Is your Gmail inbox constantly showing “Storage Almost Full”? Don’t worry—this is a common problem as emails, attachments, and spam pile up over time. Luckily, there are simple methods to free up space quickly and keep your Gmail organized.
1. Check Your Gmail Storage Usage
Before deleting emails, it’s useful to know what’s taking up space:
· Gmail, google Drive, and google Photos share a 15GB free quota.
· Go to Google Storage to check which service uses the most space.
2. Delete Large Emails First
Search for Large Attachments
· Gmail allows you to search for emails by size using:
size:10MB
· Replace 10MB with the minimum size you want to delete.
Steps:
1. In Gmail search bar, type has:attachment larger:10MB
2. review and delete unnecessary emails with large attachments
3. Empty the Trash to permanently free up space
💡 Tip: Sorting by size helps clear most storage-heavy emails quickly.
3. Delete Emails by Category
Gmail automatically categorizes emails into Primary, Social, Promotions, and Updates.
Steps:
1. Go to Promotions or Social tab
2. Click the checkbox at the top to select all emails on the page
3. Click “Select all conversations in this category” to delete hundreds at once
4. Empty the Trash afterward
4. Use Gmail search Operators to Bulk Delete
Gmail has powerful search features for targeted deletion:
Operator
Use Case
older_than:1y
Emails older than 1 year
from:example@domain.com
All emails from a specific sender
has:attachment
Emails with attachments
is:spam
Emails in the Spam folder
in:trash
Emails in the Trash folder
Steps:
1. Type the search operator in Gmail search bar
2. Select all emails from the search result
3. Click Delete and empty Trash
💡 Tip: Combine operators like has:attachment older_than:2y to delete old emails with attachments.
5. Clear Spam and Trash Folders
· Gmail doesn’t delete spam or trash immediately; they accumulate over time.
· Go to Spam → click “Delete all spam messages now”
· Go to Trash → click “Empty Trash now”
This alone can free hundreds of MBs instantly.
6. Unsubscribe from Unwanted Emails
· Open promotional or newsletter emails you no longer read
· Click “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of the email
· This reduces future clutter and prevents storage buildup
💡 Tip: Gmail also shows an “Unsubscribe” suggestion at the top of newsletters.
7. Use google Drive and Photos Wisely
· Attachments in Gmail also count toward google Drive storage
· Move large attachments to Google Drive or local storage before deleting emails
· Compress photos and videos in google Photos to save storage
8. Upgrade google Storage (Optional)
If you regularly hit storage limits, consider Google One subscription:
· 100GB, 200GB, or 2TB plans available
· Helps keep emails, Drive files, and Photos in one place without deleting
9. Extra Tip: Use Gmail’s Storage Management Tool
· Gmail now has a “Manage Storage” tool under Settings → Account → Storage
· It suggests emails to delete based on size, attachments, or old messages
This is the fastest way to free up space without manually searching.
Conclusion
Cleaning up Gmail doesn’t have to take hours. By:
· Deleting large attachments
· Clearing Promotions, Social, Spam, and Trash
· Using search operators
· Unsubscribing from newsletters
…you can free up several gigabytes in minutes.
✅ Pro Tip: Combine manual deletion with Google’s storage management tools for the fastest results.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, organization, employer, or company. All information provided is for general informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information contained herein. Readers are advised to verify facts and seek professional advice where necessary. Any reliance placed on such information is strictly at the reader’s own risk.
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