Free Up Space in Google Drive: Desktop & Mobile

Updated 6 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

To free up space in Google Drive, you need to delete or reduce the size of files stored in your Google account, which includes Gmail and Google Photos. On both desktop and mobile, you can use the storage manager to see what is taking up space, then permanently delete large or unnecessary files to reclaim storage.

Understanding Your Google Storage

Google Drive storage is shared across three main services: Google Drive (files you upload, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.), Gmail (attachments and emails), and Google Photos (original-quality photos and videos). This shared pool means a full Gmail inbox can fill up your Drive space, and vice versa. The free tier includes 15 GB of storage, which is often less than people expect once photos and emails accumulate.

When you delete a file from Google Drive, it goes to the Trash. Files in the Trash still count against your storage quota until you permanently delete them. The same applies to emails in the Trash and Spam folders in Gmail. This is a common reason why people delete files but see no space freed up.

How to Free Up Space on Desktop (Web Browser)

On a computer, the quickest way to see what is using your storage is through the Google One storage manager, accessible from the Drive homepage.

Go to drive.google.com and sign in.
Look at the bottom-left corner of the sidebar. You will see a storage bar showing how much space you have used. Click on it to open the storage manager.
The storage manager groups items into three categories: Drive, Gmail, and Photos. Click each category to see the largest items first.
For Drive files, you can select files and click the trash icon to delete them. Then, go to the Trash (in the left sidebar), click Empty trash to permanently delete them and free space immediately.
For Gmail, you can search for large emails using size:10M in the search bar, then delete them. Remember to empty the Trash and Spam folders afterward.
For Photos, you can review large videos and photos in the Photos app, but deleting them from the Photos app is separate from Drive. If you have not used Photos, skip this step.

Another method on desktop is to sort files by size. In Drive, click the Storage tab in the left panel (if available) or use the search filter size:100M to find files larger than 100 MB. This helps you spot large videos, PDFs, or ZIP files you may have forgotten about.

How to Free Up Space on Mobile (Android and iOS)

On mobile, the process is similar but adapted for touch screens. The Google Drive app on both Android and iOS has a Storage section in the menu.

Open the Google Drive app and tap the menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.
Tap Storage. You will see a breakdown of what is using space: Drive files, Gmail, and Photos.
Tap on Drive to see a list of your largest files. Select any file and tap the trash icon to delete it.
To permanently delete, tap the menu again, go to Trash, and tap Empty trash.
For Gmail, open the Gmail app, search for has:attachment larger:10M to find large emails, delete them, and then empty the Trash in Gmail.
For Photos, open the Google Photos app, select large videos or photos, and delete them. Then go to the Photos Trash and empty it.

On mobile, you can also free space by removing downloaded files that are stored offline. In the Drive app, tap on a file and select Remove from device if you have it downloaded for offline access. This does not delete the file from the cloud, but it frees up space on your phone or tablet.

Cleaning Up Gmail to Free Drive Space

Gmail attachments are a major hidden storage consumer. A single email with a 25 MB attachment can take up that much space. To find and delete large emails:

Use the search operator size:10M to show emails larger than 10 MB.
Use has:attachment to see emails with attachments.
Use older_than:2y to find old emails you likely do not need.
Combine them: size:10M older_than:1y finds large emails over a year old.

After deleting emails, remember to empty the Trash and Spam folders. In Gmail, go to the Trash folder and click Empty Trash now. The same for Spam. This action permanently removes the data and frees up space.

Reducing Google Photos Storage Usage

Google Photos can consume a large portion of your 15 GB if you back up photos in original quality. To reduce this:

Change your backup quality to Storage saver (formerly High quality). This compresses photos to 16 MP and videos to 1080p, which does not count against your storage quota.
Note: Photos backed up before June 1, 2021 in High quality do not count toward storage. Photos backed up after that date do count.
Delete large videos from Photos. Videos often take up hundreds of MB or even GB.
Use the Photos app’s storage manager to see a breakdown of large items.

If you have many photos, consider downloading them to your computer or an external drive, then deleting them from Google Photos. This is a manual process but can free up a lot of space.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

One common mistake is thinking that deleting a file from the Drive app on your phone frees up cloud storage. If you delete a file that is only on your device, it does not affect your cloud storage. You need to delete the cloud copy.

Another misconception is that files in the Trash do not count. They do count until you empty the Trash. Always empty the Trash after deleting large files.

Also, shared files count against the owner’s storage, not yours. If someone shares a large folder with you, it does not use your quota unless you make a copy of it.

Finally, converting a file to Google format (e.g., uploading a Word doc and converting to Google Docs) does not count against storage. However, the original Word file, if you keep it in Drive, does count. You can delete the original after conversion, but be aware that formatting may change.

What to Do When You Still Need More Space

If you have cleaned up everything and still need more space, you have a few options:

Purchase a Google One plan. Plans start at 100 GB and go up to 2 TB or more. This is the simplest solution.
Use an external hard drive to store large files locally and remove them from Drive. You can keep a shortcut or a Google Docs link to the file.
Use a different cloud service for some files, such as a free tier of another provider, but be mindful of privacy and terms.
Compress large files before uploading. For example, zip a folder of images to reduce size.

Before buying more storage, double-check that you have emptied all trash folders and removed any large files you no longer need. Often people find they have several GB of old emails or duplicate photos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did I delete files but my storage still shows full?

Most likely because the files are still in the Trash. Deleted files stay in the Trash for 30 days and count against your storage. You must empty the Trash in Drive, Gmail, and Photos to actually free up space.

Does deleting a file from my phone delete it from Google Drive?

No, unless you are using the Drive app and delete the cloud file. If you delete a file from your phone’s local storage that is also in Drive, the cloud copy remains. To free up cloud space, you must delete the file from the Drive app or website.

How do I find large files in Google Drive?

On desktop, use the search bar and type size:100M to find files larger than 100 MB. On mobile, go to the Storage section in the Drive app to see a list of your largest files. You can also use the storage manager on the web.

Do Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides count against storage?

No. Files created in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Jamboard do not count against your storage quota. However, if you upload a Microsoft Word file and convert it to Google Docs, the original file, if kept, counts.

Can I free up space by deleting emails?

Yes, emails with attachments count against your storage. Deleting large emails and then emptying the Trash and Spam folders will free up space. Use the search operator size:10M to find large emails.

What is the fastest way to free up a lot of space?

The fastest way is to empty the Trash in Drive, Gmail, and Photos. If you have not emptied them in a while, you may instantly free up several GB. Then, sort files by size and delete any large videos or archives you no longer need.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.