Running out of space on Google Drive? Learn here how to sort Google Drive by size and find your large files (and how to remove the biggest waste of space right away).
First, I Felled a Tree and Thought It Was Big
I felled a tree and thought it was big. Like the axe-swinger himself, it was but laughable stock, though. A giant sequoia’s average branch is way bigger than my entire tree.
You can find these “real” trees on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada; you can, speaking of which, also find—perhaps to fell and trash—real big metaphorical trees in Google Drive:
How to Sort Google Drive by Size and Find Large Files
Time needed: 1 minute
To find the largest files that take up the most space on your Google Drive and sort them by size:
- Open Google Drive in a desktop browser.
On a phone: You can also open the Google Drive desktop version in a mobile browser.
- Click Storage.
How much space: You can also see the size of Google Drive, albeit not here.
- Find the list of files sorted by size.
Google Drive shortcut: You can also go to this list directly by opening https://drive.google.com/drive/quota in a browser.
Reverse sorting: Click Storage used to reverse the order of sorting and see the smallest file on top.
Now, act on the files as you desire. To free up space, for instance, highlight and optionally download (via the More actions menu), then trash the biggest unneeded files, finally do empty the Google Drive trash (files in it still count towards your quota).
How to Sort Folders by Size
On a computer, you can also see file sizes in and sort individual folders by size.
To sort documents in Google Drive folders by size:
- Install Google Drive for Desktop on a Windows or Mac computer.
- Open the Google Drive folder in Windows Explorer or Finder.
- Now, typically, open My Drive and go to the folder you want to sort by size.
- Use Finder or Explorer’s detailed view to see file sizes and sort by size as well.
How to Sort Google Drive by Size and Find Large Files: FAQ
Can I sort Google Drive folders by size on the web?
No, not in general; Google Drive will not let you search, sort, or find files by size in your folders or labels on the web.
On a Windows or macOS computer, you can use Google Drive for Desktop; see above.
How do I view file size in Google Drive?
To see the size for each file in Google Drive:
- Click List view (
) if it is available.
Grid view: If the list view is already active, you will see the Grid view icon (
) instead.
Keyboard shortcut: You can also press v to switch between grid and list view in Google Drive. - Find the sizes for the current view’s documents and files in the File size column.
You can also see an individual file’s size:
- Make sure to enable the Details pane.
Here’s how: Click the View details icon (
).
Google Drive keyboard shortcut: You can also press i to hide or show the Details page. - Now make sure an item is highlighted.
- Find the details include the size on the Details tab.
How big can it get: Google Drive does have a maximum file size.
(How to find large files and sort by size tested with Google Drive in a desktop browser; updated March 2024)