Environment
U-M Google, Drive, Mail, Photos, Drive for desktop
Issue
Google has alerted me that I’ve reached my storage limit and that it is full. What does this mean, and what should I do?
Note: If your storage is full, you should take action to reduce it under your storage limit as soon as possible.
Resolution
There are two scenarios in which Google may alert you that you've reached your storage limit:
- In your individual account or Shared Account
- In a shared drive you manage/are a member of.
It is important to note that the over-limit experiences for each are separate (i.e., if you are over the limit in your individual account, you can still use shared drives normally). Also, if you are over the limit in a shared drive, you can still use your individual account (and other shared drives) normally.
Individual account (or Shared Account)
When you reach the storage limit on your individual U-M Google account (or Shared Account), your access to services such as Drive, Gmail, and Photos will be affected in the following ways:
- Gmail: Your ability to send/receive email will be affected.
- You will receive an ITS login notice and an automated email when you reach your limit. The email states that you have 14 days to reduce your storage before you can no longer send or receive email to your @umich.edu address in Gmail.
- You will receive another ITS login notice 7 days before your email is restricted.
- On the day your email is restricted, you will receive one final automated email from ITS stating that your email has been restricted.
- Reducing your storage is the only way to restore email functionality.
- After reducing your storage, it can take up to 72 hours for Google's systems to reflect this reduction, and an additional 24 hours before account email restrictions are lifted.
- However, if you have deleted a significant number of emails, it may take Google more than 3 days to accurately report your new storage usage.
- Drive:
- You cannot sync or upload new files.
- You cannot create new Google file types, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, or Forms.
- Until you reduce the amount of storage you use, neither you nor anyone else (i.e., collaborators shared on the file) will be able to edit the affected files you own.
- Syncs stop between your computer's Google Drive for desktop folder and My Drive.
- You can still share your files with other collaborators. Those collaborators can still make copies of any of your affected files.
- Photos: You cannot sync or upload additional photos or videos.
- Takeout: You can continue to use Google Takeout to export your Google account data. You can also continue to use Google Takeout Transfer to copy all your email in Gmail and files you own in Drive to a personal (non-UM) Google account.
Shared drive
When you reach the storage limit on a Google shared drive of which you are a Manager, some functionalities in that specific drive will be affected in the following ways:
- All members and collaborators cannot copy, create, upload, or move content (including Google file types) into the shared drive when storage is full, or if the item they are trying to move/create/upload/copy will cause the storage to exceed the limit.
- All members and collaborators will still be able to view, comment on, and edit (depending on their permission level) existing files and folders within the shared drive.
Additional Information
- Note that the process differs for individuals who exceed their storage limit due to a role change that reduces their storage limit from 250GB to 15GB. These individuals have 90 days to reduce their storage usage before their accounts are permanently deleted.
- Storage Management in U-M Google
Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.