If you’re a long-time Gmail user, chances are your inbox is quickly approaching the 15GB storage limit. Google offers plenty of space for your emails, but if you’re sending and receiving large files or saving lots of media in Google Drive and Google Photos, that storage runs out fast. The good news? You can free up space without deleting all those precious emails.
This guide will show you how to effectively clear up space in Gmail, avoid paying for extra storage, and keep your inbox neat and organized — all without sacrificing important messages.
Why Does Gmail Fill Up So Quickly?
Gmail’s free 15GB of storage might seem like plenty at first glance, but that storage is shared between Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. If you regularly send large attachments or store photos and videos, your inbox can fill up surprisingly fast.
Once you’ve hit the storage limit, Gmail will stop sending and receiving emails. So, if you’ve seen the dreaded “Account storage is full” message, you’ll need to take action ASAP to free up space.
What Are Your Options?
There are a few common solutions for freeing up Gmail storage:
- Upgrade to Google One: You can pay for additional storage, with plans starting at $20/year for 100GB. But that’s not ideal if you don’t want to pay for extra space.
- Delete Old Emails: Sorting through your old messages and deleting them might help, but it’s time-consuming and can be overwhelming if you have a full inbox with thousands of unread emails.
- Transfer Emails to a New Gmail Account: The best solution — one that clears space without deleting important emails — is to transfer your old messages to a new Gmail account. This lets you keep all your old emails in one place while freeing up your primary account.
How to Transfer Your Gmail Emails
Here’s how you can transfer emails from your current Gmail account to a new one:
Step 1: Back Up Your Emails
Before starting the transfer, it’s a good idea to create a backup of your emails. Use Google Takeout to download all your Gmail data. This gives you peace of mind that no important emails will be lost during the process.
Step 2: Set Up POP in Gmail
Next, log in to your existing Gmail account and enable POP (Post Office Protocol) to allow email transfers.
- Go to Settings (the gear icon) and click See all settings.
- Navigate to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- Select Enable POP for all mail.
- Under the “When messages are accessed with POP” section, choose the option to delete Gmail’s copy to free up space after transfer.
- Click Save Changes.
Step 3: Create a New Gmail Account
Now, create your new Gmail account. This will be the archive account where your old emails will be transferred.
Step 4: Import Emails into Your New Account
Once your new Gmail account is ready, follow these steps to start the transfer:
- In your new account, go to Settings and click See all settings.
- Open the Accounts and Import tab and select Add a mail account under “Check mail from other accounts.”
- Enter the email address of your old Gmail account and click Next.
- Select Import emails from my other account (POP3).
- Enter the password for your old Gmail account and, if needed, create an app password to complete the transfer.
- Select 995 for the port and enable SSL for a secure connection.
- Choose Label incoming messages and Archive incoming messages (Skip the Inbox).
- Click Add Account.
The transfer process will begin, and depending on how many emails you have, it could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
Additional Tips for Managing Gmail Storage
Once you’ve transferred your old messages, here are a few more strategies to keep your Gmail storage manageable:
- Clear Out Attachments: Large attachments take up significant space. Use Gmail’s search function to find emails with large files and download or delete them as needed.
- Empty the Trash: Transferring your emails will place them in the Trash folder. Don’t forget to empty the Trash after the transfer to free up space.
- Manage Google Drive and Photos: Since Gmail shares storage with Google Drive and Google Photos, regularly clear out unneeded files and photos to keep your storage under control.
Keep Your Inbox Active
One last thing to remember: Google will delete accounts that have been inactive for two years. Make sure to log into your new Gmail account periodically to keep it active, even if you’re not using it for everyday correspondence.
Final Steps
After your email transfer is complete, you can stop syncing the accounts and delete the app password you created. You’ll now have a clean, organized inbox with plenty of space for new messages — all without losing any of your old emails.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your Gmail storage, avoid the need for paid upgrades, and keep all your important emails safe and accessible.
