# I Saved Gigabytes of Google Storage by Optimizing Backup Settings Optimizing Android backup settings solved my storage issues. - **Source:** [Android Police](https://brifing.si/source/a7444c3b-8025-40d3-b68b-72e44d7adc84) - **Published:** 2026-07-26 - **Topic:** [Product Management](https://brifing.si/c/product) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/27e8c177-f5a1-4608-8c45-2f8771c9da2e ## The Importance of Android Backup Settings When your Google account storage is full, your Android phone stops backing up. This increases the risk of losing critical data. By adjusting backup settings, you can save storage space and keep your data secure. ## Types of Backup Data Android backup settings categorize data into three types: photos and videos, documents, and other device data. Other device data includes SMS, call history, and app data. Backing up this data is crucial when restoring your device. ## Avoid Unnecessary Backups Not all data needs to be backed up. For example, some apps only store payment details, and backing up this data uses unnecessary storage. Adjusting these settings can save hundreds of megabytes. ## Optimize Photo and Video Backups Google Photos can back up all folders on your device. However, apps like WhatsApp already back up media files to the cloud, resulting in duplicate backups. Disabling such backups can save gigabytes of space. ## Regularly Clean Up Storage Regularly cleaning up unnecessary files on your device is an effective way to conserve storage space. Following Google Photos' recommendations makes it easy to remove redundant files. ## The Key to Solving Storage Issues Optimizing your Google account storage keeps your data secure and avoids unnecessary expenses. By adjusting backup settings and regularly cleaning up storage, you can easily solve this problem. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.androidpolice.com/i-saved-gigabytes-of-google-storage-by-fixing-a-mistake-i-didnt-know-i-was-making/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._