Google has been warning me that my account is nearly out of storage, so I started cleaning up old photos and videos. I downloaded all of my 2018 media, and the resulting ZIP file on my computer was about 2.3 GB. However, when I selected those files for deletion in my cloud library, Google said only 8.8 MB of storage would be recovered. Why is the amount so different, and how can I verify what is actually using my storage?
3 Answers
If this was downloaded through Google Takeout, the ZIP size is only the size of the exported archive. It doesn’t prove that the selected files were using 2.3 GB of your current Google storage. Compare the account’s storage categories before and after deletion, and verify that the files were actually removed from the cloud library rather than only downloaded.
The size of the downloaded ZIP isn’t necessarily the amount those items occupy in your account. Downloads may be compressed, while Google may calculate storage using the original files—or the files may already be stored under a different service or storage category. Check Google’s storage breakdown to confirm whether those specific photos and videos are contributing to your quota. Also make sure the downloaded ZIP wasn’t uploaded back into Drive, since that would count as a new file.
Also check the trash. Deleting files usually moves them there first, and they can continue counting against storage until the trash is emptied. It may take a little while for the quota display to update afterward.
I already emptied the trash, and Google says items in the trash don’t count toward account storage. I’m still seeing only 8.8 MB recovered, so I’m checking the storage breakdown now.