How your Google storage works

What counts towards your storage quota

• Original quality photos and videos backed up to Google Photos.
• High quality (now named Storage saver) and Express quality photos and videos backed up to Google Photos after 1 June 2021. Any photos or videos that you've backed up in High quality or Express quality before 1 June 2021 will not count towards your Google Account storage. Learn more about this change.
• Gmail messages and attachments, which includes your Spam and Bin folders.
• Files in Google Drive, which include PDFs, images and videos.
• Meet call recordings.
• Files created or edited in collaborative content creation apps such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, Recorder and Jamboard.
  • Files created or edited after 1 June 2021 count against your quota.
  • Files uploaded or last edited before 1 June 2021 don't count against your quota.

Tip: WhatsApp backups on Android will soon count towards your Google Account storage. Learn more about WhatsApp backup.

What happens when you're over the quota

When you're over the quota, it means that you are using more storage space than you have available. If you go over your storage quota:

• You can't upload new files or images to Google Drive.
• You can't back up any photos and videos to Google Photos.
• Your ability to send and receive email in Gmail can be impacted.
• You can't create new files in collaborative content-creation apps like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Jamboard. Until you reduce your storage usage, nobody can edit or copy your affected files.
• You can't back up new Recorder files.
• Note: You can still sign in to and access your Google Account.

If you're over your quota for two years or longer: If you don't free up or purchase more space to get back under the quota, all of your content may be removed from Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive (this includes Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Jamboard files).

Before your content is removed, we:

• Give you notice using email and notifications within the Google products. We will contact you at least three months before content is eligible for deletion. 
• Give you the opportunity to avoid deletion (by paying for additional storage or removing files)
• Give you the opportunity to download your content from our services. Learn more about how to download your Google data.

How to go back under quota

We provide access to storage management tools that help you identify ways to free up storage space. Another option to free up space is to download your files to your personal device and then delete them from your cloud storage.

If you want more storage space for Gmail, Drive and Photos, you can upgrade to a larger storage plan with Google One. 

Some changes regarding quotas will apply to some Google Workspace, G Suite for Education and G Suite for Nonprofits plans. Please refer to our Google Workspace Updates post to understand how these changes may impact these plans. 

The over-quota policy doesn't apply to:

• Google Sites
• Google Keep
• Blogger
• YouTube

The inactivity policy applies to all content in your Google Account and the account itself.

If your account is subject to this policy change, we'll attempt to give you ample notice (at least three months) before your content may be deleted. Your content will be eligible for deletion when you have been over your storage quota for 2 years. To make sure that your content is not deleted, either reduce how much storage you're using or upgrade to a larger storage plan with Google One.

If your account is subject to this policy change, we'll give you at least three months notice before your content may be deleted.

• We'll try to reach you through your email address and notifications. 
• Manage your Google Account email.

We recognise that many people pass away without leaving clear instructions about how to manage their online accounts. Google can work with immediate family members and representatives (in certain circumstances) to provide content from a deceased user's account. Learn more about our process for requesting a deceased user's data.

To let us know in advance what to do with your data in the event of death or prolonged inactivity, learn more about Inactive Account Manager.

Tip: The Inactive Account Manager settings don't override our inactive and over-quota policies.