Google Drive full? Here's how to get your storage back for free

1. Hunt down your storage hogs

Start your cleanup mission by identifying the biggest space wasters in your Google Drive. Navigate to the Storage section in your Drive's left sidebar, which automatically sorts files from largest to smallest.

Look for video files, high-resolution images, and large document archives that you've forgotten about. These storage monsters often account for several gigabytes of space each. Delete just two or three of these and you might free up more space than clearing out hundreds of smaller files.

2. Try Google's search commands

Gmail hides some serious storage surprises if you know where to look. Type "has:attachment larger:10MB" into Gmail's search bar to reveal all emails with hefty attachments.

You'll be amazed at how many large files are buried in your inbox from years past. Don't forget to check your Sent folder using the same search, as forgotten files are still eating up space

After deleting unwanted emails, remember to empty your trash folder completely, as deleted items continue consuming storage for 30 days.

3. Clean out your spam and promotions folders

Your spam folder is probably overflowing with months or years of junk mail that's quietly consuming precious storage space. Gmail's spam filter works overtime, but it doesn't automatically delete these messages.

Head to your spam folder, click the tick box and use the "Delete forever" option to instantly reclaim space. While you're at it, check your Promotions and Social tabs for unnecessary emails with attachments that you'll never need again.

4. Tackle duplicate and low-quality photos

Google Photos is often the biggest storage culprit, especially if you've been backing up phone photos for years. Look for duplicate images, blurry shots, and those 47 nearly identical photos you took trying to get the perfect selfie.

Google Photos doesn't offer a size-sorting feature like Drive, but you can manually review your largest albums and delete obvious space wasters. Screenshots of memes, accidental pocket photos, and old social media images are prime candidates for deletion.

5. Download important files before deleting

Before permanently deleting files you might need later, download them to your computer or an external drive. This hybrid approach lets you keep important documents while freeing up cloud storage.

Focus on archiving files you rarely access but can't bring yourself to delete permanently. Large video files, old project archives, and complete photo albums from past events are perfect candidates for local storage.

6. Empty all your trash folders completely

This step is crucial but often overlooked. Google doesn't immediately delete files when you move them to trash. They continue consuming storage for 30 days in Drive and Photos, and forever in Gmail until you manually empty the trash.

Visit the trash folder in each Google service and use the "Empty trash" option to permanently remove files and actually reclaim your storage space. This final step often frees up several gigabytes that were technically deleted but still counting against your limit.

7. Create a second Google account

If you've exhausted all cleanup options and still need more space, consider creating a second Google account for additional free storage. You can transfer files between accounts or use the new account specifically for certain types of content like photos or archived documents.

While this requires managing multiple accounts, it effectively doubles your free storage without any monthly fees. Use Google's data transfer tools to move files between accounts efficiently.