Free Ways to Increase Google Drive Space

Introduction:

When it comes to organizing your files and important documents and then presenting data online, Google Drive will help you store your data.

You get 15 GB of this storage for free on Google Drive and it is available on every Google account. And it seems like a lot to us. Google shares a lot of things in it. And you don't even know that it starts filling up quickly.

The good news is that you can get Google Drive space for free without an account upgrade. In this, I will tell you how to increase Google Drive space for free. And now I will tell you practical ways.

1. Clean up your Google Drive You can clear out a little storage space in Google Drive by simply cleaning out things that you no longer need. Files just pile up over time: old documents, downloads, or shared files that you no longer need. Here's how to declutter your Drive efficiently:

·   Steps to Declutter Your Drive:
1. Sort by Size:
·    Sign in to Google Drive and click on the gear button at the top-right corner to open up a new dropdown menu. Now choose "Storage."
·     Your files will be sorted based on size. Begin deleting largest unnecessary files first
2.remove duplicate files
·    Sometimes, the same file may have been uploaded multiple times. Utilize third party software such as "Duplicate File Finder for Drive" that is available as a chrome extension to quickly find and delete duplicates.
3. empty trash
·    delete files do not delete; they still occupy space in your Trash folder.
·     open the Google Drive to your Trash folder; click "Empty Trash" to free up space.
·     Use third-party tools like “Duplicate File Finder for Drive” (available as a Chrome extension) to quickly find and remove duplicates. 

·         Go to your Trash folder in Google Drive and click “Empty Trash” to free up the space.

2. Use Google Photos for Photo and Video Storage

Photos and videos are some of the biggest space hogs. Luckily, Google Photos offers a great solution.

Free Option to Save Space:

• Enable Storage Saver in Google Photos:
  Google Photos lets you upload images and videos in slightly compressed quality without counting against your 15GB limit.
• Open Google Photos > Settings > Backup and Sync.
•  Choose the “Storage saver” option to reduce the size of photos and videos while keeping good quality.

By doing this, you can transfer large photo files from Google Drive to Google Photos and save tons of space.

3. Clear Big Attachments from Email in Gmail

Google Drive and Gmail use the same storage space, and email attachments will amaze people at just how much room they can use up. Freeing up that precious space in your inbox is freeing.
How To Identify and Clear Large Emails:
1. Enter size:10mb in the search box of Gmail to find emails that exceed 10 MB.
2. Check and delete all the unnecessary emails that contain big attachments.
3. Do not forget to clean the Gmail Trash folder afterwards.
Pro Tip: Save the attachment but not the email by downloading the file and deleting the email to free up space in your storage.

4. Remove Files from Google Workspace Apps

Files created in Google Drive using Docs, Sheets, and Slides don't use much space, but files shared with you or those that contain images might.

How to Find and Remove These Files:

•Open Google Drive and sort by "Owned by Me" or "Shared With Me."

•Remove any files that are no longer needed or useful.

•For shared files, right-click and choose "Remove" to free up space on your end.

5. Shared Files Resource Management: 

Shared files can consume a massive amount of space on your end without you really knowing it.

6. Download and Archive with Google Takeout

 If you no longer need your files but cannot remove them since you might need that space in Google Drive again, you can download and archive it with Google Takeout.

 Steps on Download and Archive with Google Takeout

 Step 1: Access Google Takeout.

 Step 2: Choose the data you wish to download including files, emails, and photos.

 Step 3: You can export to your computer or external drive.

4. Once you download, delete from Google Drive, so you free up a little space.

7. Convert Files to Google Formats Do you know that files natively native to Google (such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides) do not apply to your quota?

8. Take Advantage of Shared Drives

If you’re part of a Google Workspace or G Suite organization, check if your plan includes Shared Drives (formerly Team Drives). Files stored in Shared Drives don’t count toward your personal storage quota.

Ask your admin to create a Shared Drive where you can offload files you no longer need in your account.

9. Compress big files before upload

If you upload large files to Google Drive frequently, compress them first. WinRAR, 7-Zip, or using Mac/Windows zipping options are all effective ways to reduce file sizes significantly.

This is the simplest way to maximize your storage without losing functionality.

10. Keep an Eye on Google Drive Storage Reports

Google does provide an easy way to monitor how much of your storage is used. Monitoring this data can help identify areas of issues.

How to Monitor Storage Usage:

1. Google One Storage.

2. Review how much space each service (Drive, Gmail, Photos) is using.

This insight helps you prioritize where to clear space.

11. Link to Files Instead of Uploading Copies

Instead of uploading duplicate files to share with others, use Google Drive’s link-sharing feature. Simply copy the shareable link and send it to collaborators instead of duplicating the file in their storage.

12. Clean up Google Drive app data

Many apps also automatically save their data backups in Google Drive. This can build up quickly for you, too, such as uploading WhatsApp data backups that you no longer want.

Method of Storing App Data:

1.         Open Google Drive, click the gear icon, and select “Settings.”

2.         Click on “Manage Apps.”

3.         Scroll through the list and remove app data you don’t need.

13. Use a Secondary Google Account

If you’re running out of space and don’t want to upgrade, consider creating a second Google account for additional free storage.

How to Make It Work:

• Upload files to the secondary account and share them with your primary account.

• Use link-sharing to easily access files between accounts.

This way, you double your storage for free.

14. Periodically Back Up Offsite

• Consider backing up your Google Drive data to an external hard drive or cloud service such as Dropbox or OneDrive. This way, you can offload old files, keeping your Google Drive organized and freeing it for current projects.

15. Turn on Automatic Cleanups

• Google enabled the auto-deletion of files from Trash after 30 days. To prevent permanently keeping unwanted files, use this automated deletion feature.

16. Customize Gmail and Google Photos Settings

• Here are two bonus tips on how to fine-tune your other Google applications:
• For Gmail:
• •Use filters to delete promotional or spam emails.
• •Unsubscribe periodically from mailing lists you no longer need.
• For Google Photos:
• Review through storage by using a tool called the "Manage Storage" in your Google Photos.
• The app has included smart cleaning of blurry pictures and duplicates.

Final Thoughts

There's no need to get anxious about managing your Google Drive space. You can increase storage and remain organized by not paying for additional space if you take these free tips on board. A good cleaning up of files, using smart storage tools, and availing of the features offered by Google will do wonders.

Try these hacks today and discover for yourself just how much additional room you can salvage. Any suggestions of your own? I'm all ears down below; don't hesitate to share yours as well!