How to Get More Google Drive Storage: 5 Ways (2026)

Looking for Google Drive unlimited storage? While true unlimited plans are rare, there are smart ways to expand your space or work around limits. In this guide, we’ll share 5 effective methods to help you get as close as possible to unlimited storage on Google Drive.

By Richard    Updated on August 24, 2026

Quick answer: Google does not offer truly unlimited Google Drive storage for standard personal accounts. Every Google Account includes 15 GB shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. If you need more space, you can clean up your account, upgrade to Google One, share a Google One plan with family, use pooled Google Workspace storage, or combine the available capacity of multiple cloud accounts with CBackup.

Important:
“Combined” or “nearly unlimited” storage is not a single unlimited Google Drive account. Your total capacity remains the sum of the quotas in the cloud accounts you connect.

Is Unlimited Google Drive Storage Still Available?

No—not for regular personal accounts. A free Google Account includes 15 GB of storage, which is shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Photos and videos uploaded in Storage Saver or Express quality after June 1, 2021 also count toward the quota.

Google Workspace for Education is not unlimited either. Eligible schools and universities receive a baseline of 100 TB of pooled storage shared across the institution. An administrator can set limits for individual users, so a student’s available space depends on the school’s policy.

Current Google Workspace business editions also use pooled, plan-based storage. Google lists 30 GB per user for Business Starter, 2 TB per user for Business Standard, and 5 TB per user for Business Plus and Enterprise Plus. These are large allocations, but they should not be described as unlimited.

Option Storage Best for Key limitation
Free Google Account 15 GB total Light personal use Shared by Drive, Gmail, and Photos
Google One Starts at 100 GB Individuals and families Paid plan; availability and pricing vary
Google Workspace Plan-based pooled storage Teams and organizations Per-user subscription and admin controls
Workspace for Education 100 TB baseline pooled storage per institution Schools and universities Not 100 TB per student
CBackup Combined Cloud Sum of connected account quotas Managing multiple clouds in one place Does not remove provider limits

How to Get More Google Drive Storage: 5 Practical Ways

The best method depends on whether you want a free solution, simpler account management, family sharing, or business-scale capacity. Here is a quick decision guide:

  • Need a free option? Clean up existing storage or combine the unused capacity of accounts you already own.
  • Want one official personal plan? Upgrade through Google One.
  • Need storage for a household? Share an eligible Google One plan with up to five other people.
  • Need team administration? Choose a Google Workspace edition with pooled storage.
  • Manage several cloud services? Use CBackup to organize their available capacity as one combined backup destination.

1. Combine Multiple Cloud Accounts with CBackup

If you already have several Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox accounts, CBackup can connect them and create a Combined Cloud. This makes the available capacity easier to manage and can provide a much larger backup destination without repeatedly switching accounts.

For example, connecting two Google Accounts with 15 GB each and one OneDrive account with 5 GB gives you up to 35 GB of combined capacity, subject to each provider's available space and rules. It is expandable, but it is not a promise of infinite storage.

Why use CBackup:

  • Centralized cloud management: Add supported cloud accounts and manage backup storage from one interface.
  • Cloud-to-cloud backup: Back up data between supported services—for example, back up Dropbox to Google Drive.
  • Scheduled backups: Run a task once or schedule it daily, weekly, or monthly.
  • Authorized access: Connect supported cloud services through their authorization process instead of sharing account passwords with CBackup.
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Follow these steps to create a Combined Cloud:

Step 1. Create a CBackup account, install CBackup, and sign in.

Step 2. Open Storage, select Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox, and click Authorize Now. Complete the provider’s authorization process. Repeat this step for each account you own and are permitted to connect.

Step 3. In Storage, select Add Combined Cloud.

Step 4. Name the combined cloud, select the accounts to include, click Next, and then click Combine.

To back up a PC to the new destination, go to Backup > Backup PC to Combined Cloud, select the files or folders, choose the Combined Cloud, and click Start Backup.

2. Free Up Space in Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos

Cleaning up storage is the best free option because all three services draw from the same Google Account quota. Deleting files from Drive alone may not solve the problem if Gmail attachments or Google Photos use most of the space.

  1. Open Google’s storage manager or the Storage view in Google Drive.
  2. Review large files, unsupported videos, spam, and emails with large attachments.
  3. Download anything you need to keep, then remove unwanted items.
  4. Empty the Drive Trash, Gmail Trash and Spam, and Google Photos Bin. Items there can continue to count until permanently deleted.
  5. Recheck the storage meter; Google notes that updates can take some time.

