I finally audited my Google Photos storage and rescued 5GB of wasted space

28 Sep 2026, 19:00 by Anu Joy · Android Police

I wasn't in a storage crisis, but I didn't like how quickly my photo library grew. So, I opened Google Photos to see what was taking up space.

In less than 10 minutes, I cleared nearly 5GB. The surprising part was how easily those files had accumulated. Large videos, random screenshots, and duplicate images cluttered my phone's storage.

That's when it clicked: freeing up space once isn't the solution. If your habits don't change, that space fills up again.

Many people find themselves in a frustrating cycle with their digital storage. They may delete 10GB of data, feel a sense of relief, only to find that, a few months later, their storage is full.

Others face a more annoying issue: They delete photos from their device, only to realize that the copies stored in the cloud were also deleted.

To address these problems, I took a closer look at what consumed storage space, how Google Photos manages backups, and what changes prevent storage from ballooning out of control.

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Google's tools did most of the work

It's the easy way to identify space hogs

While you can audit files using the Manage storage feature in Google Photos, I did most of the cleanup through the Clean tab in Files by Google.

If you open the Files app, tap the menu icon on the left, and select Clean, it scans your device and categorizes space hogs into large files, duplicates, blurry images, old screenshots, and junk files.

It shows how much space each category uses. Instead of guessing, you see the numbers upfront.

In my case, large videos and duplicate images were the biggest contributors. A few taps later, I had reclaimed several gigabytes of storage.

The advantage of Files' Clean feature is that it scans your device storage, not only what's inside Google Photos. That means it catches downloaded videos, forwarded media, and leftover files that don't appear in your main photo library.

I didn't need a third-party cleaner app or a manual sweep. The built-in Clean tool surfaced the storage clutter, and within minutes, it cleared nearly 5GB.

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Videos were the real space hog

Files by Google showed me which files I didn't need

I expected screenshots or duplicates to take up the most space since they're easy to accumulate and forget about. But when I checked the breakdown inside Files, it was clear that videos did most of the damage.

A single minute of 4K video can consume hundreds of megabytes of storage. Record a few clips at a concert, a family gathering, or for short tests, and you're suddenly looking at gigabytes instead of megabytes.

What surprised me was how many clips I didn't need. Short recordings and multiple takes of the same moment felt insignificant on their own. Together, they were responsible for most of the storage I cleared.

The Clean tab made this obvious by grouping large files and showing their size. After I saw that a handful of videos used more space than thousands of photos, the cleanup decisions became easier.

If your storage keeps shrinking faster than expected, video is probably the reason.

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Don't delete the wrong copy: Cloud vs. device storage

It's an easy mistake to make

I've made this mistake.

At first, I thought deleting a photo from Google Photos would only remove it from my phone while keeping the cloud backup. However, as soon as I deleted it in the app, it vanished from both my device and my Google account.

That's because when backup is on, Google Photos syncs your library. Deleting a photo inside the app removes the local copy and the cloud version.

Here's the difference I learned the hard way:

Delete from device removes the photo only from your phone's local storage. The backed-up copy remains safely stored in Google Photos in the cloud.
Trash deletes the picture from your Google Photos account entirely. When you delete a photo, it is removed from the cloud and all synced devices. The photo remains in the Trash folder for 60 days before being permanently deleted.

If you want to free up storage space on your device while keeping your backup safe, open the photo, tap the three-dot menu icon, and select Delete from device.

You can also delete multiple photos at once. When you select multiple photos, the Delete from device option appears at the bottom of the screen.

The 10-minute audit I'll repeat every few months

My plan to trim the excess and keep the best

What surprised me most about this cleanup was how little time it took to clear up 5GB of storage.

When I knew where to look, the process inside Files by Google took about 10 minutes. I didn't scroll through years of memories or install a third-party cleaner. Instead, I reviewed the obvious space hogs: large videos, old screenshots, duplicates, and leftover media.

In my case, one predictable contributor is my cats.

It doesn't take long for dozens of near-identical pet photos to pile up. A few bursts here, a couple of short videos there, and suddenly device storage starts shrinking faster than expected.

That's why this cleanup works for me as a recurring habit. I trim the excess photos, delete accidental clips, and keep only the best shots.

Meanwhile, I move special memories to an external hard drive. That way, they're preserved without permanently occupying space on my phone.

Instead of waiting until storage becomes a problem, I'll repeat this quick audit every few months. It's a small habit shift, but it prevents the bigger cleanup later, where I'm rushed, deleting aggressively, and hoping I don't remove something crucial.

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A small cleanup that prevents a bigger problem

If you haven't opened Google Files' Clean tab in a while, it's worth checking. You may be surprised by how much space is available and ready to be reclaimed.

Google Photos fills up gradually. You don't notice it because each addition feels small. Collectively, they consume a surprising amount of storage.

Using the built-in tools in Google Photos and Files made it easy to see what was taking up space. When I could see the numbers, clearing out the clutter was straightforward.