How to Recover Storage Space on Google Drive
Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos (Custode, 2024).
In this tutorial you will learn how to manually delete items from Google Drive, Google Photos and Gmail, and then how to empty their bins.
Determining Which Files Use the Most Space
Step 1: Open Google Drive and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: In the left-hand sidebar, click on to view a breakdown of all your files sorted by size, with the largest files at the top.
Step 3: Review the list and identify files or folders you no longer need. You can click on a file to see its details, or right-click and select to delete it directly from this view.
Step 4: To see how your storage is distributed across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos, click on the storage usage summary at the bottom of the panel, visit Google One Storage Manager for a detailed overview with suggestions for clearing space.
Using the view is the quickest way to find and remove large files that are taking up the most space in your Google Drive.
Manually Deleting Files from Google Drive
You can delete files directly from your Google Drive without sending them to the first. This is useful when you want to remove specific files without affecting others.
Step 1: Open Google Drive in your web browser and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: Navigate to the file or folder you want to delete. You can browse through or use the search bar at the top to find specific items.
Step 3: Right-click on the file or folder and select from the context menu. Alternatively, select the file by clicking the checkbox next to it and click the trash can icon in the toolbar at the top.
Step 4: The file is now moved to the . You can repeat this process for each file you wish to remove. To select multiple files at once, hold down the key (or on Mac) while clicking each file, then right-click and choose .
When you delete files, they move to the (or ) and continue to count against your quota until the bin is emptied. Files that are removed manually still occupy storage space unless the is emptied � this is covered in the next section.
Emptying the Bin in Google Drive
When you delete files, they move to the (or ) and continue to count against your quota until the bin is emptied. Files in the bin are automatically deleted after 30 days, but you can empty it manually at any time to recover space immediately.
Follow these steps to permanently delete files from your Google Drive bin and recover storage space:
Step 1: Open Google Drive in your web browser and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: In the left-hand sidebar, click on (or ) to view all deleted files.
Step 3: To delete individual files, right-click on a file and select . To empty the entire bin, click the button near the top-right of the page.
Step 4: Confirm the deletion when prompted. Files deleted from the bin cannot be recovered.
Emptying the bin immediately frees up storage space. You can check your available storage at any time by clicking the gear icon and selecting > .
Manually Deleting Photos from Google Photos
Photos and videos stored in Google Photos also count toward your 15 GB storage quota. You can delete unwanted media directly from Google Photos to free up space.
Step 1: Open Google Photos in your web browser and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: Hover over a photo or video and click the checkmark that appears, or click on an item to open it and then click the trash can icon in the top-right corner.
Step 3: To delete multiple items at once, click the checkmark on each item you want to remove, then click the trash can icon in the top-right corner of the page.
Emptying the Bin in Google Photos
After deleting photos and videos, the items are moved to the Google Photos (). To permanently remove them and recover space, click on the icon (three lines) in the top-left, then select and click at the top-right.
Items in the Google Photos are automatically deleted after 60 days, but emptying the immediately recovers the storage space.
Manually Deleting Emails from Gmail
Emails and attachments in Gmail count toward your 15 GB storage quota. Deleting unwanted emails, especially those with large attachments, can free up significant space.
Step 1: Open Gmail in your web browser and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: To delete individual emails, open the email and click the trash can icon in the toolbar, or select the checkbox next to the email in your inbox and click the trash can icon.
Step 3: To bulk delete emails, use the select all checkbox at the top of your inbox, or search for specific emails using the search bar. For example, type to find emails with large attachments, then select and delete them.
Step 4: You can also quickly clear entire categories by going to the or tabs, selecting all emails with the checkbox at the top, and clicking the trash can icon.
Deleted emails are moved to the and continue to count toward your storage quota until the is emptied. Emails in the are automatically deleted after 30 days.
Emptying the Bin in Gmail
To immediately recover storage space, you need to empty the Gmail :
Step 1: In Gmail, click on in the left-hand sidebar to expand the menu, then click on .
Step 2: Click the select all checkbox at the top, then click to permanently remove all trashed emails.
Step 3: Alternatively, scroll to the bottom of the page and click to delete all trashed emails in one click.
Emptying the immediately frees up storage space. Note that emails deleted from the cannot be recovered.
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References
Abdul, S. (2025, October 18). 6 Simple Tips to Free Up Space in Google Drive. How-To Geek. https://www.howtogeek.com/tips-to-free-up-space-in-google-drive/
Custode, T. [Tasia Custode]. (2024, January 18). How to Clear Google Drive Storage Fast [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD8hhNaUV_o
Google. (n.d.). Delete & restore files in Google Drive. In Google Drive Help. https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2375102
McAuliffe, Z. (2026, June 4). Google Drive Almost Full? Try These Free and Easy Ways to Open Up Space. CNET. https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-drive-almost-full-try-these-free-and-easy-ways-to-open-up-space/
For more information, please visit the official Website and the archives at Google Support; or run a search via Bing, DuckDuckGo or Google for “clear google drive storage space”.
📅 June 7, 2026
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