What is the Free Storage Limit on Google Photos?

How Much Free Storage Does Google Photos Have
How Much Free Storage Does Google Photos Have

In the past, Google Photos provided limitless free storage for images and videos. That policy has since changed, though, as of June 1, 2021. Your Google account's storage limit, which includes Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive, is now impacted by the images and videos you upload.

What is the current amount of free storage available in Google Photos? Every Google account comes with 15 GB of free storage. Because Google Photos, Google Drive, and Gmail share this storage, using all three services will cause your storage to fill up faster.

However, there are strategies to make the most of this open area. A summary of the storage policy is provided below:

Knowing Google Photos Storage Limits

♦ Photos and videos: New photos and videos added to Google Photos starting June 1, 2021, will count toward your storage. This includes previously free photos and photos uploaded in “High quality” or original quality.

♦ Shared storage across services: Your 15 GB of free storage is not exclusive to Google Photos. It’s a combined storage for Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive. This means if you receive large email attachments or store a lot of files on Google Drive, it will impact the available space in Google Photos.

♦ High resolution vs. original quality: Previously, there was a free “High quality” option where you could still upload photos, but now only photos and videos in “Original quality” will use storage. Uploading in “High quality” will no longer use up storage space in Google Drive, which helps compress files more efficiently and saves storage space (this was previously true for all uploads).

Now we have a better understanding of the storage limits. Here’s how to check and manage your storage in Google Photos efficiently.

How to check storage space using Google Photos

Checking your storage space in Google Photos is very easy. Here are the steps to do so:

Step 1. Open Google Photos

Go to the Google Photos website or open the Google Photos app on your computer or mobile device.

Step 2: Go to the storage settings on your iOS or Android smartphone

On Mobile (iOS/Android):

  • Open the Google Photos app.
  • Tap on your profile icon in the top right corner.
  • In the menu, select "Google Photos settings".
  • Select "Backup & sync" to check your storage.

On Desktop (web):

  • Visit Google Photos.
  • Click on your profile icon in the top right corner.
  • Select "Manage Google Account".
  • On the left, click on "Data & Privacy".
  • Scroll down to the "Storage" section. You will be able to check how much storage you have used.

Step 3: Check your storage space

You will get a detailed breakdown of your usage in Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.

If you uploaded videos in "Standard quality" or photos in "High quality", you can see how much of your 15 GB of space that data is taking up.

Step 4: Take action

Google will alert you when your storage space is running low and give you the option to manage your files or purchase additional storage.

How to Efficiently Manage Storage Space on Google Photos

Managing your storage space in Google Photos is important for organizing your account and avoiding unnecessary expenses. Here are some ways to manage your storage space efficiently:

1. Delete unnecessary photos and videos Delete unnecessary photos and videos.

Thousands of blurry or duplicate photos can quickly pile up. Check your photos from time to time and delete the ones you no longer need. You can also use the "Remove duplicate photos" tool to find and delete duplicate photos.

2. Use the "Free Up Space" feature in Google.

One of the useful features of Google Photos is the "Free Up Space" option. With this option, when you upload photos to Google Photos, those photos will be automatically deleted from your phone. To use this feature:

► On your mobile device (Android/iOS):

  • Open the Google Photos app
  • Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
  • Select "Free up space".

Google will delete photos and videos from your phone to free up space and show you how much is safely stored in the cloud.

3. Select "High quality" (compression).

You can use the "High quality" setting, which reduces the size of your images and videos. Uploading at "Original quality" will take up more space, but it won't reduce your storage space on Google and will still be good quality for most purposes.

► To switch to high quality:

  • Go to Settings in Google Photos.
  • Select Backup & sync and then select High quality.

4. Delete files from Google Drive and Gmail.

Since Google services share your 15 GB of free storage, it's a good idea to check Gmail and Google Drive to get rid of any unnecessary files. Clear your spam folder, delete old emails with large attachments, and delete unnecessary files from Google Drive.

5. Get Additional Storage.

You can buy more storage through Google One if you've used up all 15 GB and don't want to remove anything. Google One plans begin with 100 GB and increase in size.

Bonus Tip: Transfer or Sync Files between Google Photos and Other Cloud Services

This article addresses the question "How much free storage does Google Photos have?". If you’re considering migrating files from your current cloud service to Google Photos, or vice versa, MultCloud can be extremely useful. Trusted by over 3 million users, MultCloud is a multi-cloud management tool that facilitates the transfer or synchronization of files between various cloud services.

For instance, it allows for seamless file transfers from cloud drives like Google Photos to OneDrive without the need to download and then re-upload files. MultCloud also enables you to access and manage all your cloud accounts via a single application. Currently, it supports more than 30 different cloud services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Photos, iCloud Photos, FTP, WebDAV, and more.

  • Cloud Transfer: MultCloud can transfer files from one cloud service to another directly without downloading and re-uploading.
  • Cloud Sync: With MultCloud, you can easily sync two folders between different cloud services in real-time.
  • Cloud Backup: You can backup and restore data between different cloud services automatically.
  • Instagram Downloader: MultCloud can help you download Instagram videos, photos, reels, and stories to local device or remotely upload them to your clouds.
  • Email Migration: You can directly back up and save Gmail emails as PDFs to your computer or cloud drive in bulk. 
  • Manage all cloud accounts in one place: Connect all your clouds to MultCloud and you'll find it so easy to access and manage multiple cloud storage files with a single login.

Conclusion

In conclusion, how much free storage does Google Photos have? 15 GB of free storage is available for use with Google Photos, Gmail, and Drive. You can always buy more storage through Google One if you need more space. You can simply maximize your free capacity and keep your images organized without encountering storage problems by routinely checking your storage, managing your files, and optimizing your upload settings.

To free up space, remember to routinely check your files and utilize the several tools Google offers. In this manner, you won't ever have to be concerned about running out of room when you need it most!