I also like having my own local copies of photos Unless this is already the case, you're not retrieving the originals from Google Photos after using the "free up space" feature, unfortunately. Check your Google Drive for a Google Photos folder in case you enabled this feature and they might just be originals if you're lucky. Answer from mturi on reddit.com
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MultCloud
multcloud.com › multcloud tutorials › i accidentally clicked 'free up space' in google photos – what now?
I Accidentally Clicked 'Free Up Space' in Google Photos – What Now?
September 1, 2025 - Since the photos aren’t deleted ... the "Free Up Space" feature only removes local copies, if you mistakenly delete a photo from Google Photos, it will go to the trash....
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MultCloud
multcloud.com › multcloud tutorials › how to free up space on google photos | full guide
How to Free Up Space on Google Photos | Full Guide
August 7, 2025 - If you accidentally clicked Free up space in Google Photos, you can stop the process: While the "Free up space" process runs, you'll see a notification or progress indicator on the screen.
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Google Support
support.google.com › photos › answer › 6128843
Free up space on your device - Android - Google Photos Help
You'll see how much space will be freed up. To delete all the items from your phone, tap Free up [x] from device. To see your photos and videos, go to photos.google.com or open the Google Photos app .
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Google Support
support.google.com › photos › thread › 698866 › undo-free-up-space
Undo free up space - Google Photos Community
Skip to main content · Google Photos Help · Sign in · Google Help · Help Center · Community · Google Photos · Terms of Service · Submit feedback · Send feedback on
Find elsewhere
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CBackup
cbackup.com › cbackup tutorials › how to stop free up space in google photos? [4 ways included]
How to Stop Free up Space in Google Photos? [4 Ways Included]
June 10, 2025 - Step 3. Find Google Photos, tap Force Stop, and click OK in the pop-up window to confirm. The operation of Google Photos depends on the network. Another way to stop Google Photos from freeing up space is to disconnect the network.
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to recover photos after freeing up space in Google Photos?| Funtouch OS Tips & Tricks - YouTube
How to recover photos after freeing up space in Google Photos?Check to restore your photos quickly!#vivo #FuntouchOS #Howto #Tips #PhotoRecoveryAdditional Re...
Published   January 9, 2023
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Guiding Tech
guidingtech.com › home › what happens when you free up space in google photos
What Happens When You Free Up Space in Google Photos: All FAQs Answered
May 15, 2024 - If you’ve selected the upload quality as compressed, you will lose the original-quality photos when they are deleted from your device. You can always view the photos and download them again from Google Photos. Whenever you use the Free Up Space option in Google Photos, all photos and videos safely backed up to the cloud are removed from your device’s local storage.
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Wondershare
repairit.wondershare.com › photo-repair › google-photos-free-up-space-not-working.html
Troubleshooting Guide: Resolving Google Photos Free Up Space Not Working
If the issue persists after restarting the Google Photos app, consider restarting your device to fix Google Photos free up space not working. Step 1: Navigate to your device's Settings and select either the Apps or Apps & Notifications option. Step 2: Select See all apps to display a list of all currently open applications. Step 3: Locate Google Photos, choose Force Stop, and confirm by clicking OK in the prompted window.
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Android Central
androidcentral.com › apps & software
How to reclaim phone storage with Google Photos' Free Up Space feature | Android Central
April 17, 2023 - The copies will continue to be available in your Google account's cloud storage and accessible through Google Photos. ... And don't worry, this will only delete files you've backed up, so files that haven't been copied to the cloud yet won't get deleted. But, if you have large files or folders that aren't backed up, this process will not delete those. You can choose to back those files up and then go through the steps above again, or you can delete them manually. After that, you'll be all set to enjoy your new free space.
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Google Support
support.google.com › photos › thread › 132683
I accidentally clicked on the free space and I need to recover my photos. How do I do that? - Google Photos Community
Skip to main content · Google Photos Help · Sign in · Google Help · Help Center · Community · Google Photos · Terms of Service · Submit feedback · Send feedback on
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9to5Google
9to5google.com › home › google photos: how to free up space and delete safely backed-up photos
How to free up space in Google Photos
March 29, 2023 - In the Google Photos app, head to the Library tab. Tap Utilities at the top. Tap Free up space.
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YouTube
youtube.com › neil mossey
When your phone is FULL with GOOGLE PHOTOS: what to do next! - YouTube
How can you recover Google storage on your phone? Are you getting warning messages your Google Storage is full? Here's how to clear your Google storage WITHO...
Published   November 9, 2023
Views   64K
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/googlephotos › google photos "free up space" feature not working
r/googlephotos on Reddit: Google Photos "Free up space" feature not working
July 26, 2021 -

Hi all! Can you help me? I can't seem to find the answer online.

Samsung Galaxy S20 | Android 11

I use Google Photos to backup my phone's camera roll. They backup successfully into my Google Photos account but when I try to free up space by using the "Free up 40 GB" button, it doesn't work. I still have all the photos saved locally.

Things I have tried:

  • Uninstalling & installing the app

  • Checking for app updates

  • Settings > Clear data/cache

  • Powered my phone on and off

I have like 1GB of of storage left on my phone so I need a solution to this. Thank you!

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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Google Photos: How to Free Up Space on your Phone Tutorial Video 739 - YouTube
You will learn how to free up space on your smartphone.Mrs. Geek of Geeks On Tour makes these Video Tutorials that show you how to use your Smartphones and t...
Published   April 4, 2022