FIX: Google Storage Full Even After Deleting Files. (Solved)
If you use Google storage services (such as Google Drive, Google Photos, etc.) to back up your data to the cloud and you get the message "Storage full" despite the fact that you have deleted almost anything from the Google cloud, continue reading below to fix the problem.
Why do you keep getting the "Storage is full" message after deleting your photos, videos and files from the Google cloud services?
This issue usually occurs because an app on your mobile phone uses your Google Drive account to back up its data.
Google storage is basically used to store your Gmail messages, Google Drive files, and your photos and videos from your phone or tablet in Google Photos.
However, there are some mobile apps that also use Google Drive to store backups of their data, thus filling up space on Google Drive (e.g. Viber, etc.).
How to Effectively Free up Google Storage space.
Step 1. Delete Photos & Videos from Google Photos and Empty Trash.
Photos and videos backed up from your mobile phone to Google Photos are the main cause of the "Google storage is full" issue. So…
1. Open Photos 
on your mobile phone, or navigate to Google Photos from your computer, and delete the videos and the photos you don't want.*
* Tips:
1. Because Videos are the main reason the space fills up, type "videos" in Search and press Enter (so that only videos appear) and then select the ones you want to delete.
2. If you view the files in Google Photos through your computer, you can, if you want, before deleting videos and photos, to keep a copy of them on your computer by downloading them. Alternatively, you can use the Google Takeout service to download all your Google Account data to your computer before deleting them.*
- Related article: How to Backup Google Photos & Videos to Hard Drive.
2. After deleting the items you don't want want from Google Photos, open the Trash folder and Empty trash.
Step 2. Delete files from Google Drive and Empty Trash.
Usually, the files stored in Google Drive do not take up much space, but still it is good to check if there are large files there and delete the ones you don't need.
1. Open Drive 
on your mobile phone or navigate to Google Drive from your computer and delete the files you don't want (if any) under My Drive and Computers (if you backup your data from your computer to Google Drive).
2. Then open the Trash folder (2) and Empty Trash (3).
Step 3. Delete Hidden Data from Apps in Google Drive.
If you're still seeing the "Storage is full" warning message after deleting files in Google Photos and Google Drive, then an app on your phone is probably using Google Drive to back up its data. To find out the culprit app, do the following:
1. From your computer, navigate to Google Drive, click on the Gear 
icon and select Settings.
2. Select Manage apps on the left.Then check the apps listed on the right to find out which ones are causing your Google storage to fill up. (e.g the "Viber – Safe Chats and Calls" in this example.)
3. Once you find out which app's data fill ups your Google's storage account space, click the Options menu on the right and select Delete hidden app data to remove the app's data. When you are done, optionally click Disconnect from Drive to avoid the same problem in the future.*
* Note: Alternatively, open the app settings on your mobile phone and turn off the backup to your Google account.
Step 4. Check Google Storage status.
After deleting the hidden data from apps and the unwanted files from Google Photos & Google Drive, wait a few minutes and then go to https://one.google.com/storage to check if the "Storage is full" issue has been fixed, to view the available storage and how much space is used for each Google service.
That's it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
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October 23, 2025 @ 3:37 am
unfortunately no.
There was only one highlighted to click options and that wasn't one of the options.
Google drive is showing 8041 GB of other.
That's what I'm trying to get to.
When I go to back up details, it says 4GB is sms mms texts.
I go on my phone and there says on my old phone 3.3mb and new phone 2.1
wish i knew more, but google plays the game in their favor,
even deleting gmails and leaving them in important in their favor
to take up room and so much more,
thus why i'm tring to clean everything up.
I wouldn't buy anything from them.
March 23, 2026 @ 9:36 pm
Me, too! I don't want to give them money either! (having the same problem trying to delete and delete but stored data amt keeps creeping up–how, when I've redirected all my email to other places??)
They're probably going to add this comment into my stored data!!