How to Free Up Google Storage Space FAST — Don't Delete All Your Emails!, by DIY Digital Fix on YouTube. 4 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open Gmail and check the storage warning at the bottom of the page. It shows how much of your 15 GB is used and links to your full storage breakdown.
In the Gmail search bar, type larger:10M and press Enter. This lists emails with attachments over 10 MB, which are usually the biggest space hogs.
Sort through the results and delete attachments you no longer need. Change 10M to 20M or 25M if the list is still long.
Search category:promotions and select the older promotional emails. Tick the boxes on the left, then click the trash icon to delete them in bulk.
Empty the Gmail Trash folder. Click Trash in the left sidebar, then choose Empty Trash now to remove those messages for good.
Do the same with Spam. Open Spam, click Delete all spam messages now, and confirm.
Go to drive.google.com and open the storage view to see what is taking space. Empty the Drive trash from the left sidebar if files are sitting there.
Check photos.google.com next. Delete screenshots, blurry shots and duplicate videos, then empty the Photos bin.
Tips and common mistakes
Google storage is one shared pool, so clearing Drive or Photos frees Gmail space too.
Emptying Trash and Spam is permanent, so scan the list before you confirm.
Search filename:pdf or has:attachment to target heavy file types quickly.
Google One plans start at 100 GB if you would rather pay than delete.
Questions
Will deleting emails remove them from the recipient's inbox?
No. Deleting only removes your copy. The other person keeps their copy of the message.
Why is my storage still full after deleting emails?
Deleted mail sits in Trash for 30 days. Empty Trash and Spam to reclaim the space right away.
Does Google Photos count toward my 15 GB?
Yes. Photos, Drive files and Gmail all draw from the same 15 GB unless you have a paid Google One plan.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
