Google Photos is a popular cloud storage service for photos and videos. It offers free storage up to 15GB, which is shared with other Google services like Gmail and Drive. With people capturing more memories in high-quality photos and videos, it’s easy to run out of the free storage limit. Here are some tips to free up space in Google Photos:
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Check Backup Quality Settings
Google Photos allows you to choose between backing up photos in Original quality (full resolution) or Storage saver quality (slightly reduced resolution). Original quality takes up more space, so consider changing the setting to Storage saver to save space.
To change quality:
- On Android/iOS app: Tap your profile icon > Photos settings > Upload size > Storage saver
- On Computer: photos.google.com > Settings > Backup and sync > Upload size
Photos and videos backed up before June 1, 2021 in High quality (now Storage saver) do not count towards your storage limit.
Delete Unwanted Photos and Videos
Carefully review your Google Photos library and delete photos and videos you no longer need – blurry shots, accidental screenshots, unimportant documents etc.
To delete:
- On Android/iOS app: Tap and hold to select > Trash icon
- On Computer: Select > Click Trash icon
Deleted items go to Trash where they stay for 60 days before being permanently deleted.
Use Storage Management Tool
The storage management tool surfaces photos and videos that are consuming a lot of space like large files, screenshots and blurry photos.
To access:
- On Android/iOS app: Tap your profile icon > Account storage > Manage storage
- On Computer: photos.google.com > Settings > Account storage > Manage storage
Review the categories and delete items you don’t need.
Free Up Device Storage
Since the photos are backed up online, you can safely delete them from your device storage to free up space.
To free up space:
- On Android/iOS app: Tap your profile icon > Free up space
- On Computer: Not available
The app will delete all photos and videos already backed up from your device.
Buy More Storage
If you reach the storage limit, consider upgrading to a paid Google One membership to get more storage. Prices start from $1.99 per month for 100GB.
To upgrade storage:
- On Android/iOS app: Tap your profile icon > Account storage > Buy storage
- On Computer: photos.google.com > Settings > Buy storage
Use Another Service
If you want to move away from Google Photos entirely, there are alternative cloud storage services like iCloud, Amazon Photos, Flickr that you can consider. Export your photos and videos from Google Photos before closing your account.
Other Tips
- Use the free up space feature judiciously. Deleted local copies can only be recovered from Trash within 60 days.
- Photos and videos not backed up to the cloud will be permanently lost if you free up space. Have backups before deleting anything.
- Check and limit backup usage from social media apps like WhatsApp and Facebook to avoid unimportant backups.
- Delete the original files from other cloud storage if you have uploaded copies on Google Photos.
- Compress all photos and videos before uploading to the cloud to save space.
By following these tips, you can effectively manage your Google Photos storage and backup your precious memories without any space constraints. Analyze your usage, create backups, delete unnecessary items and purchase extra storage if needed.
