Start with this check.
First turn off Google Photos backup on the affected devices. Download the pictures to your computer, check that they open and keep a second independent copy. Only then delete through photos.google.com, review trash and test incoming Gmail messages.
Do not delete through the phone app during this process. Do not empty trash until downloads are verified: permanent deletion cannot be undone. Turning backup off does not download cloud-only pictures or protect memories against a computer failure.
Which situation matches yours?
Let’s go step by step.
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Confirm the account and the full storage
On your computer, open one.google.com/storage with the affected Gmail address. Note Photos usage and the shortfall. If the warning concerns the PC disk or phone memory, cleaning cloud storage will not solve that warning.
Continue if Photos occupies quota in this same account. Avoid deleting pictures from another account by mistake.
Turn off backup on Android
On each affected Android device, open Google Photos → profile picture → Photos settings → Backup and switch it off. Include old phones and tablets using that account. Check that the profile reports backup is off; temporarily disconnecting Wi-Fi is not a substitute.
Keep a list of checked devices. If you cannot check one holding these pictures, pause deletion until you understand its configuration.
Turn off backup on iPhone or iPad too
If you use Google Photos on an iPhone or iPad, open your profile → Google Photos settings → Backup and switch it off before deleting on the web. This is a Google Photos setting; you do not need to change iCloud Photos for this procedure.
Check every device where you want files to remain. A thumbnail does not prove a full local original has been downloaded.
Prepare a local folder outside automatic uploads
Create a download folder, such as Photos-Copy-2026-09. Allow room for ZIP archives and extracted contents. Avoid folders synced with Drive or other services. If you enabled folder backup on the Photos website, review that selection and keep the export elsewhere; opening the site may allow configured uploads to continue.
Your destination should hold files on the computer without uploading the export again. Do not drag downloaded files onto the Photos webpage.
Open Google Photos on the computer
Type photos.google.com in your browser and verify the profile email. For a small selection, select the pictures or videos to keep and choose More → Download. Save the result in the prepared folder and extract any ZIP. For a large library, use the next step.
Viewing pictures online is not a download. Locate actual files in Windows File Explorer or Finder on a Mac.
For many pictures, create a Takeout export
Open takeout.google.com, deselect the products and select only Google Photos. Review included albums or data. Continue with a download link, a one-time export and ZIP. Avoid Add to Drive, which uses quota. Create the export and keep the originals while it is prepared. If Gmail cannot receive its notification, return to Takeout to check the export.
Preparation takes time. Once ready, download every listed part, not just the first ZIP. Creating an export does not delete Google’s copies.
Verify the backup before allowing deletion
Extract every ZIP without errors. Open older and newer pictures from each period you intend to remove; play videos and check sound and duration. Verify irreplaceable files individually and keep exported companion files. Copy the folder to an external disk, open several files directly from it, then disconnect the disk.
Sampling a few pictures does not certify the entire library. Missing periods, failed downloads or unreadable files mean you should retain the cloud copies and fix the backup first.
Test web deletion with a small group
With automatic backups still off, return to photos.google.com. Select a few verified pictures and move them to trash. Confirm they still open from the local folder and external disk. If you also need phone copies, check local files after letting the app update. Then work through identifiable batches.
Deleting a library photo differs from removing it from an album. Deletion can also remove it from shared albums. Avoid wiping the entire account at once.
Review trash and finish only verified deletions
Open Trash on the Google Photos website. Check each batch before permanently deleting it. If trash contains unrelated items, select the intended files rather than emptying everything. Keeping items while you verify is preferable to losing the only copy.
After permanent deletion, neither trash nor Takeout can restore those files. Stop if the backup remains uncertain.
Check storage and incoming email
Return to account storage. The counter can take time to update after a large cleanup. Once capacity is available, send a small message from another account to this Gmail address and check that you can reply. Ask senders to resend messages rejected while storage was full.
If Photos is no longer the main consumer, inspect Drive, Gmail and WhatsApp backups before deleting more pictures. Some older photos do not free quota when removed.
Keep a plan for new photos
Leave backup off to keep this arrangement. Google warns that switching it back on can upload deleted pictures again or delete their device copies. Set a routine, for example monthly: transfer new images to the computer, verify them and update the external disk. Check settings again when changing phones.
Without automatic backup, new pictures may exist only on the phone. If you prefer automatic protection, consider sufficient capacity or another backup system you have configured and checked.
When to stop and ask for help
Stop if you cannot locate the only copy, check the devices, finish the export or find expected files. If receiving email is urgent, first review already identified disposable content or account capacity options; do not rush into deleting unverified memories.
Does a step differ from what you see? →Common questions
Does Free up space in the app make room for Gmail?
Free up space on this device removes local files already backed up. It is different from the Google quota cleanup described here.
Does turning backup off delete existing Google copies?
No. Preserve and verify what you want to remove, then review deletion on the website.
Can I turn backup back on afterwards?
Do not assume it will start with new photos only. Review Google’s documented risks of reuploading pictures or removing device copies.
Is one downloaded ZIP enough?
No. Other parts may be missing and files may be unverified. Extract, open and check the material before deleting its source.
Why is Gmail still not receiving messages?
Check the account, updated quota and a new test message. If capacity is available, continue with the Gmail not receiving emails guide.
Sources and review
Project owner: Eudald Ferrer Ibáñez. Report a correction.
This guide uses official documentation and our own troubleshooting sequence. Menus may change between versions. Documentation reviewed on September 28, 2026; practical device testing is still pending.
- Google: shared storage and full Gmail
- Google: turn backup on or off
- Google: remove Photos backups while keeping Android files
- Google: remove Photos backups while keeping iPhone files
- Google: download photos and videos to a computer
- Google Takeout: export your account data
- Google: automatic computer folder backups
- Google: what Free up space on this device does
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