Google@UH - Storage Policy and Quota FAQs

Overview

Frequently asked questions about Google@UH storage quota.

FAQs for All UH Accounts

What counts towards my storage quota?

Gmail

  • Messages and attachments; including items in your Spam and Trash folders.

Drive

  • Most files in your "My Drive," including PDFs, images, videos, and items in your Trash folder. Note, only files that you own are counted towards your storage quota. Files that are shared with you but owned by another user are counted towards that owner's storage quota. Files stored in a Shared Drive count toward that Shared Drive's quota.
  • Files created or edited after May 2, 2022 in collaborative content creation apps like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, Recorder, and Jamboard.
  • "My Drive" folders can contain up to 500,000 items (files, folders, and shortcuts).

Google Photos (available for users enrolled in Google@UH Consumer Apps (link))

  • Original quality photos and videos backed up to Google Photos.
  • "High quality" (now named "Storage saver quality") and "Express quality" photos and videos backed up to Google Photos after June 1, 2021.

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How do I check my current storage use?

You can check your current storage usage by logging in at https://drive.google.com/drive/quota

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What happens if I exceed my individual storage quota?

The following impacts will be experienced should you exceed your storage quota and will remain in place until your storage use falls below your quota:

  • You will not be able to upload new files or images to Google Drive.
  • You will not be able to create files in collaborative content creation apps, such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard. Until you reduce your storage usage, you will not be able to edit or copy affected files or submit forms.
  • You will not be able to back up any photos or videos to Google Photos.
  • You will not be able to record new meetings in Google Meet.
  • You will not be able to create assignments with new files, export grades to Google sheets, or make copies of Assignments in Google Classroom.

The following actions will still be available to you even if you have exceeded your storage quota:

  • You will still be able to sign in.
  • You will still be able to send and receive emails.
  • You will still be able to view and download files stored on Google Drive.
  • You will still be able to view and download photos stored on Google Photos.

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How do I manage my storage use by deleting emails, files, and photos?

You can find instructions and tips for finding and deleting emails, files, and photos that are taking up your storage here: https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/11448771.

When managing your storage use, it is recommended to review items that are using the most amount of storage space first and work your way down to items using less storage space. Items that commonly utilize more storage space include large files (videos, music, software installers, etc.), high resolution or raw photos, docs/sheets/slides with images embedded, and emails with large attachments. In general, individual emails without attachments and small docs/sheets/slides without images utilize comparatively little storage space.

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I deleted emails, files, or photos but my storage use has not decreased. Am I doing something wrong?

When you first delete an email, file, or photo it will be moved to the "trash". Emails, files, and photos in trash continue to count against your storage quota until permanently deleted. The Gmail, Drive, and Photos app each have their own, individual trash. While in your trash, items can be recovered within 30 days. Items in trash are automatically and permanently deleted after 30 days. You can also choose to manually and permanently delete items in your trash at any time by navigating to the "trash" folder and clicking either "Empty Trash" to remove all items in trash or by selecting individual items and selecting "Delete Forever". 

Please note that emails, files, and photos that are permanently deleted from trash are irrecoverable. This applies whether they were manually deleted from the trash or automatically deleted after the 30-day window. If you choose to manually delete emails, files, or photos from trash, please be absolutely certain that you no longer need them.

If you delete, restore, or permanently delete a large number of files or folders at once, it may take several minutes for the changes to be processed.

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I have emails, files, photos that I want to keep but I still need to lower my storage use. What options are available to me?

You can download a copy of emails, files, and photos prior to deleting them. Once you have a copy stored on your local computer, external storage media, or another cloud storage account, you can delete the emails, files, or photos from your Google@UH account to free up storage space. Google Takeout offers an easy way to obtain a copy of Gmail, Drive, and Photo data (Note: you must first be enrolled in Google@UH Consumer Apps (link) to access Google Takeout).

Gmail

Drive

Photos

  • Google Takeout (link) (available for users enrolled in Google@UH Consumer Apps (link))
  • Download files from the web (https://photos.google.com/) to your local computer, external storage media, or another cloud storage account
  • Set up Partner Sharing (link) to transfer Google Photos to a personal Google account. After setting up Partner Sharing, follow Google's instructions in the "Save your partner's photos" section to create a copy of photos in your personal account. Then, delete the photos from your hawaii.edu account. Remember, you need to empty your Google Photos' Trash in order to reclaim storage space used by deleted photos.

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How do I request an exception or increase my storage quota?

Please visit Google@UH Add-on Storage

Note: we recommend faculty and staff review and reduce their Google@UH storage usage as much as possible before considering purchasing Google@UH Add-on Storage.