★ Before deleting:
Keep a second copy of irreplaceable files. A backup stored in another cloud or on a separate device protects you from accidental deletion and account-access problems.

3. Upgrade to a Google One Storage Plan

Google One is the simplest official upgrade for a personal Google Account. Plans start at 100 GB in supported regions, and larger tiers are available. The storage covers Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos rather than Drive alone.

Because plan names, benefits, prices, and availability vary by country and can change, check the current Google One plans before purchasing. If your account belongs to a workplace or school, you generally need to ask the administrator for more space instead of buying Google One for that account.

4. Share Google One Storage with Your Family

An eligible Google One membership can be shared with up to five other people, for a family group of six including the plan manager. Each person’s files remain private unless they choose to share them.

Each family member uses their own included personal storage first. After that Google Drive storage is full, their files use the shared Google One pool. Members can draw from the available shared space, and the plan manager cannot reserve a fixed amount for each person. Family sharing therefore improves value, but it does not multiply the paid plan capacity by six.

5. Use Google Workspace Pooled Storage for a Team

Google Workspace is designed for organizations that need centralized administration, collaboration, shared drives, and larger pooled storage. The published storage allowance depends on the edition:

  • Business Starter: 30 GB pooled storage per user.
  • Business Standard: 2 TB pooled storage per user.
  • Business Plus: 5 TB pooled storage per user.
  • Enterprise editions: storage depends on the selected edition and contract; Google’s current public comparison lists 5 TB per user for Enterprise Plus.

“Per user” describes how capacity is added to the organization’s shared pool; it does not necessarily mean every user receives an isolated quota of that size. Administrators can apply storage limits. Check Google’s current plan page or speak with Google Sales before making a purchase decision.

Which Option Should You Choose?

  • Choose cleanup if you only need a few extra gigabytes and want to spend nothing.
  • Choose Google One if you want a simple, official upgrade for personal storage.
  • Choose family sharing if several household members need access to one paid storage pool.
  • Choose Google Workspace if your organization needs pooled storage, shared drives, security controls, and user administration.
  • Choose CBackup Combined Cloud if you already use multiple cloud accounts and want to manage their available capacity as one backup destination.

Conclusion

There is no official unlimited Google Drive plan for a standard personal account. The safest approach is to match the solution to your real need: clean up unused data, buy a suitable Google One tier, share storage with family, or use Google Workspace for an organization. If your capacity is already spread across several supported cloud accounts, CBackup can combine those existing quotas and simplify backup management.

FAQs About Unlimited Google Storage

Can I get unlimited Google Drive storage for free?

No official method gives a standard personal Google Account unlimited Drive storage for free. You can recover space, use multiple accounts within Google’s rules, or combine the available quotas of supported accounts, but every account and provider still has a limit.

Does Google One offer unlimited storage?

No. Google One offers paid, fixed-capacity plans. Available tiers and benefits depend on your country. The storage is shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

Does Google Workspace offer unlimited storage?

Current public Workspace plans use pooled storage allowances based on the edition and number of users. Do not assume that an Enterprise subscription is unlimited; verify the allowance shown for your edition or contract.

Can students get unlimited Google Drive storage?

Not by default. Google Workspace for Education provides a baseline 100 TB pool for an eligible institution, not for each student. The school’s administrator decides how much an individual account can use and what happens after graduation.

Do Pixel phones still get unlimited Google Photos storage?

Only certain older Pixel models retain specific legacy benefits for uploads made from those devices. The original Pixel has unlimited Original quality backup under its legacy terms. Pixel 2 through Pixel 5 have model-specific terms, generally including unlimited Storage saver backups after their Original quality promotional periods ended. Pixel 5a and Pixel 6 or newer do not include the legacy unlimited benefit. Check the backup settings and terms for your exact model before relying on it.

Does combining Google Drive accounts merge their files and quotas?

No. A tool such as CBackup can present connected account capacity as a combined backup destination, but the source accounts, ownership, quotas, and provider rules remain separate.

What happens when Google storage is full?

You may be unable to upload or create Drive files, send or receive Gmail messages, or back up new photos and videos. If an account remains over quota for an extended period, Google may delete content under its storage policy, so clean up or upgrade promptly and keep an independent backup.

Richard · Editor
With over five years of experience, he specializes in resolving complex challenges related to data backup and remote desktop control. He specializes in troubleshooting, optimizing productivity, and creating in-depth guides that help users fully leverage their remote access solutions.