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While Google Drive offers a generous 15 GB of free storage, veteran users can load this memory with their files. Once you reach the limit, you may not even receive new mail, which can be a real pain to resolve. Since everything you upload to Google Photos will help fill your Google Drive space, these large files could be the first to save space.
In this article, we will provide details on how to delete unnecessary files from Google Photos on various devices. We’ll also show some tips on how to optimize Google Drive memory usage and make the most of the free storage plan.
How to free up space in Google Photos from a PC
Here’s how you can delete any image you want from your Google Photos on your computer:
- Go to the Google Photos official page.
- Select the images you want to delete. You can hover over the top left corner of an image to display a check mark. Checking it will allow selection of multiple images, but you will still need to check one image at a time.
- Click the trash icon (“Delete”) in the upper right corner.
- Select “Move to Trash” to confirm and delete the images.
This is probably the easiest mass delete option. The PC allows you to get the best overall picture of the items you are considering deleting.
How to free up space in Google Photos from an Android device
You can use the dedicated Google Photos app to delete images you don’t want to keep and save valuable space. This is what you should do:
- Open the Google Photos app and sign in to your Google account.
- Select your account profile photo in the upper right corner.
- Press “Photo Settings.”
- Go to the “Backup and Sync” option.
- With sync enabled, select the “Manage Storage” button.
- After opening an option to review and delete data, you will see a bunch of different categories. Select the items you want to move to your trash.
- The last step is to tap the “Move items to Trash” button and tap “OK”, the data you previously selected will disappear.
How to free up space in Google Photos from an iPhone
Google Photos works on iPhone through the app or the built-in Photos app, depending on your system version. Try these instructions:
- Open the Google Photos app on your iPhone and sign in to your Google account.
- Select the profile you want to manage.
- In the photo list, select the items you don’t need.
- The “Delete” button should appear. Touch it.
- Open your library, tap the “Trash” button, and delete the data you no longer need.
There’s also a subscription service called Google One, which integrates your Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos account for easier management. Let’s see how you can free up space here:
- Launch the Google One app on your iPhone.
- Choose the “Storage” option at the bottom.
- Look for the “Clear account storage” option and then free up some storage in your account.
- You will be able to see different categories. Google One recommends larger photos and other images (“Large Images”) first to save as much space and delete fewer images.
- Select the files you want to delete.
- After at least one item has been checked, the “Delete” button should appear at the top. Press it.
- Press “Permanently Delete” to confirm.
How to free up space in Google Photos from an iPad
When it comes to iPads, the procedure to delete unwanted images and videos is the same as with iPhones. This is what you should do:
- Go to the Google Photos app.
- Select the items you want to delete. After selecting the first photo, you should be able to mark more items for faster selection.
- The “Delete” button should appear. Touch it.
- In the Library, select the “Trash” tab. You can delete items from there to permanently delete them from Google Photos cloud storage.
A similar principle applies to Google One and this is how you can free up space here:
- Start Google One.
- Select “Storage” at the bottom.
- Explore the options available to save space. Google One publishes a list of recommendations, such as large images and videos, that could be removed first.
- Check the items you want to delete.
- After selecting at least one item, the “Delete” button should appear at the top. You can continue adding elements.
- Press “Delete” at the top when you’re done selecting.
- Choose “Permanently Delete” to confirm and delete these items from cloud storage.
- Repeat steps 4 through 7 as necessary.
Some more tips
While it can be time-consuming, going image by image is the best way to free up space, especially if you’re not sure when you’ll need it. However, there are some strategies to simplify choosing which items to remove. They can be useful, especially if you are undecided about what type of data to discard. Here are some general guidelines on how to prioritize image deletion:
- Screenshots: Did you take screenshots of countless car ads last year where you wanted to buy a car? By simply typing the word “screenshot” in the search bar of your Google Photos application, you will be able to select those that you no longer need.
- Take out the trash: Deleting images in Google Photos sends them to the trash folder for 60 days. If you need some space right away, empty the bin and free up your storage.
- Delete unsupported videos: Google Photos can store unsupported video formats, but you won’t be able to open or share them. Delete those videos and free up some more space.
- High resolution videos: You may want to delete some videos like this as they could be the main reason for lack of storage. You can search “video” in the Google Photos search bar and get rid of them.
- Disable photo backup: Google Photos may automatically backup videos and images from WhatsApp and other apps on your device and thus overload your storage space.
Here’s a brief overview of how to do this on an Android device:
- Open your Google Photos app.
- Tap your profile photo in the top right corner and choose “Photo Settings.”
- Use the option to backup and sync.
- Disable all folders that you do not want your media to be backed up to.
When it comes to iOS (iPhone and iPad), you need to open the app you don’t want to backup images from, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, and turn off media auto-save.
Make more room for memories
If you think you still can’t get enough space on your Google Photos even after following our tips and tricks, there is always the option of purchasing more Google Drive storage or upgrading to Google One.
What’s the first thing you remove to free up space in Google Photos? Is it worth using a subscription for online photo storage? Let us know in the comments p below!