Free Up Space in Google Photos: Full Guide
To free up space in Google Photos, you need to delete items that are backed up in original quality (which count against your 15 GB storage quota) or use the built-in storage management tools. You can also reduce the size of existing photos and videos to “Storage saver� quality, or delete backed-up items from the trash, which permanently clears space.
How Google Photos Storage Works
Every Google Account gets 15 GB of free storage, shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Photos and videos backed up in Original quality count against this quota. Items backed up in Storage saver (formerly High quality) are compressed and, since June 2021, also count toward the 15 GB. Only items backed up before that date in “High quality� remain free and do not count.
When you delete a photo or video from the Google Photos app or website, it goes to the trash for 60 days. Until you empty the trash, the space is not freed. Also, deleting a photo from Google Photos does not delete it from your device unless you choose the “Delete from device� option.
Check What’s Using Your Storage
Before deleting anything, see what is consuming space:
- Open Google Photos and tap your profile picture or initials.
- Select “Account storage� or “Storage� to see a breakdown by Gmail, Drive, and Photos.
- In the Photos section, you’ll see how much is used by Original quality vs. Storage saver.
This helps you decide whether to compress existing items or delete them outright.
Use the Storage Management Tool
Google Photos has a built-in tool that suggests items to delete:
- Open Google Photos and go to Settings > Backup.
- Tap “Manage storage�.
- You’ll see categories like “Large photos & videos,� “Blurry photos,� and “Screenshots.�
- Review each category and select items you want to delete.
This tool is safe because it only shows items that are already backed up, so deleting them from Google Photos won’t remove them from your device.
Compress Existing Photos to Storage Saver
If you have many Original quality items, you can convert them to Storage saver to reduce their size. This is a one-way process—you cannot revert to Original quality after compression.
- On the web: Go to Google Photos > Settings > Recover storage.
- Click “Compress� to convert all Original quality items to Storage saver.
This can free several gigabytes if you have large videos. Note that this only affects items already backed up; new uploads will use the backup quality you select in settings.
Delete Unwanted Items and Empty Trash
Manually deleting photos and videos is straightforward:
- In Google Photos, select items by tapping and holding on mobile, or clicking the checkmark on the web.
- Tap the trash icon.
- Go to Trash (in the menu on the left on web, or under Library on mobile).
- Click “Empty trash� to permanently delete everything.
Remember: items in trash are stored for 60 days and still count toward your quota until permanently deleted. Emptying the trash is essential to actually free space.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
Many users think deleting photos from their phone frees Google Photos space, but that’s only true if the photos were not backed up. If they are backed up, the copy in the cloud remains and still uses quota. Another misconception: “Free up space� on your phone (in the Google Photos app) removes only the local copies of backed-up items, not the cloud copies—so it does not free up your Google storage. Also, deleting from Google Photos does not delete from your device unless you choose that option.
One more trap: videos can be large, so check your largest files first. Sorting by size is possible on the web using the search bar and filtering by “Videos� then sorting by size (if available). On mobile, you may need to use the “Large photos & videos� category in the storage management tool.
Alternatives to Freeing Space
If you don’t want to delete or compress, consider these options:
- Download and remove: Download your originals to an external drive, then delete them from Google Photos.
- Export: Use Google Takeout to download all your data, then delete it from the cloud.
- Buy more storage: Google One plans start at 100 GB for a monthly fee, but this is a paid alternative.
Remember that free storage is limited, so regular maintenance is necessary if you upload often.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting photos from Google Photos delete them from my phone?
No, not automatically. When you delete from Google Photos, you’ll see an option to “Delete from device� on mobile. If you choose that, it removes the local copy. On the web, deleting only affects the cloud copy. To free up device space, use the “Free up space� feature in the app, which removes only backed-up items from your device.
How do I know which photos are using the most storage?
On the web, you can search for “Videos� and sort by size (if available). On mobile, go to Settings > Backup > Manage storage and look at “Large photos & videos.� This shows the biggest items first.
What is the difference between Original quality and Storage saver?
Original quality keeps the full resolution and file size, counting against your quota. Storage saver compresses photos to 16 MP and videos to 1080p, which uses less storage. Both count toward the 15 GB now, but Storage saver uses significantly less space.
Will compressing my photos reduce their quality noticeably?
For most people, Storage saver quality is indistinguishable from Original on phone screens. However, if you plan to print large formats or edit extensively, you may notice a difference. Videos are capped at 1080p, so 4K footage will be downscaled.
Can I free up space without deleting photos?
Yes, by compressing Original quality items to Storage saver. This reduces file size without deleting anything. You can also download and remove items, but that’s effectively moving them off the cloud.
What happens to items in the trash after 60 days?
They are permanently deleted and no longer count against your storage. You can also manually empty the trash anytime to free space immediately.
Related
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.