Google Drive users sometimes come across strange situations. Even though you may have adequate free storage, Google Drive may display an error indicating the drive is full and you need to clean it up to store new files.
Method 1: View Hidden Files
Much like File Explorer, there can be hidden files in your Google Drive account as well. Here’s a simple way to view hidden files eating up your storage space:
- Sign in to your Google Drive account.
- In the Search box, type “is:hidden” (without quotes).
- Press Enter.
- A list of all hidden files throughout your entire Google Drive account will appear.
- You can delete any hidden files you don’t need.
Method 2: Delete Data Associated with Unwanted Third-Party Apps
We often connect Google Drive with third-party apps. These apps can store our user data which is not visible in our Google Drive account. They are hidden by default.
- Open Google Drive.
- Click on the Settings icon.
- Select Settings.
- Click on the Manage Apps tab.
- You’ll get a list of all third-party apps connected to your Google Drive.
- To delete data associated with a third-party app, click on the dropdown arrow ahead of an app, and select the Delete hidden app data option.
- Again, click on the dropdown arrow ahead of the same app, and select the Disconnect from Drive option.
Notes:
- You can only disconnect third-party apps. It is not possible to delete data associated with various Google apps such as Google My Maps, Google Colaboratory, etc.
- Some apps such as WhatsApp use Google Drive for storing backups of your chat conversations and media (such as photos, videos and documents), however, it doesn’t count against your Google Drive storage. There is no need to disconnect such apps. For more information, visit the website of the app manufacturer.
Method 3: Empty the Bin Folder Contents
Google Drive empties your Bin folder every 30 days. However, it’s worth checking if there are any files still in the Bin Folder that are taking up a good amount of storage.
- Click on the Bin icon.
- Verify that you don’t need the files in your Bin folder. Restore any files you need.
- Click on Empty Bin.
Note: After emptying the contents of your Bin folder, it may take some time to reflect the updated storage space information.
Method 4: Find and Fix Duplicate Files
Another way to free up your Google Drive storage is to find duplicate files and delete them.
- Visit the Cloud Duplicate Finder website and register for an account.
- Click on the Google Drive icon.
- Click on Add New Drive.
- Sign in to your Google Drive account, and provide the permissions to access your cloud files.
- Load the contents of your drive, and select the folders you want to scan for duplicates.
- Click on the Scan button.
- When you get the scan results pop-up, click OK.
- Now use the Select Duplicates button to choose a selection pattern of your choice.
- Click on Select Action, and delete your duplicates.
Cloud Duplicate Finder Features:
- Find exact matching duplicates and visually-similar photos on Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
- Safe and secure: Your data is temporarily accessed using tokens. You can revoke the permissions to CDF anytime from your Google Drive account.
- Supports a wide variety of cloud storage including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Amazon S3.
- Saves time & bandwidth: No files need to be downloaded to your PC.
- In-house file previews.
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Raza Ali Kazmi works as an editor and technology content writer at Sorcim Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. He loves to pen down articles on a wide array of technology related topics and has also been diligently testing software solutions on Windows & Mac platforms. If you have any question about the content, you can message me or the company's support team.