Technologies

Save Money With These Google Drive and Gmail Tricks

Don’t spend money on digital storage again.

Cleaning your Google Drive and Gmail is a nice way to kick off spring, and it could save you money, too. Google gives users a combined 15GB of storage space to use for free between Google Drive, Gmail and other Google services, and that space can can fill up fast. When you’re close to your limit, Google will ask if you want to buy more storage by subscribing to Google One. Or you can follow these tricks to manage your digital space and save yourself some money.

Here’s how to free up Google Drive and Gmail space on desktop and mobile so you don’t have to pay for additional storage. We recommend doing this on desktop rather than your mobile device, as you’ll have an easier time sorting through and managing files.

Delete large files first

If you only want to delete a few items from Google Drive and Gmail to free up space, you can sort each service by file size and delete one or two large files instead of a few dozen smaller items.

Google Drive Has a 5 Million Item Cap

See at CNET

Here’s how to delete files by size in Google Drive on your desktop

1. Log into your Google Drive account.

2. Once logged in, click Storage in the menu on the left side of the screen.

3. The Storage page should list your files from largest to smallest, but if not click Storage Used on the right side of the screen. The files should now be ordered from largest to smallest.

4. Click large files you want to delete to select them, then click either the trash bin in the top right of your screen or drag the large files to Trash on the left side of the screen.

5. Click Trash to go to the Trash menu.

6. Click Empty Trash in the top-right corner of your screen.

7. Click Delete forever and your files are gone.

You can do this in the Google Drive app, as well. Here’s how:

1. Open your Google Drive app and log into your account.

2. Tap Files in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

3. Tap Name underneath My Drive near the top of the screen.

4. Tap Storage Used. This will arrange your files from largest to smallest.

5. Tap the three dots (…) next to the item you want to delete.

6. Tap Remove.

7. Tap the hamburger icon in the top-left corner of the screen next to Search in Drive.

8. Tap Trash.

9. Tap the three dots (…) in the top-right corner of the screen.

10. Tap Empty trash.

Whether you need to make room, or just to keep your Gmail tidy, it’s easy to make room for storage in the service.

James Martin/CNET

You can also arrange and delete files by size in Gmail on the desktop. Here’s how:

1. Log into your Gmail account.

2. Type has:attachment larger:10MB into the search bar and hit Search. This will show you all emails that have attachments larger than 10 MB from largest to smallest. You can use this format to filter by other size files, not just 10 MBs.

3. Check the boxes to the left of each email you want to delete, then click the Trash icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

4. Click Trash on the left side of the screen to go to the Trash menu. If you don’t see Trash, click More and Trash should be in the expanded menu.

5. Once in Trash, click Empty trash now at the top of the screen.

Here’s how to arrange and delete files by size in the Gmail app:

1. Open your Gmail app and log into your account.

2. Type has:attachment larger:10MB into the search bar and hit Search. This will show you all emails that have attachments larger than 10MB, from largest to smallest. You can use this format to filter by other size files too, not just 10MBs.

3. Tap into the email you want to delete.

4. Tap the trash bin icon in the top-right corner of your screen.

5. Tap < in the top-left corner of your screen.

6. Tap the hamburger icon in the top-left corner of the screen next to Search in mail.

7. Tap Trash.

8. Tap Empty trash now.

Note that once a file goes to Trash, it will automatically delete after 30 days.

Empty your Gmail spam folder

It’s easy to forget about emptying your spam folder, and it can double the amount of data your Gmail account uses. Emptying your spam folder (or your social or promotions folders) is an easy way to make space.

Here’s how to empty your spam folder on your desktop:

1. Log into your Gmail account.

2. Once logged in, click Spam on the left side of the screen. If you don’t see Spam, click More, and Spam should be in the expanded menu.

3. In your Spam folder, click Delete all spam messages now.

Here’s how to empty your spam folder in the mobile app:

1. Open the Gmail app and log into your account.

2. Tap the hamburger icon in the top-left corner of the screen next to Search in mail.

3. Tap Spam.

4. Tap Delete all spam messages now or Empty spam now.

Person under a pile of papers which have the word "SPAM" printed on them in orange — Don’t let spam bog your Gmail down.

Getty Images

Clean up your Google Photos

Google also includes Google Photos in the 15GB of free storage it gives its users. Photos and videos can take up more space than text-based files so it’s a good idea to go through and delete old photos and videos to make room.

Unfortunately, there’s no option to arrange your photos and videos from largest to smallest like in Google Drive and Gmail, so you will have to go through and delete items manually.

Here’s how to delete photos and videos from Google Photo on your desktop:

1. Open and log into Google Photos.

2. Scroll your mouse over photos and videos you want to delete and click the gray check mark icon in the top left corner of the photo or video.

