Empty your Trash and Spam folders first, because they still count towards your storage. Then search Gmail for large messages, for example has:attachment larger:10M, tick the ones you don't need, click Delete and empty the Trash again. Your Google storage is shared with Drive and Photos, so those use the same allowance.
Deleted mail keeps using space until Trash and Spam are empty
Deleting a message doesn't free any room on its own. Items in Trash and Spam count against your storage until you permanently clear them, and Google's storage help page says the figure can take up to 48 to 72 hours to update after a large deletion.
So don't judge the clean-up by the number you see straight afterwards. Do the deletes, empty the Trash and check back once that window has passed.
Clearing out your mailbox on a computer
- On your computer, go to Gmail.
- Empty your Trash and Spam folders, since anything in them still counts against your storage.
- Check the box to the left of each message you want to delete.
- At the top, click Delete.
- Click Empty Trash now in the notification at the top, so those messages stop counting too.
Emptying the Trash is the permanent bit, so open anything you might still need and save the attachment somewhere else before you do it.
Two searches that find what's eating your storage
Ticking messages one at a time only helps if you're ticking the right ones. Type either of these into the Gmail search box to get there faster.
has:attachment larger:10Mbrings up big emails.older_than:2y has:attachmentbrings up old emails with attachments.
Start with the first one. A handful of large attachments will do more for you than hundreds of short messages, so it's the quickest route to a result. Then run the second search and look for things you'll never open again: newsletters with attachments, old invoices you've already filed elsewhere, photos someone sent you years ago that you've saved somewhere else.
Deciding what's safe to delete
Big doesn't automatically mean expendable, so give each result a few seconds before you tick it. Ask whether the attachment exists anywhere else, whether you'd ever need to prove something with it, and whether anyone else is relying on you to have it. If the answer to all three is no, it can go.
When you're unsure, save the attachment to your computer first and then delete the email. You keep the file, and the message stops taking up room once the Trash is empty.
When Gmail still says you're running out of room
The storage figure hasn't moved
Give it time. After deleting a lot at once, allow up to 48 to 72 hours before you decide nothing's happened, and hold off deleting anything else in a panic.
The inbox is tidy but the account's still full
Look beyond your email. The same storage covers Google Drive, WhatsApp backups and Google Photos, so a big file in any of those is using the space your messages need.
Emails have stopped arriving or won't send
That's what a full account does: when you've got no room left, you can't send or receive emails in Gmail, and you can't upload or create files in Drive either. Clear Trash and Spam first, because it's the fastest win, then go after the big attachments.
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You've been over your limit for a long time
Don't leave this one. If you're over your storage quota for 2 years, Google might delete your content across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
Stopping Gmail from filling up again
A clean-up is only useful if you don't end up back in the same place. It's worth repeating the two searches every so often, so big attachments get dealt with while there are only a few of them. Keep an eye on Drive and Photos while you're at it, since they're drawing on the same allowance.
Once you've got some breathing space, you can put the inbox to better use. Saving replies as Gmail templates is a simple place to start, and using Gemini in Gmail is worth a look too.
Frequently asked questions
Does emptying Spam give me more room?
Yes. Both Spam and Trash count until they're cleared.
Will clearing out Google Photos help?
Yes. It draws on the same Google storage as your email.
Can Google delete my emails if I stay over quota?
It might, after 2 years over quota, across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
Do WhatsApp backups count towards my Gmail space?
Yes. They use the same allowance as your email, Drive files and photos.
Does deleting an email free up space straight away?
No. Not until the Trash is empty, and the total can then take up to 48 to 72 hours to change.
How do I find messages from years ago that carry files?
Search for older_than:2y has:attachment.
