Why Google Photos Storage Remains Full After Deleting: A Complete Guide

Understanding Google Photos Storage After Deletion

• 💡 When you delete a photo or video from the main Google Photos feed or albums, it is moved to the trash folder, not permanently deleted.
• 📌 This means the deleted items continue to occupy storage space until they are permanently removed from the trash.
• ⚠️ An exception is photos deleted from the locked folder, which are permanently deleted immediately.

Managing the Trash Folder

• 🗑️ To access the trash, navigate to 'Collections' and then select 'Trash' (found at the bottom or top).
• 👆 Within the trash, you can select individual photos or videos by pressing and holding, or click the three dots in the top right to select multiple items.
• ✅ You have the option to delete all items in the trash or restore all of them.

Shared Google Account Storage

• ☁️ Your Google account provides 15 GB of free storage that is shared across Google Photos, Google Drive, and Gmail.
• 🔍 To check your storage usage, click on your profile icon in the top right corner and select 'Manage storage'.
• 📊 This management screen shows which applications are consuming your storage, allowing you to identify areas where you might need to remove files from Google Drive or Gmail to free up space.

Final Tips for Storage Management

• 🚀 Regularly empty the trash folder in Google Photos to reclaim storage space.
• 🧐 Review your storage breakdown in 'Manage storage' to understand where your space is being used across Google services.