What happens if I clear storage on Gmail?

Answered by Robert Flynn

If you clear storage on Gmail, it will help free up space in your Gmail account. Gmail provides 15 GB of storage for free, which includes your emails, attachments, and other data. This storage is shared among Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos.

When you clear storage on Gmail, you are essentially deleting unnecessary emails, attachments, and other items that are taking up space in your account. This can include old emails, spam emails, large attachments, and emails in your trash and spam folders.

By cleaning up your Gmail storage, you can declutter your inbox and make it easier to find important emails. It can also help improve the performance of your Gmail account, as having too many emails and attachments can slow down your account.

However, it’s important to note that clearing storage on Gmail does not permanently delete your emails. Deleted emails are moved to the “Trash” folder, where they will stay for 30 days before being automatically deleted. So, if you accidentally delete an important email, you can still recover it within that 30-day period.

Now, let’s talk about how you can free up some Gmail storage space:

1. Delete unnecessary emails: Go through your inbox and delete emails that are no longer needed. This can include old newsletters, promotional emails, or emails that are no longer relevant.

2. Remove large attachments: Gmail allows you to search for emails with attachments larger than a specific size. You can use this feature to find and delete emails with large attachments that are taking up a significant amount of storage space.

3. Empty the trash and spam folders: Deleted emails are moved to the trash folder, and spam emails are sent to the spam folder. Make sure to regularly empty these folders to permanently delete the emails and free up storage space.

4. Use the “Storage” option in Gmail settings: Gmail provides a “Storage” option in its settings where you can see a breakdown of how much storage you are using and what is taking up the most space. This can help you identify areas where you can free up storage.

5. Use Google Drive or external storage for large files: If you frequently receive or send large files via email, consider using Google Drive or external storage options instead. This can help reduce the storage usage in your Gmail account.

6. Consider archiving old emails: If you have emails that you want to keep for future reference but don’t need immediate access to, you can consider archiving them. Archiving moves the emails out of your inbox but keeps them accessible in your account. This can help free up space in your inbox without permanently deleting the emails.

By following these steps, you can effectively free up storage space in your Gmail account and make room for Google Photos or other data. It’s always a good idea to regularly clean up your Gmail storage to keep your account organized and running smoothly.