Updated September 2026: in early 2023 I wrote about Google's change to count photos against the free 15 GB, and how quickly that fills for anyone with years of photos. I have rewritten it into a practical guide to reclaiming space in a full Google account.
Unlimited photo storage alongside 15 GB for Drive and Gmail felt generous. Once new photo uploads started counting against the 15 GB, from June 2021, many of us, me included, found the space shared by Photos, Gmail and Drive filling quickly. Before paying for more, it is worth clearing what you do not need.
What counts against Google's free 15 GB?
Everything across Google Photos, Gmail and Google Drive: photos and videos uploaded since June 2021, email and attachments, and files in Drive, including items in trash until it is emptied. Photos uploaded in "high quality" before June 2021 remain exempt.
How do you find what is using the space?
Open the Google One storage page or the storage manager in Google Photos. It shows the split between Photos, Gmail and Drive and suggests items to review, such as large files, blurry photos and screenshots.
Where is space quickest to reclaim?
- Large videos: a few long videos can use more space than thousands of photos.
- Gmail attachments: search for "has:attachment larger:10M" and delete old ones you do not need.
- Drive files: sort by storage used and remove old downloads and duplicates.
- Screenshots and blurry shots: the storage manager groups these for quick review.
- Trash: empty it in Photos, Gmail and Drive, since deleted items still count until then.
Should you switch to Storage saver quality?
It reduces the size of future uploads, and Google offers an option to convert existing photos to Storage saver to recover space. Conversion reduces quality permanently, so keep full-quality copies of important photos elsewhere before using it.
When is it time to pay?
If you have cleared the obvious waste and still need space, a small Google One plan is inexpensive and can be shared with family. Compare it with alternatives such as OneDrive or iCloud if you also need their other features.
What should you do with old photos?
Keep an offline copy of your full library on an external drive, exported with Google Takeout. It protects you against account problems and future policy changes like the one in 2021.
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