Don’t forget: 1 TB Google Workspace storage quota coming to your account October 9, 2023
To: All TMU students, staff and retirees
With just over a month until the new 1 TB Google Workspace storage limit is applied to TMU student, staff and retiree accounts, we’re reminding community members to reduce their storage usage if they’re over or approaching their new storage limit. The new storage limit will be implemented on October 9, 2023.
Following the implementation of the university’s new storage limits over the Fall Study Week, individuals over their 1 TB storage quota will experience disruptions to their use of Google Workspace until actions are taken to reduce their storage usage.
Note: Instructors will not have the 1 TB quota imposed until the beginning of the Winter Study Week on February 19, 2024. This includes any employees with academic instructor roles.
For background information on the new Google Workspace storage limits and a list of frequently asked questions, please visit the Google Workspace storage policy FAQ page on the CCS website.
How do I determine how much Google Workspace storage I’m using?
You can verify how much storage your account is using by visiting Google Drive’s drive storage page (external link) . For information on what counts towards your storage usage, consult the Google Workspace storage policy FAQ page.
What will happen to accounts over their storage limit on October 9?
While students, staff and retirees over their 1 TB storage limit will still be able to sign into their Google Workspace account to view and download files and send and receive emails in Gmail, they will be unable to:
- Upload new files or images to Google Drive;
- Create new files in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and Jamboard;
- Edit or copy files in Google Drive or submit Google Forms; and
- Record new meetings in Google Meet.
While CCS will not be deleting any files owned by active accounts over their storage limit on October 9, we strongly encourage you to reduce your storage usage by this date to avoid disruption to your use of Google Workspace.
Tips for reducing your storage usage by October 9
CCS is advising community members over or approaching their 1 TB storage limit to take the following actions in advance of the October 9 storage quota implementation date:
- (external link) Identify your largest files on Google Drive (external link) , especially image and video files, and delete them, transfer them to another personal Google account or move them to cloud-based storage or to removable storage;
- Remove any personal files you may have saved to Google Drive that might be taking up large amounts of storage space. Your TMU Google Drive account should only be used for academic or work-related purposes;
- Delete duplicate files in Google Drive;
- Use Google Drive’s version control features to manage your files and data, including comparing earlier file versions (external link) ;
- Use Gmail’s advanced search function to find and bulk delete emails. This can be accomplished by entering your search criteria into Gmail’s search bar (external link) or by using search operators (external link) ; and
- Download emails (external link) from Gmail in .eml format (please see the note for staff below with guidance on when emails should not be downloaded).
A full list of strategies for reducing your storage usage is available on the Google Workspace storage policy FAQ page on the CCS website.
Reminder for staff: In some instances, files with private or confidential information may have been created by or shared with you. Please familiarize yourself with the university’s policies and guidelines around downloading or transferring files with sensitive or confidential information, including the Information Protection Policy and Information Classification Standard and Handling Guidelines.
Information about paid storage options for departments coming soon
In the coming months, CCS will be sharing information about additional paid storage options for departments interested in purchasing additional Google Workspace storage.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact the Computing and Communications Services (CCS) Help Desk via the IT Help portal, help@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 556840 (students) or ext. 556806 (staff and retirees).
