Running low on Google Drive storage, 8 things to check

Google now provides 15GB of complimentary cloud storage with every Google account , covering all Google services like Gmail , Photos , Docs, Sheets, Drive, and more. With this storage shared across multiple platforms, it's easy to reach your limit quickly. While purchasing extra storage through Google One is an option, cleaning up your existing storage is also beneficial.

Here are 8 crucial factors to consider for effective management of your Google Drive storage .

Assess your Google Drive usage
Begin by identifying the primary data or Google service consuming the majority of your storage space. Navigate to the Google Drive website and access the "Storage" section to analyse your usage breakdown. Pinpoint which files or folders are occupying the largest portion of your storage. Once identified, it's time to proceed with necessary actions.

Empty your trash
Items deleted from Google Drive are temporarily stored in the Trash folder for 30 days. To free up storage space, manually remove them from the Trash.

Free up drive storage by removing Gmail attachments
Attachments received in Gmail contribute to Drive's storage usage. Therefore, it's recommended to delete unnecessary emails, particularly those with attachments, to prevent them from occupying cloud storage space. Utilise Gmail's search bar with the "has:attachment" operator to locate emails with attachments, then download and delete them from Google Drive as needed.

Manage your Google Meet recordings
Recording numerous Meet calls can significantly impact your Drive storage. Ensure to delete recordings either after downloading them or once you no longer require them for reference. This practice helps prevent unnecessary consumption of your Drive storage allocation.

Be careful when using Google Photos backup
Google Photos backup automatically backs up content from your camera gallery. Fortunately, it provides the flexibility to select specific albums for backup, ensuring that only essential photos and videos are stored. Consider refraining from backing up videos, as they tend to have larger file sizes and consume more storage space. Additionally, opt to upload images in High quality rather than full resolution to further conserve storage.

Compress files before uploading
For sizeable files occupying considerable space, contemplate compressing them into ZIP or RAR archives. Compressed files utilise less storage space while preserving the content intact.

Utilise Google's storage manager to declutter Drive
If your Google Drive is reaching capacity, leverage Google's built-in tool to efficiently remove unneeded data stored within it. Navigate to https://one.google.com/u/1/storage and employ the tool to purge unnecessary files, effectively freeing up valuable storage space.

Monitor shared storage usage among family members
If you're sharing your Google Drive storage with family members, assess whether any individual is utilising an excessive amount of storage space. If this is the case, kindly request that they remove any unused data to liberate storage capacity.