3. Click the trash icon in the top right corner of the screen.

4. Click Move to trash.

5. Click Trash on the left side of the screen.

6. Click Empty trash near the top-right corner of your screen.

7. Click Empty trash again, and you’re set.

Here’s how to delete photos and videos from the Google Photo mobile app:

1. Open and log into Google Photos.

2. Tap the photo or video you want to delete.

3. Tap the trash icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

4. Tap Delete.

5. Tap Library in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

6. Tap Trash.

7. Tap the three dots (…) in the top-right corner of the screen.

8. Tap Empty trash.

9. Tap Delete.

If you don’t click or tap Empty trash on either platform, the photos and videos you’ve deleted will automatically delete after 60 days.

Google One Plan Upgrade when Google Photos Unlimited ends — Photos and videos in Google Photos can take up a lot of storage.

Sarah Tew/CNET

When all else fails, download your files

If your storage is still almost full and you can’t part with any more items from your Google Drive, Gmail or Google Photos, you can download your items and store them directly on your computer.

Here’s how to download your Google Drive files for storage on another hard drive.

1. Open and log into your Google Drive account on your desktop.

2. Select the files you want to download.

3. Click the three stacked dots in the upper-right corner of your screen.

4. Click Download.

5. Once the items are downloaded, feel free to delete them from your Google Drive.

You can also download your emails from Gmail. Here’s how:

1. Open and log into your Gmail account on your desktop.

2. Click and open an email you want to download.

3. Click the three stacked dots next to the date of the email.

4. Click Download message.

5. Once the emails are downloaded, you can delete them from your Gmail.

Here’s how to download photos and videos from Google Photos:

1. Open and log into your Gmail account on your desktop.

2. Click and open a photo or video you want to download.

3. Click the three stacked dots in the top-right corner of the screen.

4. Click Download.

5. Once the items are downloaded, you’re free to delete them from your Google Photos.

For more, check out these 10 Gmail tips and tools, nine Google Drive features you might have missed and five Google Photos features to try now.

Technologies

Act Fast to Save $50 on This Baseus Blade 6-in-1 Power Strip and Get 2 Free 45W USB-C Chargers

Optimize your workspace with this Baseus Blade charging station and free Amazon goodies with purchase.

If you love smart home devices or rely heavily on your portable devices to help you get through the day, then you that a shortage of electrical outlets can be inconvenient. Luckily, Baseus is behind some nifty charging devices that can help you solve this issue and make sure every one of your devices can get its duly needed recharge. We’ve spotted the Baseus Blade 140W charging station for just $70 right now. This saves you $30 and even better, Amazon is including two free 45W USB-C chargers as well. Not only is this a great opportunity to save on this charging device, you might also be able to avoid potentially rising costs due to tariffs on electronic devices and accessories.

This Baseus Blade charging station is a 6-in-1 powerhouse with two electrical outlets, one USB-A port and three USB-C ports for a convenient place to charge your laptop, tablet, smartphone, lamp and other necessary work devices. Its smart display also shows you how much power is being distributed per port.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Thanks to its GaN technology, this charging station is safe to use and is built to prevent overheating and keep your devices safe. Amazon is also throwing in two 45W charging blocks valued at $35, which makes this deal even sweeter and lets you charge even more devices.

Looking for charging devices but not sure if this deal is right for you? Check out our list of the best USB-C chargers, docks, hubs and more.

Why this deal matters

This Baseus Blade 6-in-1 charging station is not only $30 off, it also includes two 45W charging blocks so you can expand your charging options at home or during travels. That makes now a great time to stock up and potentially save before tariffs start affecting the price of electronic goods and accessories.

Technologies

Before Apple’s Expected iOS 19 Reveal, Here’s What to Know About iOS 18.5

Here are all the new features you should know about in the latest iPhone update.

Apple is holding its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9, where we will likely get a glimpse of the upcoming iOS 19. Before that announcement, Apple released iOS 18.5 on May 12, more than a month after the company released iOS 18.4. While iOS 18.4 brought more emoji to all iPhones, this latest update adds just a few small changes and a new Pride wallpaper to your iPhone. The update also includes some bug fixes and security patches everyone should download to help keep their device secure.

You can download iOS 18.5 by going to Settings > General > Software Update, then tapping Update Now and following the prompts on your screen.

Here’s what iOS 18.5 brings to your iPhone. Just a reminder, only people with an iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max or the iPhone 16 lineup can access Apple Intelligence for now. If you have any other iPhone, you won’t have access to those features.

New Pride wallpaper

Apple releases a new Pride wallpaper ahead of Pride Month every year, and this year is no different. iOS 18.5 includes the latest iteration of the wallpaper, «Pride Harmony,» which features bold stripes that shift and change position as you move.

iOS 18.5 tweaks Mail options

Apple introduced a few Mail app updates in iOS 18.5. One of those updates makes it easier to adjust the app’s settings by showing or hiding contact photos in Mail. Contact photos are the images to the left of emails that help identify senders.

