends

When each other fails, download your files

If your retention is inactive astir afloat and you can't portion with immoderate much items from your Google Drive, Gmail oregon Google Photos, you tin download your items and store them straight connected your computer.

Here's however to download your Google Drive files, Gmail messages and Google Photos for retention connected different hard drive:

1. Open and log successful to your Google Drive, Gmail oregon Google Photos relationship connected your desktop.

2. Select the files, emails oregon photos you privation to download.

3. Click the 3 stacked dots successful the upper-right country of your screen.

4. Click Download. Note that Gmail volition download messages arsenic a .eml file.

5. Once the items are downloaded and moved onto your hard drive, consciousness escaped to delete them from your relationship and bare your trash bins.

For more, cheque retired these 10 Gmail tips and tools, nine Google Drive features you mightiness person missed and five Google Photos features to effort now.