When your phone is FULL with GOOGLE PHOTOS: what to do next!

Introduction

If your phone is warning you that your Google storage is full, don’t worry! This tutorial will guide you through clearing space without losing any photos or videos. You’ll learn how to manage your Google Photos storage effectively and even create additional storage options for free.

Step 1: Backup Your Photos and Videos

It's essential to have a backup before making any changes. Here’s how to do it:

1. Download and Export Files:

   • Use an external hard drive or cloud service to store your photos and videos.
   • Ensure all important files are backed up before proceeding.

2. Transfer via Computer:

   • Connect your phone to your computer.
   • Copy your photos and videos from the phone to the backup drive.

Step 2: Clean Up Google Drive Storage

To free up space in your Google storage, you'll need to utilize the "Clean up space" option.

1. Access Google Drive:

   • Go to Google Drive on your desktop.

2. Use Cleanup Options:

   • Find and select the “Clean up space” feature.
   • Follow the prompts to identify and delete unnecessary files.

Step 3: Reduce Photo Sizes in Google Photos

To manage storage effectively, you can reduce the file sizes of your photos and videos.

1. Use the Recover Storage Option:

   • Open Google Photos on your device.
   • Go to the settings and select “Recover storage.”
   • This will compress all photos and videos to “Storage Saver Size.”

2. Understand Storage Saver Size:

   • This setting reduces the quality of photos slightly while keeping them viewable, allowing you to save space.

Step 4: Create a New Google Account for Photos

If you need more storage, consider creating a separate Google account solely for your photos.

1. Sign Up for a New Google Account:

   • Go to the Google account creation page and follow the instructions.

2. Set Up Google Photos with the New Account:

   • Log into the new account on your phone.
   • Upload photos to this account, taking advantage of its separate storage.

Step 5: Use Partner Sharing for Free Storage

You can share photos between accounts without using up storage space.

1. Enable Partner Sharing:

   • On your new Google account, go to Google Photos settings.
   • Select “Partner Sharing” and invite your primary account to share photos.

2. Set Auto-Save Options:

   • When you accept the invitation on your primary account, choose to auto-save photos.
   • Options include saving all photos, specific people, or none at all.

3. Manage Storage:

   • You can delete photos from the new account, and they will still be available in your primary account without impacting storage limits.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your Google Photos storage and reclaim space on your device. Regularly backing up your photos and utilizing features like storage optimization and partner sharing will help prevent storage issues in the future. Consider checking out additional resources to maximize your Google Photos experience.