Summary
Google Photos allows you to save storage space on your device by uploading images and videos to the cloud. You can also enable automatic syncing and choose which folders you want to back up. I wasn’t getting rid of enough media files from my smartphones, especially from the folders I wanted to sync automatically. This resulted in those images and videos getting backed up to the cloud. Even if I could later delete those files from my device’s storage, they would still be saved in the cloud. This made it much harder for me to search for the files I needed. I finally decided to spend some time getting my data in order, and you can achieve this too by following a few simple steps. Use the Storage Manager to clean up Google storage Delete what’s not required I had thousands of images that I had no reason to keep. These included screenshots, unclear images, near-identical photos, and more. So I decided to go through my library and delete what was not required. I used the platform’s storage manager tool to make the process easier. You can access it by clicking on your profile picture > Photos settings > Backup > Manage storage. The platform displays your images and videos in categories, so you can easily find the media that you wish to delete. These could include junk files consuming a lot of space, unnecessary screenshots, and blurry photos. After you delete a backed-up file, they get sent to the bin. You can either choose to clear your bin manually to get your storage back immediately or wait 30 days for the pictures to get permanently deleted on their own. Stack photos and choose the best shot Getting rid of similar photos I shoot multiple shots of the same scene, and they all get backed up online. To tackle this, I used Google Photos’ stacks feature, which automatically groups nearly identical photos and selects a Top pick. I was able to view similar images and delete the ones I didn’t need to free up some space. On supported devices, Google Photos can even offer a “Keep this, delete rest” option for a stack. It’s worth noting that the stacking feature isn’t a duplicate-file cleaner. It’s designed to automatically group nearly identical photos of the same subject taken within a short time frame. To enable the feature, open Google Photos > profile picture > Photos settings > Preferences > Photos view, then toggle on the Stack similar photos option. If you have two identical images saved in different folders, the feature may not work. For example, if you have a photo taken with your camera app and a screenshot of that same image, the Photo Stacks feature will not recognize them as duplicates. Name people and create albums to improve your search experience These features are built-in Google’s People & Pets option already sorted the people whose images I had in the cloud. But if I want to find an image of an individual, going through so many people is a real challenge. So I started adding names to the people it recognized. You can find the option to add names under Collections > People and pets. After naming an individual, you can search for images of the person you are looking for by typing in their name. I found this particularly useful because I no longer had to remember the date or location of a photo. Even better, when I wanted to find photos of two specific people together, I could select both faces using the tick option or use their names. It is worth noting that the grouping is not perfect. At times, Google Photos creates different groups for the same person and putting images of people in the wrong sections. Thankfully, you can manually correct these mistakes and merge groups when necessary. Another change I made to my usage was creating more albums to sort my library. If I shot a ton of images when visiting a fancy restaurant or when out on a trip, I started creating separate albums. Google Photos allows you to select images and videos, add them to an album, and give that album a title. This made it easier for me to search for specific photos from events in my memory. A little effort goes a long way When I noticed my Google storage running out initially, I didn’t think it was because of Google Photos. Once I realized how clogged my cloud storage app was, I had to fix it. Deleting what was not required, creating more albums, and naming people not only freed up more space but also made it simpler for me to search for what I need. I recommend you take some time to make a few key changes to improve your Google Photos experience.