Missionary Google Account Storage Full? Here's What Actually Works

Running out of space mid-mission is common, and buying more storage isn't an option the way it used to be. Here's what to actually do about it.

If your missionary's Google account is warning them it's almost full, or has already stopped letting them take new photos, you're not imagining it, this happens to a lot of missionaries partway through their service. And the fix that used to exist, simply paying for more space, was removed a few years ago.

Why you can't just buy more space anymore

Google's missionary accounts historically allowed extra storage to be purchased when needed. That option was removed, confirmed directly by the Church's own Missionary Department. So when a missionary's account fills up now, they're stuck unless something changes on their end.

What actually works

1. Back up first, then delete

Once photos are confirmed saved somewhere else (see below), it's completely safe for your missionary to delete them from their own account to free up room. The copy that's already been saved elsewhere is independent and won't be affected.

2. Set up Partner Sharing with "Auto save" on, if it isn't already

This is the free Google feature that copies photos into a family member's own account automatically. Once it's running, your missionary can delete photos on their end right after taking them, since a copy already exists elsewhere.

3. The reverse-sharing trick, if space is really tight

We cover both of these in more detail, along with a few other things most people miss (like a setting that silently excludes everything taken before you turned Partner Sharing on), in our full guide:

Read the full Photo Rescue Guide →

The part storage limits don't solve: their emails

None of the above touches what your missionary actually writes home, the updates, the stories, the day-to-day of their mission. Those live in their email, separately from photo storage, and are just as easy to lose if nothing's saving them automatically.