Free up app storage

Free up Google Chat storage

Google Chat caches Space images, GIFs, and files so rooms open fast. Files shared in a Space often also live in Google Drive. The phone copy is cache plus anything you downloaded.

See how much space Google Chat is using

iPhone

1. Open the iPhone Settings app.
2. Tap General > iPhone Storage.
3. Tap Google Chat or Chat.

Android

1. Open your phone Settings > Apps.
2. Tap Google Chat or Chat.
3. Tap Storage or Storage and cache.

Chat does not have a WhatsApp-style Free up Storage screen. Use the system total, then delete downloaded files and clear cache.

Delete files from a Space or DM

1. Open the Space or direct message.
2. Open the Space name or the person name at the top.
3. Open Files (or the media / files section).
4. Open a large file, then use the menu to Delete or Remove if you have permission.

Deleting a Space file may also remove it from Drive if Chat stored it there. Other people lose access when the file is deleted from the Space, so only remove files you own or that your admin allows.

Remove downloads outside Chat

1. Open Files or Downloads on the phone.
2. Delete PDFs, images, and videos you saved from Chat.
3. If the original is in Drive, you can also remove the Drive copy and empty Drive trash.

Clearing Chat cache does not delete Drive files or copies already saved to Photos.

Leave Spaces you do not need

1. Open the Space.
2. Tap the Space name.
3. Tap Leave space (or Leave).

Leaving stops new files from caching on this phone. History stays on the Google account until someone deletes it.

Clear Google Chat cache on Android

1. Open your phone Settings > Apps > Google Chat.
2. Tap Storage or Storage and cache.
3. Tap Clear cache.

Do not tap Clear storage / Clear data unless you mean to reset Chat and sign in again. Messages stay in your Google account.

iPhone does not offer a separate Chat cache button. Offload or delete the app in iPhone Storage if the system total stays high after you delete downloads.

Reinstall the app if storage is still high

If you already cleaned media and Google Chat still looks huge, a fresh install can clear leftover cache and temp files that are hard to reach by hand.

1. You do not need a chat backup. Spaces and DMs stay on your Google account. Sign in again after reinstall.
2. Delete the app from your phone.
3. Restart your phone.
4. Install Google Chat again from the App Store or Google Play.
5. Sign in and restore from backup if the app offers it.

This often frees a lot of space. You may need to download some media again after restore.

What to do next

After Google Chat is lighter, check your photo library for duplicates and similar shots. That is what Dedupo is for.

More app guides: Free up app storage.