Mail will show Contact Posters by default, but you can turn them off from within the app with iOS 18.5. To do so, open Mail, tap the three dots (…) in the top-right corner of your screen, and then tap Show Contact Photos. Now, all your emails will just show the subject line and a preview of the message, similar to how Mail looked before iOS 18.

This option is in iOS 18.4, but it’s buried in Settings and not easy to locate.

Another update concerns Categories. If the mode is enabled, you can see a small tab on the right side of your screen near the other categories. Swipe the categories bar near the top of Mail to the left, and this small tab will expand to reveal the category All Mail. When you swipe left to view All Mail, it will automatically be selected, and you’ll need to tap one of the other Categories to unselect All Mail.

This category isn’t new; you could find it in iOS 18.4. But, there was no small tab on the right side of your screen to signal it was present off-screen. Therefore, All Mail flew under the radar — I didn’t even know the option was there until beta versions of iOS 18.5.

This category appears to be a way to simultaneously enable Categories and List View — the pre-Categories view of Mail. When you use All Mail, you’re viewing your messages without any categorization, like in List View.

Satellite features for all iPhone 13 models

Apple’s iOS 18.5 also brings certain satellite features, like messaging, to the iPhone 13 lineup. That means if you go off the grid, you could still text people to let them know where you are. However, these features on iPhone 13 models are carrier dependent, and currently only T-Mobile offers them in the US via Starlink.

T-Mobile Starlink is in beta, and the beta is free and open to anyone until July, including people on other carrier plans. After July, it will be part of the T-Mobile Experience Beyond and Go5G Next plans. People with other carriers, like Verizon and AT&T, will then be able to access the system for $10 a month.

Back Tap banner

The iOS 18.5 update also introduces the option to display a banner using the Back Tap function. Back Tap turns the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone into a usable button that can open your camera, take a screenshot and more when you double- or triple-tap it. And with iOS 18.5, you can make your iPhone display a banner whenever you use Back Tap.

To enable the banner, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and tap the toggle next to Show Banner. If you enable the banner and use Back Tap, the banner will appear across the top of your screen and read, «Back Tap Double/Triple Tap detected.»

iOS 18.5 release notes

Here are the full release notes for iOS 18.5.

This update also includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

A new Pride Harmony wallpaper.
Parents now receive a notification when the Screen Time passcode is used on a child’s device.
Buy with iPhone is available when purchasing content within the Apple TV app on a third-party device.
Fixes an issue where the Apple Vision Pro app may display a black screen.
Support for carrier-provided satellite features is available on iPhone 13 (all models). For more information, visit:
https://support.apple.com/122339.

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit:
https://support.apple.com/100100

For more iOS news, here’s what features were included in iOS 18.4 and iOS 18.3. You can also check out our iOS 18 cheat sheet and what we hope to see in iOS 19.

Technologies

These 10 Hacks Could Be the End of Your Terrible Signal Forever

Say goodbye to weak bars with these reception-boosting hacks.

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a road trip and realizing your cell signal has dropped out. No GPS, no music and no way to call for help if something goes wrong. A weak signal can cause all kinds of problems, but the good news is that there are a few quick fixes that might get you back online fast.

Whether you’re using an iPhone or Android, these simple hacks can help boost your reception and keep you connected when you need it most.

Whether you’re doing some routine phone maintenance or you’re stuck in an emergency, there are multiple ways to improve your reception on an iPhone or Android phone, no matter what type of phone plan you’re on. It might even come down to something as simple as toggling Airplane mode.

To go from dropped calls to full bars, here’s what you need to know.

Note: Although software across different iPhone models is relatively the same, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android phones may have different software versions, so certain settings and where they are located might differ depending on device.

For more, check out how you can use Google Maps when you’re offline and how you can maybe fix your internet when it’s down.

To improve your cellphone service, try these steps first

The settings on your phone can help you get better cell service, but there are other tricks for improving your reception without even touching your phone’s software.

Move yourself so that there are no obstructions between your phone and any cell towers outside. That might involve stepping away from metal objects or concrete walls, which both kill reception. Instead, get to a window or go outside if possible.
Remove your phone case. It doesn’t hurt to remove whatever case you have on your phone, especially if it’s thick, so that the phone’s antenna isn’t blocked by anything and can get a better signal.
Make sure your phone is charged. Searching for and connecting to a stronger signal drains power, so if your phone battery is already low on charge, you may have a difficult time getting good service.

