If your Google Drive is overflowing with digital clutter, you’re definitely not alone. With 15GB of free storage quickly gobbled up by photos, videos, and endless documents, it can feel like your virtual filing cabinet is bursting at the seams. But before you rush to upgrade to a Google One plan, we’ve got some hassle-free strategies that can help you reclaim that space without spending a dime.

Discover the Big Stuff: Find and Delete Large Files

One of the quickest ways to create space is to tackle the biggest offenders first. Instead of sifting through hundreds of small documents, you can clear out just a couple of large files. Here’s how to do it for both Google Drive and Gmail.

In Google Drive

  1. Log into your Google Drive account.
  2. Click on Storage in the left-hand menu.
  3. If your files aren’t already sorted by size, click Storage used to view them from largest to smallest.
  4. Select the large files you wish to delete; you can hold the Shift key for multiple selections.
  5. Click the trash bin icon or drag the files to Trash on the left side.
  6. Don’t forget to empty your trash by clicking Trash on the left, then Empty Trash at the top.

In Gmail

  1. Log into your Gmail account.
  2. Type has:attachment larger:10MB into the search bar, then hit Search.
  3. Select the emails you want to delete and click the trash icon.
  4. Go to Trash and click Empty Trash now to finalize the deletion.

By focusing on large files in both Drive and Gmail, you can quickly free up significant storage space without tedious deletions.

Clean Out Your Spam and Promotions Folders

It’s often easy to forget about the spam folder, where unwanted emails can take up valuable space.

On Desktop:

  1. Log into Gmail.
  2. Click on Spam in the left menu (if it’s not visible, click More).
  3. Hit Delete all spam messages now.
  4. Confirm in the pop-up.

On Mobile:

  1. Open the Gmail app.
  2. Tap the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines).
  3. Select Spam.
  4. Tap Delete all spam messages now.

Emptying your spam and other promotional folders regularly can create a space-saving impact without you lifting a finger to sift through unnecessary emails.

Trim Down Your Photo Library

Google Photos can quickly consume your free storage, especially with high-resolution images and videos.

On Desktop:

  1. Log into Google Photos.
  2. Select images you wish to delete by hovering over them and clicking the gray checkmark.
  3. Click the trash icon, then confirm by clicking Move to trash.
  4. Go to Trash and click Empty trash.

On Mobile:

  1. Open Google Photos and log in.
  2. Select the photo or video.
  3. Tap the trash can icon and confirm.
  4. Access the Trash and tap Empty trash to clear it out.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on duplicates or images you no longer wish to keep; less is more when it comes to storage.

Download and Go Offline

When all else fails, downloading files to your computer can help reduce clutter without having to delete anything permanently.

For Google Drive and Google Photos:

  1. Open your account and log in.
  2. Select files or photos to download.
  3. Click the three stacked dots in the upper-right corner and select Download.

For Gmail:

  1. Open an email you want to download.
  2. Click the three stacked dots and select Download.

Once downloaded, you can safely remove these items from your Google storage, keeping your files accessible offline.

Bonus Tip: Compress Files for More Space

If you’re looking to maintain some of your media but need to save space, consider compressing your files. Google Photos provides options for saving storage through file size reduction, though this will affect quality.

Getting control of your Google Drive storage may take a little time, but with these simple strategies, you can enjoy a more organized and efficient digital space. You can now focus on what matters your photos, documents, and, yes, even that next vacation.

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