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I manage a Departmental UH Username. Do these types of accounts have storage quotas?

Yes, Departmental UH Usernames have a 25 GB storage quota. See the individual Google@UH account storage quota table above for a full list of storage quotas by affiliation/status.

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Does the Shared Drive storage count against my individual storage quota?

No, Shared Drives have their own storage quotas and storage used by a Shared Drive does not count towards an individual's storage quota. Storage used by Shared Drives does count towards our Google domain's total pooled storage limit. See below for information on reviewing the storage usage of a Shared Drive.

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How do I check the current storage usage of a Shared Drive?

First navigate to the list of Shared Drives that you manage or are a member of by visiting https://drive.google.com/drive/shared-drives. Next, click once to select the Shared Drive you'd like to check the storage usage of. After selecting a Shared Drive, click on the "View details" icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. In the "details pane" that appears you will find a field named "Storage used" that will display the Shared Drive's current storage usage.

With the "details pane" open, you can click once to select and view the storage used by other Shared Drives that you manage or are a member of. 

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How do I delete a Shared Drive?

You must have manager access and the shared drive has to be empty (files must be deleted or moved out of the shared drive you wish to delete). Note that each shared drive has its own trash where deleted files are stored for 30 days. To review and permanently delete files from a shared drive's trash:

  1. In your browser, visit https://drive.google.com/drive/shared-drives.
  2. In the Shared drives view, double-click to enter the shared drive whose trash you want to view.
  3. Click on Trash in the left nav bar.
  4. To permanently delete individual files, right-click individual files and select Delete forever.
  5. Otherwise, to permanently delete all files in the trash, click Empty shared drive trash located in the gray banner.

To delete an empty shared drive:

  1. In your browser, visit https://drive.google.com/drive/shared-drives.
  2. Right-click the shared drive you want to delete.
  3. Click Delete shared drive.

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Do Google Groups have storage quotas?

At this time there is no storage quota for Google Groups and messages within the groups user interface do no count towards the domain's total pooled storage limit.

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FAQs for 'Ohana Users

'Ohana user accounts have a 7.5 GB storage quota for the Google@UH accounts. Ohana users who have exceeded their quota allotment will notice an impact to their Google@UH account and will have their UH Username deprovisioned resulting in all data stored within their Google@UH account deleted (including emails stored in Gmail, documents stored in Drive, calendar and contacts data, etc.). 

Can I keep my UH username and Google@UH account?

Once the UH Identity Management System detects that you are no longer affiliated with the University of Hawaii (i.e. you are no longer an active student, staff, faculty, or other affiliate), your UH Username will be given a grace period of 180 days. During this time you will have access to your UH Username and Google@UH account and you can enroll in Online Services for 'Ohana (link) to maintain continued access to your UH Username and Google@UH account.

Enrollment in Online Services for 'Ohana must be renewed annually in order to maintain access to your UH Username.

Furthermore, 'Ohana users who exceed their allotted 7.5 GB Google@UH storage quota may have their UH Usernames deprovisioned and all data stored within their Google@UH accounts deleted.

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As 'Ohana, what is my storage quota?

As an 'Ohana user, your storage quota is 7.5 GB.

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How long will I have to reduce my storage usage and bring my usage within my allotted 7.5 GB quota when I leave UH?

You will have 180 days after leaving UH to bring your usage within the 7.5 GB quota. This 180-day period is referred to as your grace period. During your grace period, you will also continue to have full access to basic online services until your account expires or unless you enroll into our Ohana online services (link). To find your grace period's end date, please review the email(s) that were sent to you upon entering your grace period titled "Important Notice - End of access to UH Online Services" or "Confirmation of your UH Ohana request" (for users who had pre-opted into Ohana online services).

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What happens if I exceed my individual 7.5 GB storage quota?

Along with the impacts experienced for all other accounts exceeding storage

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How do I transfer manager of a Shared Drive?

'Ohana users (and those in the 180 day grace period) who are managers of a Shared Drive should transfer managership of Shared Drive to an active faculty, staff, student, or other affiliate, as Shared Drives that are not managed by an active faculty, staff, student, or other affiliate may be deleted:

  1. Navigate to the list of Shared Drives that you manage or are a member of by visiting https://drive.google.com/drive/shared-drives.
  2. Click once to select the Shared Drive you'd like to check the membership of.
  3. Click on the View details icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Uploaded Image (Thumbnail)
  4. Under details, click on Manage access.
  5. Add the email address of the person who you would like to transfer manager to and select their role as Manager from the drop down box
  6. Click Send

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