Always start by turning Airplane mode on and off

Turning your phone’s connection off and then back on is the quickest and easiest way to try and fix your signal woes. If you’re moving around from one location to another, toggling Airplane mode restarts the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular network modems, which forces them to find the best signal in the area.

Android: Swipe down from the top of your screen — to access the Quick Settings panel — and then tap the Airplane mode icon. Wait for your phone to completely disconnect from its Wi-Fi and cellular connections. It doesn’t happen instantly, so give it a good 15 seconds before you tap on the Airplane mode icon again.

iPhone: On the iPhone, you can access Airplane mode from the Control Center, but that varies depending on which iPhone model you have. On the iPhone X and later, swipe down from the top-right corner to access the Control Center. On older iPhone models, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Then tap the Airplane mode icon, which will turn orange when it’s enabled. Again, wait up to 15 seconds before turning it off.

If Airplane mode doesn’t work, restart your phone

Our phones are miniature computers, and just like computers, sometimes you can fix issues like network connection by simply restarting them.

Android: Hold down the power button, or the power button and the volume down key (depending on your Android phone), until the on-screen menu shows up, and then tap Restart. If your phone doesn’t offer a restart option, you can simply tap Power Off to shut down your device, and then boot it back up with the power button.

iPhone: On the iPhone X and older models, hold down the sleep/wake button and either one of the volume buttons and then swipe right on the power slider to turn off the device. Wait until it fully turns off, then press down on the sleep/wake button to turn it back on.

Alternatively, you can do a force reset on your iPhone: Press the volume up button, followed by the volume down button and then press and hold the side button. Keep holding it in, after your phone’s screen goes black and until you see the Apple logo appear again.

If your iPhone has a home button, hold down the sleep/wake button until the power slider is displayed and then drag the slider to the right. Once the device is turned off, press and hold the sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo.

Older phone? Take your SIM card out

Another troubleshooting step that might help is to remove your SIM card, if your phone has one, and then place it back in with the phone turned on. If the SIM card is dirty, clean it. If it has any physical defects, you may need to replace it.

You’ll need a SIM card tool — usually included in your phone’s box — or an unfolded paper clip or sewing needle to get the SIM tray out of your phone.

All phones: Remove the SIM card, check to see if it’s damaged and positioned in the SIM tray correctly, then put it back in your phone.

eSIM: For phones with an eSIM — that is, an embedded electronic SIM in your phone — there’s nothing for you to remove. The best you can do is restart your phone.

Check your carrier settings (and update your software)

Mobile carriers frequently send out carrier settings updates to help improve connectivity for calls, data and messages on their network. Although this feature is available on all iPhone models, it’s not universal on Android, so you might not find carrier settings if you don’t have a supported phone.

iPhone: Carrier updates should just appear, and you can update from the pop-up message that appears. To force your iPhone to check for a carrier settings update, go to Settings > General > About on your phone. If an update is available, you’ll be prompted to install it.

Android: As mentioned before, not all Android phones have carrier settings, so you’ll have to open the Settings app and type in «carrier settings» to find any possible updates. On supported Pixels, go to Settings > Network & internet > Internet, tap the gear next to your carrier name and then tap Carrier settings versions.

Reset your phone’s network settings

Sometimes all you need is a clean slate to fix an annoying connectivity issue. Refreshing your phone’s network settings is one way to do that. But be forewarned, resetting your network settings will also reset any saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN connections and custom APN settings for those on carriers that require additional setup.

Android: In the Settings app, search for «reset» or more specifically «reset network settings» and tap on the setting. On the Pixel, the setting is called Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. After you reset your network settings, remember to reconnect your phone to your home and work Wi-Fi networks.

iPhone: Go to Settings > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network settings. The next page will warn you that resetting your network settings will reset your settings for Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth. Tap Reset Network Settings and your phone will restart.

Contact your phone carrier

Sometimes unexpected signal issues can be traced back to problems with your wireless carrier. A cell tower could be down, or the tower’s fiber optic cable could have been cut, causing an outage.

For consistent problems connecting to or staying connected to a cellular or data network, it’s possible your carrier’s coverage doesn’t extend well into your neighborhood.

Other times, a newfound signal issue can be due to a defect with your phone or a SIM card that’s gone bad. Contacting your carrier to begin troubleshooting after you’ve tried these fixes is the next best step to resolving your spotty signal.

If all else fails, try a signal booster to improve cell reception

If after going through all of our troubleshooting steps, including talking to your carrier to go over your options, you’re still struggling to keep a good signal — try a booster. A signal booster receives the same cellular signal your carrier uses, then amplifies it just enough to provide coverage in a room or your entire house.

The big downside here is the cost. Wilson has three different boosters designed for home use, ranging in price from $349 for single room coverage to $999 to cover your entire home. To be clear, we haven’t specifically tested these models. Wilson offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a two-year warranty should you have any trouble with its products.