How to Get Free Storage in Google Drive?
How to Get Free Storage in Google Drive
Google Drive provides 15GB of free storage, but this space is shared across Gmail, Google Photos, and Drive. If you’re running out of space, here are the best ways to get more free storage without paying.
1. Claim Free Google Promotions
Google occasionally offers bonus storage through promotions.
✅ How to Check for Promotions:
- Go to Google One
- Look for special offers or free storage upgrades
- Check your Google account email for promotional offers
📌 Tip: Google sometimes gives 100GB free storage for 1 year with Chromebook purchases.
2. Use Multiple Google Accounts
Each Gmail account gets 15GB of free storage, so creating multiple accounts increases storage.
✅ How to Manage Multiple Google Drive Accounts:
- Create new Google accounts for extra 15GB per account
- Use Google Drive’s “Shared with me” feature to store files in one place
- Install MultCloud or Air Explorer to manage multiple drives
📌 Tip: Share a folder from your secondary account to your main account for easy access.
3. Move Large Files to Alternative Free Cloud Storage
Instead of keeping everything in Google Drive, use other free cloud storage options:
| Cloud Service | Free Storage |
|---|---|
| MEGA | 20GB free |
| pCloud | 10GB free |
| Sync.com | 5GB free |
| Dropbox | 2GB free |
| OneDrive | 5GB free |
📌 Tip: Store non-essential files on MEGA or pCloud to free up Google Drive space.
4. Compress and Store Files Efficiently
Large files take up space quickly. Compress them using ZIP or RAR formats before uploading.
✅ Steps to Compress Files:
- Use WinRAR, 7-Zip, or WinZip to compress files
- Upload compressed files to Google Drive
- Extract files only when needed to save space
📌 Tip: Convert large PDF files to ZIP format before uploading.
5. Delete Hidden Storage Files in Google Drive
Some files take up space without appearing in your Drive folder.
✅ How to Remove Hidden Files:
- Open Google Drive
- Click on Storage (Left Sidebar)
- Sort files by Size
- Delete unnecessary large files
📌 Tip: Empty your Trash folder to permanently free up space.
6. Transfer Large Files to YouTube (For Videos)
If you have large video files, upload them to YouTube as private videos instead of storing them in Drive.
✅ Steps to Upload Videos to YouTube:
- Go to YouTube Studio
- Click Upload Video
- Set video visibility to Private
- Delete the original file from Google Drive
📌 Tip: YouTube stores unlimited videos for free with no impact on Drive storage.
7. Use Google Photos “Storage Saver” Mode
Google Photos uses Google Drive storage for full-resolution images. You can compress photos to free up space.
✅ Steps to Enable Storage Saver Mode:
- Open Google Photos
- Go to Settings > Storage Saver
- Click Recover Storage
📌 Tip: This compresses large photos while keeping them accessible.
8. Clean Up Gmail Storage
Since Gmail storage is linked to Google Drive, deleting unnecessary emails frees up space.
✅ Steps to Free Up Gmail Storage:
- Search for large emails: larger:10M
- Delete old attachments and spam
- Empty Trash and Spam folders
📌 Tip: Use Google Takeout to download and store emails offline before deleting them.
9. Use Google Drive Alternatives for Large Files
If you frequently store large files, consider using file-sharing services instead.
✅ Best Alternatives for Storing Large Files:
- WeTransfer (Free 2GB transfers)
- Send Anywhere (Free file transfers)
- Firefox Send (Encrypted sharing)
📌 Tip: Store large files temporarily on these platforms instead of Google Drive.
10. Use Google’s Free Storage Cleanup Tool
Google One has a free storage manager that helps remove unwanted files.
✅ How to Use Google One Cleanup Tool:
- Go to Google One Storage Manager
- Review and remove large files, old emails, and hidden storage files
- Free up Drive space instantly
📌 Tip: Regularly check your storage to keep Google Drive optimized.
Final Thoughts
To get more free storage in Google Drive, try these methods:
✔️ Claim free Google storage promotions
✔️ Use multiple Gmail accounts (15GB each)
✔️ Move files to free cloud storage alternatives
✔️ Compress large files before uploading
✔️ Delete hidden storage files in Drive
✔️ Upload large videos to YouTube instead
✔️ Enable Google Photos “Storage Saver” mode
✔️ Clean up Gmail to free up space
✔️ Use Google One’s free storage cleanup tool
Would you like help finding your largest Google Drive files? 😊