Find what’s filling your phone.
Open your phone’s Settings and look for Storage. Review the categories before starting with photos. Menu names vary by manufacturer; search Settings for “storage” if needed.
Start where it makes a difference.
If apps or downloads take most of the space, review those first. If photos and videos are a large share, continue with the steps below.
Keep the backup. Remove the local copy.
Google Photos can remove local copies of photos and videos that are already backed up. Check that your important items have finished backing up in the correct account before using this option.
Open Google Photos
Tap your profile picture or initial and select Free up space on this device.
Review and confirm
Check the estimated space saving, then use Free up [x] from device to remove the eligible local copies.
Find your photos online
Your backed-up photos remain in Google Photos. Removed local copies are no longer available in your phone’s built-in gallery or offline.
Use the right action.
“Free up space on this device” removes backed-up local copies. The regular Delete action in Google Photos can also remove the cloud copy and affect devices with backup enabled.
Clear the photos you no longer want.
For photos you don’t want to keep, a little review goes a long way. Look through repeated shots, old screenshots and videos you will not watch again.
- Compare the extra copies
- Use Files by Google to review duplicate files, or Swipewipe’s Duplicates list to compare identical and similar photos.
- Sort one month at a time
- In Swipewipe, swipe right to keep and left to mark for deletion. Review your choices before confirming.
- Check before deleting
- On Android, Swipewipe permanently removes the selected local files. It does not move them into a trash folder. Keep a separate backup of anything you cannot lose.
Check your progress.
Return to your phone’s Storage settings after the cleanup. The amount you gain depends on what was stored locally and what you removed.
Phone storage and Google Account storage are separate. Removing backed-up local copies creates room on the device; it does not clear your Google storage quota.
Recover a missing photo on AndroidQuestions & answers
A few things worth knowing
Will buying more Google storage increase my phone’s capacity?
No. Cloud storage and device storage are separate. Backing up photos and then removing local copies can make room on your phone.
Why are some recent photos still on my phone?
Google Photos may keep items less than 30 days old locally even after you use Free up space. It does not necessarily remove every backed-up item.
Can Swipewipe remove photos stored only in the cloud?
Swipewipe’s local photo cleanup works with files on your phone. It does not manage your cloud-only Google Photos library.