Google Drive clean up
Log into Google Drive and use the information below as a guide to help you identify large, redundant, or unused files you may no longer need.
- How to assess your storage use
Find the largest files stored in your Google Drive.
Log into your Google Drive dashboard
On the left, select Storage; you'll see your files in descending order of file size
Click Storage used to reverse the sort order
- How to sort by file type
Use advanced search options to identify space-consuming file types like MP4, .MOV, or .WAV files.
Log into your Google Drive dashboard and click the advanced search options icon to the right of the search field at the top of the page
From the Type drop-down menu, select Video or Audio
From the Owner drop-down menu, select Owned by me
Click Search
- How to find unused files
Use the advanced search options to find files that haven’t been accessed or modified for a long time. They may be outdated or no longer needed.
Click the advanced search options icon to the right of the search field at the top of the Google Drive page
Select Owned by me from the Owner drop-down menu
From the Date modified drop-down menu, select one of the options
- How to spot dupes and drafts
Check for duplicate files or multiple versions of drafts as they may be needlessly taking up storage space.
Click List view in the upper right corner to make it easier to manually scan for duplicates or multiple copes.
Type "Copy of" in the search box and click return to find that may be duplicates.
- How to delete unneeded files
To remove a file from your Google Drive, put it in your Trash. The file will stay in your bin for 30 days before being automatically deleted. For more information, refer to Google's Delete and restore files in Google Drive.
Note: When you put a file in the Trash:
If you own the file, people with whom you’ve shared it can make a copy.
If you don't own the file, removing the file from your Drive only removes it for you.