Understanding Amazon Photos Storage Limits and How to Free Up Space Without Losing Your Memories

If you’ve recently seen a message in Amazon Photos urging you to increase storage, it usually means your account has hit its limit. While this can feel stressful, the issue is straightforward once you understand how Amazon Photos storage works and the steps you can take to manage your files effectively.

The Basics of Amazon Photos Storage

Amazon Photos offers two main tiers of storage:

Free for everyone: Every Amazon account includes 5 GB of storage for photos and videos combined.
Prime members: If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you get unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5 GB for videos and other file types.

The key point that trips up many users is that the “unlimited” part applies only to photos. Videos and other files like PDFs or ZIP archives are still capped at 5 GB unless you purchase a storage plan.

Why You’re Seeing a Storage Warning

Several scenarios can trigger that message:

Non-Prime members exceeding 5 GB: All your photos and videos together have surpassed the free quota.
Prime members hitting the video cap: Even with unlimited photo storage, videos quickly eat into the 5 GB limit.
Expired paid plan: If you were on a paid storage plan and it lapsed, your account reverted to the free 5 GB, leaving your existing files over quota.

When your account exceeds the limit, uploads stop until you either free up space or upgrade.

Checking Your Storage Usage

Before making changes, it’s smart to see exactly what’s taking up space.

Visit “Your Storage” in the Amazon Photos website or app.
View usage details to see how much space is used by photos versus videos.
Identify the culprits, large videos or non-photo files are often the main problem for Prime users.

Managing Storage by Deleting Files

If you’d rather not pay for additional storage, deleting files strategically is your best option.

Delete photos or videos (first step to Trash):

Web Browser:
1. Open Amazon Photos.
2. Select the items to delete (use Ctrl or Command for multi-select).
3. Click the Trash icon and confirm.
Mobile App (Android or iOS):
1. Press and hold an item to select it, then select additional items if needed.
2. Tap the Trash icon and confirm deletion.

Understand the Trash folder:

Deleted items go to Trash, where they stay for 90 days.
They still count against your storage until permanently deleted.
You can restore anything within that 90-day window.

Permanently deleting to free space immediately:

Open the Trash folder in the app or web browser.
Select items you’re ready to remove for good.
Choose Permanently Delete, and your storage will update instantly.

Tips for efficient cleanup:

Focus on large files first, videos take up far more space than photos.
Download before deleting if you want to keep backups offline.
Clear duplicates to optimize your space without losing variety.
Set a regular review schedule to prevent future storage surprises.

Upgrading Your Amazon Photos Storage

If you prefer not to delete files, Amazon offers several storage plans:

100 GB for $1.99/month
Larger tiers up to 30 TB for heavy users

You can upgrade via the Manage Storage or Your Storage page in the Amazon Photos app or website.

For Prime members: Unlimited photo storage remains free, but upgrading adds space for videos and non-photo files.

What Happens If You Stay Over the Limit

Ignoring the message comes with risks:

You can’t upload new files until you’re under the limit or upgrade.
Amazon gives a 180-day grace period to resolve the issue.
After 180 days, files are deleted starting with the most recent uploads until your account is within quota.

A Smarter Approach to Long-Term Storage

If you rely heavily on Amazon Photos, adopting a hybrid strategy works best:

Use Amazon Photos for your daily backups and cloud access.
Regularly download and archive large videos on an external drive or another cloud service.
Consider Prime membership if you’re a frequent uploader of photos, it can reduce costs while giving you unlimited image storage.

By understanding how Amazon Photos manages storage and taking proactive steps, whether deleting files, backing up videos elsewhere, or upgrading your plan, you can avoid sudden interruptions and keep your photo library safe and organized for years to come.