Storage saver vs original quality in Google Photos

Original quality keeps every photo and video exactly as your camera saved it, at full resolution and full file size. Storage saver (formerly "High quality") compresses photos to a maximum of 16 megapixels and videos to 1080p, which makes the files much smaller but throws away some detail for good. Since 1 June 2021 both settings count toward your Google storage, so Storage saver no longer means free. It just means smaller.

What each setting does

The backup quality setting lives in the Google Photos app under your profile picture, then Photos settings, then Backup, then Backup quality. On the web it is under Settings. It only affects photos uploaded after you change it, unless you also run the "Recover storage" conversion described below.

	Original quality	Storage saver
Photos	Stored exactly as taken, any resolution	Compressed, capped at 16 MP
Videos	Stored exactly as recorded, any resolution	Compressed, capped at 1080p
File size	Full	Typically much smaller
Counts toward storage	Yes	Yes, since 1 June 2021
Reversible	You can switch the setting any time	Converted photos cannot be restored to original
Good for	Printing, cropping, RAW, archiving	Phone viewing, sharing, saving space

A photo from a modern phone is often 12 to 50 MP and 3 to 8 MB. Under Storage saver, a 12 MP photo stays 12 MP but is recompressed into a smaller file. A 48 MP photo is reduced to 16 MP and recompressed. Either way, the detail that is thrown out does not come back.

The 2021 change

Before 1 June 2021, "High quality" uploads were free and unlimited. They did not count toward the 15 GB that Google gives every account. This is why so many people have years of photos backed up without ever thinking about storage.

On 1 June 2021 Google renamed High quality to Storage saver and started counting new Storage saver uploads toward your storage. Photos backed up before that date in High quality were left alone. At the time of writing they still do not count, and the storage page lists them separately.

Everything uploaded since then, in either setting, uses your 15 GB. That 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Drive, so a full Google Photos library will eventually stop your email as well. For more on how the three services share the space, see Gmail storage full because of photos.

There is one exception. Some older Pixel phones still get free Storage saver uploads from that device. Check Google's current help pages for the details, as this has changed over the years.

How to convert existing photos to Storage saver

Changing the backup setting does not touch what is already stored. To shrink what is already in your library, Google offers a one-time conversion on the "Manage storage" page.

1. Open photos.google.com on a computer, or open the app and tap your profile picture.
2. Go to Settings, then "Manage storage" (on the web it is also at photos.google.com/quotamanagement).
3. Look for "Recover storage". Google shows an estimate of how much space you would get back.
4. Click or tap "Learn more", read the warning, and tick the box to confirm you understand the change is permanent.
5. Click "Compress". The conversion runs on Google's side and can take a few hours or longer for a large library.

Things to know before you press the button:

• It is permanent. There is no way to get the original pixels back afterwards.
• It converts everything in Original quality, not a selection. You cannot keep some photos original and compress others in one pass.
• Google's estimate is usually close, but the final figure can differ.
• Your storage figure may take a while to update, and if you have a lot in the trash, that still counts until the trash is emptied. Google Photos trash explained covers that.

How much space it typically recovers

This depends on what is in your library. A rough guide, with the caveat that every library is different:

• Photos from phones at 12 MP or below shrink by a modest amount, because they are already under the cap and only get recompressed.
• Photos from 48 MP and higher phones, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras shrink a lot, since they are cut to 16 MP as well as recompressed.
• Videos above 1080p, such as 4K clips from a recent phone, shrink the most. Video is usually the biggest slice of a library by size, so if you shoot a lot of 4K, this is where the saving comes from.

The best source of truth is the estimate Google shows you on the "Recover storage" card before you confirm. If it says a few hundred megabytes, the conversion is probably not worth the permanent loss. If it says tens of gigabytes, it is worth a careful think.

What you lose

Storage saver is a good compromise for photos that live on a phone screen. The compression is hard to see at that size. It is not invisible, though.

• Resolution for printing. A 16 MP photo prints well up to around A3. A 48 MP original gives you more room for large prints and for cropping into a small part of the frame.
• Fine detail. Recompression softens textures such as hair, foliage and fabric, and can add faint blockiness around sharp edges. You will notice it when zoomed in, not in a thumbnail.
• RAW files. If you shoot RAW, read Google's current help pages on how Storage saver treats RAW files before converting anything.
• Video quality. 4K becomes 1080p. On a phone that is fine. On a large television it is noticeable.
• Future options. You cannot know today what you will want to do with a photo in ten years. Original keeps every option open.

When to keep Original quality

Keep Original quality if any of these apply:

• You print photos, especially larger than a postcard.
• You crop heavily, or want to be able to.
• You shoot with a dedicated camera, in RAW, or in 4K video on purpose.
• Google Photos is your only backup. If it is also your archive, keep it lossless.
• You have the storage to spare, or you are happy to pay for a Google One plan. Google One starts at 100 GB.

Choose Storage saver if your photos are mostly phone snaps that you view on a phone, you are near the limit, and you do not want to pay for storage. Many people land on a mix: Original for new uploads so that nothing is lost going forward, and a one-time conversion of the old backlog to reclaim space.

Why duplicates waste space twice

Whatever quality you pick, every photo you store twice costs you twice. Before you convert to Storage saver, it is worth clearing the duplicates first, for two reasons.

First, it may mean you do not need to convert at all. A library that is full of doubles, burst frames and re-saved copies from chat apps can shed a surprising amount without losing a single pixel of a single memory. In our testing on a real library of about 15,000 photos, Doppelgone found roughly 4 GB of duplicates. That is space you get back with nothing compressed.

Second, if you do convert afterwards, Google is compressing fewer files, and the converted library is smaller again.

Doppelgone is a free Chrome extension that finds exact duplicates, similar shots and burst photos on photos.google.com, keeps the best shot of each set, and moves the rest to the trash for 30 days with one-click undo. Your photos never leave your device. The free plan includes unlimited scans and 200 clean-ups, and Pro is a one-time payment for unlimited clean-ups on up to 3 accounts, Google Photos and iCloud together.

The sensible order, then, is: empty the trash, clear duplicates, check the storage figure, and only then decide whether to convert. For a wider list of ways to make room without paying, see free up Google storage without paying.

Frequently asked questions

Does Storage saver still count toward my 15 GB?

Yes. Since 1 June 2021 every new upload counts toward your Google storage, whether it is Original quality or Storage saver. Photos backed up in High quality before that date still do not count, at the time of writing.

Can I undo converting my photos to Storage saver?

No. The "Recover storage" conversion is permanent. Google warns you and asks you to confirm before it runs, and the original full-resolution files are not kept.

Does Storage saver reduce quality noticeably?

On a phone or laptop screen, usually not. Photos are capped at 16 MP and recompressed, so the loss shows when you print large, crop heavily or zoom right in. Videos are reduced to 1080p, which is noticeable on a large television.

Should I switch to Storage saver or just delete photos?

Clear the easy wins first: empty the trash, remove duplicates and bursts, and delete screenshots and old videos. If you are still short of space after that, converting to Storage saver is a reasonable next step. It is permanent, so treat it as a last resort rather than a first one.

What to do next

Open "Manage storage" in Google Photos and note the "Recover storage" estimate, but do not press the button yet. Clear your duplicates first with Doppelgone, free from the Chrome Web Store, then check the figure again. You may find you do not need to compress anything.