Google Photos doesn’t have a “sort by size” option, but you can still find the photos and videos taking up the most space. Open Google One storage management (at one.google.com/storage/management, or Photos settings > Backup > Manage storage in the Photos app) and look at Large photos and videos, which lists your biggest items first. You can also search Google Photos for Videos, since videos are almost always the largest files, and check any item’s size by opening it and swiping up for its details.
Below are the steps for each method and how to free up space safely.
Method 1: Use Manage storage
In the Google Photos app
- Open Google Photos and tap your profile picture.
- Tap Photos settings > Backup > Manage storage (the wording can vary).
- Scroll to Review and delete and tap Large photos and videos.
On a computer
- Go to one.google.com/storage/management.
- Under Google Photos, open Large photos and videos.
The list starts with your largest items. Select the ones you don’t need and delete them.
Method 2: Look at videos first
In the Google Photos search bar, type Videos, or open Collections > Videos. Long 4K videos can be hundreds of megabytes or more. Removing a few long clips often frees more space than deleting hundreds of photos.
Method 3: Check a single item’s size
- Open the photo or video.
- Swipe up, or tap the three dots and choose Info.
- The details show the file size, resolution and backup quality.
Other cleanup categories in Manage storage
| Category | What it finds |
|---|---|
| Large photos and videos | Your biggest items |
| Blurry photos | Out-of-focus shots |
| Screenshots | Screen captures you may not need |
| Other apps | Images saved from messaging and social apps |
Categories depend on your library, and not all appear for every account.
Free up space without deleting
- Change backup quality: In Backup settings, choose Storage saver for new uploads. On the web, Recover storage can convert existing originals to Storage saver; this reduces quality and can’t be undone.
- Download and remove: Use Google Takeout to download large videos to a computer or external drive, then delete them from Google Photos.
- Check other services: Gmail and Google Drive share the same storage. Large email attachments and Drive files may be the real culprits.
Before you delete
Deleting from Google Photos also deletes from every synced device. Deleted items stay in Trash (or Bin) for 60 days for backed-up items before they’re permanently removed, so empty the trash if you need the space right away.
Related: delete duplicate photos in Google Photos.
Related: compress Google Photos to save storage.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sort Google Photos by file size on the website?
No. Use Manage storage’s Large photos and videos list instead.
Why is my Google storage full when I don’t have many photos?
Gmail and Drive count toward the same storage. Check the breakdown at one.google.com/storage.
Does deleting large videos from my phone free Google storage?
Only if they’re deleted from Google Photos. If backup is on, deleting from the Photos app removes them from your account too.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.