If you’ve ever seen that dreaded “Storage full” notification while trying to upload a new photo to Google Photos, you’re not alone. With free accounts limited to 15 GB, shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail, space can fill up faster than you’d expect. Before considering a paid upgrade, why not try a few simple tricks to reclaim space? You might be surprised by how much storage you can free up in just a few minutes.
Why you should optimize your Google Photos storage
Google Photos is a fantastic tool for backing up and organizing memories, but that generous storage isn’t unlimited—especially if you’re using a free account. Once you hit the cap, you may experience slower performance or lose the ability to upload new photos. Instead of rushing to buy more storage, start by cleaning up unnecessary files.
Let’s go through some quick and efficient ways to tidy up your Google Photos without losing your most precious shots.
1. Delete duplicate files and unnecessary screenshots
One of the biggest space wasters? Duplicate photos and screenshots. Sometimes, we unknowingly save multiple versions of the same image, or we forget to delete old screenshots. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to clear them out.
The Files by Google app (preinstalled on many Android devices) makes it easy:
- Open the app and go to the “Clean” tab.
- Select “Delete duplicate files”—the app will automatically detect identical photos and videos.
- Review the list and remove duplicates with a single tap.
The app also helps with old screenshots—those event tickets, one-time conversations, or random images you saved “just in case.” Head back to the “Clean” tab and look for “Delete old screenshots”. You can review them before deleting, ensuring you don’t lose anything important.
For iPhone users, Google Photos itself has a built-in option:
- Tap your profile picture in the app.
- Go to Settings > Stack similar photos.
- Google will now group similar images, making it easy to keep the best one and discard the rest.
2. Find and remove blurry or bad-quality photos
We’ve all taken photos that seemed perfect at the time—only to realize later they were blurry, poorly framed, or taken by accident. These images can silently eat up storage, so why not get rid of them?
Again, Files by Google comes to the rescue:
- Open the app and navigate to the “Clean” tab.
- Find the option “Remove blurry photos”.
- The app automatically selects images with poor quality—review them before deleting.
A word of caution: while the algorithm is fairly accurate, it’s not perfect. Always double-check the suggested deletions to avoid losing a photo that might be sentimental despite its imperfections.
3. Compress your photos to save space
If you’re looking for a quick way to recover large amounts of storage, consider compressing your photos and videos. This reduces their file size while maintaining decent quality. Google Photos offers a built-in option for this:
- Open Google Photos in a web browser.
- Click on the gear icon (Settings).
- Select “Storage saver” mode.
This setting reduces file sizes while keeping images clear enough for most users. However, note that this change is permanent—once compressed, you can’t restore the original quality. If you value high-definition photos, regular manual cleanups might be a better option.
4. Don’t forget these cleanup precautions
Before you start deleting files, keep these important tips in mind:
- Back up your most important photos elsewhere, like an external hard drive, USB stick, or another cloud service.
- Be careful with shared files—if you delete a photo from Google Photos or Drive, it might disappear for other users too. Check sharing settings before removing anything important.
- Set a cleanup routine—if you take lots of pictures, a monthly cleanup will prevent storage from reaching full capacity again too quickly.
Enjoy a clutter-free Google Photos library
With these simple but effective tips, you can free up significant space on Google Photos without spending a dime. Whether you’re deleting duplicates, getting rid of old screenshots, or compressing images, a few minutes of effort can save you from storage headaches.
So, before you upgrade to a paid plan, give these tricks a try—you might find that your free storage still has plenty of life left!