If Gmail reports that storage is full and messages stop arriving, you can free up space in your account with a few careful steps.

Gmail Storage
Gmail Storage

Tip: If your budget allows, consider buying more storage, such as 100 GB for around 150 to 200 RSD per month. If you prefer not to pay, follow these steps and take care not to delete anything important.

Use advanced search in Gmail. Copy and paste these filters into the search box one at a time:

  • has:attachment larger:10M - Finds messages with attachments larger than 10 MB.
  • filename:pdf larger:10M - Finds large PDF documents.
  • older_than:1y has:attachment - Finds messages with attachments that are more than a year old.
  • filename:mp4 - Finds video files in email.
  • filename:zip - Finds archive files.
  • filename:docx - Finds Word documents.

What to do:

  1. Select the checkbox.
  2. Choose Select all conversations.
  3. Click Delete.

Note: Repeat this in the Sent folder. Sent messages with attachments also use storage.

Clear photos and videos from Google Photos

Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos share the same storage, so reviewing photos is another useful step.

  • Open Google Photos in the app or on the web.
  • Go to Settings / Photos settings.
  • Open Backup → Manage storage.
  • In Review and delete / Review items, check for:
    • large video files
    • old WhatsApp backups
    • screenshots
    • memes and screen recordings

Separate and delete promotional email

Review the promotional messages that have accumulated over time.

  • In Gmail, go to ⚙️ Settings → See all settings → Inbox.
  • Enable the Default inbox and select Promotions if it is not already enabled.
  • Save your changes.
  • Search for category:promotions.
  • Choose Select all → Select all conversations → Delete.
  • If you want, repeat with category:social, category:forums, or category:updates.

Empty every trash folder

Deleted items do not free up space until you empty the trash.

  • In Gmail, open Trash and Spam, then choose Empty Trash now / Delete forever.
  • In Google Drive, open Trash / Bin and empty it.
  • In Google Photos, open Trash and empty it.

🚀 2026 update: AI storage cleanup Google One may offer storage-management tools that help identify blurry photos, unnecessary screen recordings, or duplicate screenshots. Check the features available to your account before using them, and review suggested files before deletion.