How to Clear Google Drive Storage: A Complete Guide

Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. If you find yourself running out of space, follow this step-by-step guide to free up storage efficiently.

Step 1: Check Your Storage Usage

1. Open Google One Storage Page.
2. View the breakdown of space used by Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

Step 2: Delete Large and Unnecessary Files

1. Open Google Drive.
2. Click on Storage from the left panel to view files sorted by size.
3. Identify and delete large files you no longer need.
4. Empty the Trash by clicking Bin > Empty Bin.

Step 3: Remove Unused Gmail Attachments

1. Open Gmail.
2. In the search bar, type has:attachment larger:10MB to find large emails.
3. Delete unnecessary emails with large attachments and empty the Trash.

Step 4: Manage Google Photos Storage

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Click on Storage Management in settings.
3. Delete blurry, duplicate, or unwanted photos and videos.
4. Enable Storage Saver mode to reduce file size automatically.

Step 5: Clear Shared Files

1. Go to Google Drive and click Shared with me.
2. Identify files you no longer need and remove access.

Step 6: Delete Old Backups

1. Open Google Drive.
2. Click on Settings > Manage Apps.
3. Remove old device backups and app data.

Step 7: Use Google One for More Insights

1. Visit Google One.
2. Use the Storage Manager to find files taking up space.
3. Consider upgrading storage if needed.

By following these steps, you can efficiently clear space on Google Drive and keep your storage organized. Happy decluttering!