Get a head start on Google storage cleanup
As recently announced, cloud storage services for the Virginia Tech community are changing. For students, these changes include storage limits in Google Workspace. Beginning in January 2024, current students will have a 5 GB storage limit on their Google Workspace accounts, and the Google Photos app will no longer be available.
While January is a few months away, we’re asking you to spend some time cleaning up your Google Workspace now. Why?
- You won’t risk your Google Workspace going read-only when storage limits go into effect.
- You’ll have less work to do when storage limits are looming.
- You won’t have to sift through files you no longer need, freeing up space for files that matter.
What to do
- Check your Google storage total by following these instructions. Your storage total includes data in Gmail, Photos, and Google My Drive.
- Delete files you don't need. You can reduce your storage by deleting unnecessary files, exporting the ones you want using Google Takeout, and then emptying your trash. Don't forget to empty your Gmail trash as well; in some cases, the automatic setting doesn’t work reliably.
- Empty the Google Photos app on your VT account. Access to the Google Photos app is ending as part of these changes, and any photos left in your VT Google Photos app will be lost once access ends. Be sure to export all the photos you wish to keep, and then delete all remaining photos in the VT photos app. Also, take a moment to redirect any processes that automatically upload new photos to your VT Google photos app. Options for exporting photos include:
- Transferring photos to a personal Google account or to another cloud storage provider.
- Downloading photos to a local device. You can then either store the photos on your device or move them to another cloud storage service.
- Review shared drives that you are associated with. Determine which shared drives should be kept (these will require a department to sponsor the shared drive) and which should be deleted. Work with co-managers of shared drives to delete unneeded files and/or drives by following these instructions. For example, if you created a shared drive for a past class project that you no longer use, please download any files you want to keep from it, move everything else to the trash, and delete the drive. Be sure to notify others who used that drive so that they can also keep copies of any files before the drive is deleted.
Get more details on upcoming changes to Google and Microsoft 365 on the student information page.
If you have any questions or need help with Google Workspace at Virginia Tech, please contact 4Help.