Your Google storage is a shared pool of 15 GB of free space associated with your Google Account, used across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
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Shared Storage: The 15 GB isn't dedicated to one service. It's shared between Gmail (including attachments), Google Drive files (docs, sheets, presentations, PDFs, etc.), and Google Photos (original quality images and videos).
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Gmail: All emails, including attachments, count towards your storage limit. Large attachments can quickly eat into your available space.
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Google Drive: Files you upload to Google Drive, create in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and even some backed-up device data contribute to your storage usage. Google documents, sheets and slides do not count toward your storage limits.
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Google Photos: If you upload photos and videos in "Original Quality," they will count toward your storage quota. Choosing the "Storage saver" option (previously called "High quality") allows for compression, and photos uploaded in this way before June 1, 2021, do not count towards your quota. Photos uploaded at Storage saver quality after June 1, 2021, do count.
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Checking Your Storage: You can view your current storage usage at Google One Storage. This page shows a breakdown of how your storage is being used by different Google services.
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Freeing Up Storage:
- Delete unnecessary emails with large attachments.
- Remove unwanted files from Google Drive.
- Delete old photos and videos or use Google Photos' "Storage saver" setting (keeping in mind the June 1, 2021, change).
- Empty your Trash/Bin in both Gmail and Google Drive.
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Increasing Your Storage: If you need more than 15 GB, you can subscribe to a Google One plan. Google One provides additional storage and other benefits, such as family sharing options and Google expert support. Different storage tiers are available for a monthly or annual fee.
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Promotional Storage: Sometimes, you might receive extra storage through promotions (e.g., buying a new Chromebook). This storage is usually temporary and will expire after a certain period. Check the terms of the promotion for details.
In summary, your Google storage is a shared resource used across Google's core services. Understanding how it works and how to manage it can help you stay within your storage limits or decide if a Google One subscription is right for you.
