Starting Sept. 1, 2025, Google Workspace will have a storage limit of 5 terabytes (TB). If this update affects your My Drive or any shared drives you manage, you should have already received information to help you navigate the transition smoothly.
But even if your current storage usage falls well under 5 TB, you may notice a few changes in your Google Workspace experience when the storage limit takes effect — including new tools to help you manage storage.
When your drive exceeds the storage limit
Any drive exceeding 5 TB will switch to read-only mode when the storage limit starts. You will still be able to view and download your files, but certain functionalities will be restricted until you either reduce usage below the limit or opt in to the premium option.
Make the most of your drives
Effective data management enhances collaboration and security. Use these tips to optimize Google Workspace.
- Use My Drive as your personal space and shared drives for collaboration.
- If you’re moving on from a role or project, you can transfer file ownership to a Stanford colleague or a shared drive. (Remember, institutional data should be in shared drive.)
- Check your My Drive usage and sort and remove files you no longer need.
- Regularly review your shared drive usage and organize content. To protect your data, set share options.
New in-app tools gauge storage availability
To help you stay on top of your storage and keep your drives fully functional, Google will introduce some new features within the app.
When you log in to your account, a status bar will show how the storage you’re using compares against the 5 TB limit. This feature will appear in your left menu and also at the top of the page when you check your My Drive storage details.
The vast majority of us won’t come close to reaching the 5 TB storage limit. But if you do, Google will let you know. You’ll receive a yellow “Storage low” alert when you reach 80% of the limit — or 4 TB — followed by a red “Storage full” alert at 5 TB. These alerts will also appear in Google Photos and the Drive for Desktop app.
Similarly, a status bar that shows storage used against the limit can be viewed in the “Details” panel for each shared drive.
Yellow and red alerts will also display in shared drives; however, the information you receive will vary based on your access level.
Managers and content managers will see alerts in shared drive when storage hits 4 TB and 5 TB, while other members (contributors, commenters, and viewers) will only see an alert when the shared drive reaches 90% of capacity.
Alerts won’t show up at all for collaborators on individual files or folders.
Collaborating on shared files when drives are full
Even in read-only mode, all data is retained, so you can open and view the files that have been shared with you. However, editing capabilities will be disabled if the file owner has reached their storage capacity.
Owners are still able to share files in read-only drives, and collaborators can copy these files to their own drive or other storage locations.
For shared drives that exceed the storage limit, members won’t be able to add new files or modify existing ones stored within the shared drive until storage is reduced or the shared drive is upgraded to the premium option.
How to get help
- If you're a collaborator facing challenges due to read-only limitations, it’s recommended that you reach out to the file owner.
- If you need to manage or reduce storage, visit the Google Workspace Storage Management guide. For personalized assistance, reach out to your local IT support team or submit a request for a storage consultation.
- If you need help with a technical issue related to Google functionality, submit a Help request.
Learn more
To learn more about these changes, visit Understanding Google Storage Limit Alerts.
Additionally, you’ll find many resources on the University IT website to help you learn about upcoming changes to Google Workspace, along with Google Workspace best practices. Here are a few you might find useful:
- To learn more about managing Google Workspace storage, visit the storage management guide.
- If you are a student, visit Google Workspace Optimization for Students.
- For more information on this multi-year initiative, visit the Google Workspace Optimization Project webpage.
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