If you're over your storage quota for two years, we might delete your content across Gmail, Drive and Photos. Learn more about Google storage policies.
Learn what takes up storage and what happens when it's full
Your storage is shared across Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive. When your account reaches its storage limit, you can't:
- Send or receive emails through Gmail.
- Upload photos or videos through Google Photos.
- Upload files to Drive or create new files in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms or Jamboard.
Learn what items in Gmail use storage space
Messages and attachments, like items in your Spam and Bin folders, take up space.
Learn what happens when you run out of space in Gmail
When your account reaches its storage limit:
- You can't send or receive messages.
- Messages sent to you return to the sender.
Learn what items in Google Photos use storage space
- Photos and videos backed up in original quality take up space.
- After 1 June 2021, photos and videos backed up in high quality (now named 'Storage saver' or 'express quality') take up space. Learn more about Photos backup options.
Learn what items in Google Photos don't use storage space
Photos and videos backed up in Storage saver quality or express quality before 1 June 2021 don't use space.
Learn what happens when you run out of space in Google Photos
- When your account reaches its storage limit, you can't back up any photos or videos.
- Photos and videos backed up before 1 June 2021 don't use space in Storage saver quality or express quality.
Learn what items in Google Drive use storage space
- Most files in your My Drive take up space as they contain files and folders that you upload or sync, such as .pdf files, images or videos.
- Your space in My Drive also contains files that you create, such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms.
- Items in your bin also take up space. Learn how to empty your bin.
- If you use Drive for work or school, content in the shared drives' bin also counts towards your organisation's storage.
Important: New files that you create in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Jamboard use up your Google storage space. Files that already exist don't count towards storage unless they're modified on or after 1 June 2021.
Learn what items in Google Drive don't use storage space
- Files in 'Shared with me' and shared drives don't use space. These files only take up space in the owner's Google Drive.
- Google Sites.
- Files that you created before 1 June 2021 don't count towards your storage unless you edit them after that date.
Learn what happens when you run out of space in Google Drive
When your account reaches its storage limit:
- You can't sync or upload new files.
- You can't create new files in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms or Jamboard.
- Until you reduce the amount of storage that you use, neither you nor anyone else can edit or copy your affected files.
- Syncs stop between your computer's Google Drive folder and My Drive.
Items in Google Drive for desktop take up a different amount of space than the same items in drive.google.com.
- Items in your bin take up space in Google Drive, but aren't synced to your computer. Learn how to empty your bin.
- Shared items take up space on your computer, but not in Google Drive.
- Items that are in multiple folders sync to all folders on your computer and take up more space.
- If you only sync some folders to your computer, the storage on your computer is less than what's shown on drive.google.com.
- Your computer might show a different file size to that in drive.google.com due to Mac or PC requirements.
Files other than those in Gmail, Drive and Photos can still use up your Google storage space. For example, backups of your WhatsApp messages and media.
To turn off backups of your WhatsApp messages:
- On your device, open WhatsApp.
- Go to Settings Chats Chat backup Google Drive settings.
- Tap Never.
You can also delete your WhatsApp backups through the Google Drive app.
Important: Once deleted, you can't recover WhatsApp backups from Drive.
- On your device, open the Google Drive app.
- Make sure that you have signed in to the correct Google Account.
- At the top left, tap Menu Backups.
- Find your WhatsApp backup file.
- Tap Menu Delete backup.
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Learn how storage policies vary by plan
Learn about Google Workspace storageGoogle Workspace storage is shared between Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Learn how storage use is calculated.
The amount of storage for each user depends on your Google Workspace edition. Most Google Workspace editions have pooled storage. Pooled storage is indicated in the following tables as total storage or a storage amount times the number of End User licenses.
Pooled storage is granted in stages:
- At the time of purchase, you get part of your storage.
- As you make timely payments for your subscription, your storage increases up to your total storage limit. It can take up to 72 hours after a payment for your storage to increase.
Google Workspace Edition or Subscription | Storage Limits |
---|---|
G Suite Basic No longer available for new customers |
30 GB per End User |
G Suite Business G Suite Business - Archived Users No longer available for new customers |
Unlimited storage 1 TB per Archived User |
Google Workspace Business Starter | 30 GB times the number of End Users, including Archived Users |
Google Workspace Business Standard | 2 TB times the number of End Users, including Archived Users |
Google Workspace Business Plus | 5 TB times the number of End Users, including Archived Users |
Google Workspace Enterprise Starter | 1 TB times the number of End Users |
Google Workspace Enterprise Standard Google Workspace Enterprise Plus |
5 TB times the number of End Users, including Archived Users For customers with 5 or more End Users, more storage may be available at Google's discretion upon reasonable request. Learn how to request storage. |
Google Workspace for Education
Google Workspace Edition or Subscription | Storage Limits |
---|---|
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals Google Workspace for Education Standard |
100 TB total for all End Users |
Google Workspace for Education Teaching and Learning Upgrade | Additional 100 GB times the number of End User licenses |
Google Workspace for Education Plus | Additional 20 GB times the number of End User licenses |
For more information about storage for Google Workspace for Education storage, go to Understand storage availability and usage.
Google Workspace Essentials
Google Workspace Essentials editions do not include Gmail.
Google Workspace Edition or Subscription | Storage Limits |
---|---|
Google Workspace Essentials Starter |
15 GB per End User |
Google Workspace Essentials No longer available for new customers |
100 GB times the number of End User, up to a maximum of 2 TB |
Google Workspace Enterprise Essentials | 1 TB times the number of End Users |
Google Workspace Enterprise Essentials Plus | 5 TB times the number of End Users |
Google Workspace Frontline
Google Workspace Edition or Subscription | Storage Limits |
---|---|
Google Workspace Frontline Starter Google Workspace Frontline Standard |
5 GB per End User* |
*This storage limit applies to all End Users using a Google Workspace Frontline edition, even if the Customer purchased another Google Workspace offering with different storage limits.
Google Workspace for Nonprofits
Google Workspace Edition or Subscription | Storage Limits |
---|---|
Google Workspace for Nonprofits |
100 TB for all End Users |
Google One storage is shared among Drive, Gmail, Photos and family accounts, where applicable. The amount of storage for each user depends on your Google Workspace edition.
Google One plan |
Payment |
Availability |
---|---|---|
100 GB |
Monthly or yearly |
Everyone |
200 GB |
Monthly or yearly |
Everyone |
2 TB |
Monthly or yearly |
Everyone |
5 TB |
Monthly or yearly |
Upgrade for existing members |
10 TB |
Monthly |
Upgrade for existing members |
20 TB |
Monthly |
Upgrade for existing members |
30 TB |
Monthly |
Upgrade for existing members |
Google One members can share their plan features with up to five family members.
Everyone gets 15 GB of cloud storage at no charge with their Google Account. The rest of the paid Google One storage is shared between family members. Learn how to start or stop sharing with your family.
You can also use the storage manager to clean up and troubleshoot your Google storage.