To effectively reduce your Google Photos storage, you'll need to manage your existing photos and videos and potentially adjust your upload settings. Here’s how:
1. Review and Delete Existing Photos and Videos:
This is the most direct way to free up space.
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On your Android device:
- Open the Google Photos app.
- Sign in to your Google Account.
- Tap your Profile picture or Initial (usually at the top right).
- Tap "Photos settings" then "Backup".
- Tap "Manage storage."
- Under "Review and delete," you'll find categories like "Blurry photos," "Screenshots," or "Large videos." Review these.
- Select the items you want to delete.
- Tap "Move to trash." Remember that items in the trash are permanently deleted after 60 days.
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On your computer:
- Go to photos.google.com and sign in.
- Click "Storage" in the left-hand menu. (If you don't see 'Storage', click on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of the screen to expand the menu.)
- From here, you can manage your storage in a similar manner to the Android app.
2. Change Upload Size (Quality) for Future Backups:
Google Photos offers different upload sizes that impact storage usage.
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Original Quality: Photos and videos are stored in the same resolution that you took them, which uses your Google Account storage.
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Storage saver (formerly High quality): Photos and videos are compressed slightly. Photos can be saved at up to 16MP, and videos at 1080p. Content is compressed to take up less space. Content backed up in Storage saver from June 1, 2021, onward counts toward your Google Account storage.
To change your upload size:
- Open the Google Photos app on your Android device (or go to photos.google.com on your computer).
- Tap your Profile picture or Initial.
- Tap "Photos settings" then "Backup & sync".
- Tap "Upload size".
- Choose "Storage saver" to compress future uploads. Note: this will not compress already uploaded photos. You can use the "Recover storage" feature (found under "Manage storage") to compress existing Original quality photos down to Storage saver quality. This is a one-way process.
3. Delete Unwanted Photos and Videos from Trash:
Remember to empty the trash in Google Photos to permanently delete the files and reclaim storage space. Files remain in the trash for 60 days before permanent deletion.
4. Check and Delete Large Files:
As previously mentioned, Google Photos often identifies large videos and other files that consume a significant amount of storage. Reviewing and deleting these can quickly free up space.
5. Use Google One Storage Manager:
If you have a Google One subscription, the Storage Manager can help you identify and remove unwanted files across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Access it through the Google One app or website.
By following these steps, you can significantly reduce your Google Photos storage and manage your account more effectively.
