How to Fix Google Drive Storage Not Updating (Easy Fixes)

What is the first thing that comes to mind about digital storage services?

Well, there is no doubt that Google Drive is the one. Though there are external drives that you can use to store your data, the benefits of Google Drive are immense. It’s easy to use and is ready to update all your data without your active participation automatically.

But recently, many people have witnessed issues with the Google Drive storage not updating. This might look like a very big issue, but you can quickly resolve it once you know the reasons.

So, let us find out the same here. But before that, let us find out what Google Drive is.

About Google Drive 

One of the most advanced cloud storage options today, Google Drive, offers users a reliable file synchronization solution. Each freshly created Google Drive account comes with a 15GB storage allowance that you may use to store photos, documents, slideshows, movies, sheets, and more. Drive lets you securely upload and edit files online from a computer or mobile device. Others may collaborate on files and edit them easily with Drive.

Though Google Drive is very friendly, you might face issues when you go ahead and store the data on it. One of the most common ones is linked to storage. One such issue to look forward to is when you find that Google Drive says full but empty in the real sense. 

Reasons For Google Drive Storage Not Updating

It’s not a major issue when Google Drive storage is not updating. It can occasionally take several days for Google Drive to update the amount of space when you make changes to it, such as removing files or buying space.

But if even after days you find the same situation, here are a few potential reasons for the same:

The Trash or Bin folder still has the deleted files occupying space.
Unused files on Google Drive are using storage space.
Orphaned files are still left out.
Possible problems with earlier app versions.
A Google Drive desktop application error resulted in some technical difficulty.
Unable to recognize the current account space due to a Google Drive service fault.
New files consume storage space on Google Drive due to the automatic file sync feature. 

Now since you are aware of the reasons, let us explore the potential solutions that can help you immensely.

10 Ways to Fix Google Drive Storage Not Updating

Google Drive says full, but empty is not a serious concern. This tissue occurs primarily because it is primary, so you can efficiently resolve them with simple solutions.

The most common solutions that you can try to get the problem resolved are as follows:

As mentioned in the reasons, the issue can be due to the residual files exiting in the trash. This is because when a user deletes the file, it is left in the trash for around 30-120 days, after which it is entirely deleted from Google Drive. Until then, it continues to occupy space, so you might not be able to see an increase in your free space. So, the best way to ensure they are adequately deleted, follow the steps below:

Open Google Drive on the chrome browser
Click on the Trash It is available on the left
The Trash page will open > Click on Empty Trash on the right

Wait for the process to complete
Now refresh and check the space

If you cannot check the updated space, check the Trash page and repeat the process.

There are chances that you might have a bulk of unused files. These can be files, photos, videos, or any other multimedia that is now useless to you. To clear them up, you will be required to search and scroll through the files and delete the ones that are useless to you. Though it is time-consuming, this can help resolve the issue of Google Drive storage not updating. In the end, remove the file from Trash to free us the storage.

On Google Drive, the files inside of deleted folders don’t permanently get removed entirely. These files can end up orphaned and consume space, preventing Google Drive storage not updating. The fact that these files cannot be seen directly is important to comprehend. Delete any orphaned files if you find any by following the instructions below:

Go to Google Drive
Type below in the search bar and press Enter

is:unorganized owner:me

It will search for orphaned files
Check the search result
Right-click to select the file > Click on Delete
It will remove the file
Ensure to delete it from Trash as well to free up the space.

Google Drive is also used to backup the third-party app data. Now, it will occupy the space if you have deleted that particular application but have not yet deleted its data loaded on the Drive. This is called hidden data. To delete the same, here are the steps to follow:

Open drive.google.com on your browser
Click on the settings icon > Select Settings from it

A pop-up will appear > Click on Manage Apps

Scroll down to check the data taken up by apps
Click on Options next to the app
Select Delete hidden app data
This will free up space for you. 

If you are facing the Google Drive storage not updating issue, it can be due to the storage occupied by Google Photos and Gmail. Now, if you have Whatsapp also backed up on the same link, you will see that the data or images will get automatically stored on Drive. Additionally, There are promotional and social emails on Gmail, which can add to the space. To delete them and free up the space, here is what you need to do:

Go to Google Photos, tap Settings in the top right corner of the screen

Then slide left or right to choose to save the Storage Saver settings.

Now Open your Gmail account
and Delete old emails that are not in use

Then Click on More to expand click on Trash

Final Click on Empty Trash now and check

The Google Drive desktop application is updated periodically to include new functionality and fix flaws from earlier versions, such as Google Drive storage not updating. Please update the most recent Drive for desktop software as below:

Click on the system tray and click on the Google Drive icon
Select the Settings icon > Click on Quit/Exit in the pop-up list

Then Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings
Go to Apps & features > Look for Google Drive in the list of applications
Click Uninstall

Download the latest version of Google Drive
Install and sign in to google drive to check the issue resolved

Or you can also use third-party uninstaller software to uninstall programs from your PC and it’s totally free.

There is a trash section on Google Drive as well. Now, you would be required to delete the same to ensure that you have the correct space calculation. Listed down are the steps to be followed by you:

Open the Google Drive website
Click on the Bin/Trash option > Select Empty Bin/Trash

Refresh the page
Now, check the available storage

Clear the Drive app’s cache if you’re using an Android phone to verify the available storage. Since cache clearing differs from data clearing, files will not be deleted. The steps are as follows:

Open Settings on your phone
Go to Apps > Here find Google Drive and Select

Then Top on Storage inside Google Drive > Tap on Clear cache

Restart your phone

If you can still not check the proper storage and face Google Drive storage not updating, you will be required to sign out from the same. Once you do so, try signing in again and check the storage. This will resolve the issue seamlessly.

You can select to ask for assistance from Google Drive support if you are unsure of what prevented Google Drive storage from updating. Though this might take some time, it is still a great solution.

Conclusion

Google Drive storage not updating is one of the issues that is not so big if you know the right solution to adopt. While you must clean up your Drive trash regularly, you can try any of the above solutions. So, next time you feel that Google Drive says full but empty, there is nothing to worry about. Just follow these solutions and resolve the same in no time.