The fastest way to transfer Google Drive files is to share the entire folder with your new account, then move it there

You cannot directly transfer ownership of a Google Drive from one account to another in a single action. Instead, you move the files themselves by sharing them with your new account and then changing who owns them. The process takes about 10 minutes if you own all the files, longer if you need to contact people who own files you want to keep.

The method depends on whether you want to keep the original account or close it. If you are switching to a new account permanently, you will share your entire Drive with the new account, move everything over, and then delete the old account. If you are keeping both accounts, you will share specific folders instead.

Key Takeaways

  • You move files by sharing your entire Google Drive folder with your new account, then using the new account to move those files into its own Drive.
  • Only files you own can be moved; files shared with you by others stay with the original account unless the owner reshares them with your new account.
  • The process works the same way whether you use Gmail, Google Workspace, or any other Google account type.
  • Shared documents, Sheets, and Slides keep their edit history and comments when moved, but Google Photos and Gmail do not transfer this way.
  • If you have more than 5,000 files, the transfer may take several hours because Google processes large Drives in batches.

Share your entire Drive with your new account

Sign in to the Google account you are leaving. Open Google Drive at drive.google.com. On the left sidebar, click My Drive to select the entire Drive, then right-click and choose Share. (If you are on a phone, tap the three dots next to "My Drive" and select Share.)

In the sharing window, type the email address of your new Google account. Make sure you give it Editor access, not Viewer or Commenter. Click Share. Google will send a notification to your new account.

If you have files that other people own but you want to keep, ask them to share those files with your new account separately. You cannot move files you do not own, even if you have edit access to them.

Move the files from your old account to your new one

Sign in to your new Google account. Open Google Drive. You will see a section called Shared with me on the left sidebar. Click it. You should see the entire Drive from your old account listed as a folder.

Right-click that folder and select Add to My Drive. This creates a copy of the folder structure in your new account's Drive. The files themselves are still owned by your old account at this point.

Now you need to change ownership. Open the folder you just added. Select all files inside it (press Ctrl+A on Windows or Cmd+A on Mac). Right-click and choose Move. Select a location in your new Drive where you want these files to live, then click Move. Google will now transfer ownership to your new account.

What happens to shared documents and permissions

If you have Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files that other people have access to, those sharing permissions do not automatically transfer. After you move the files to your new account, you will need to reshare them with the same people.

Open each document in your new account. Click the Share button in the top right. Type the email addresses of the people who need access and set their permission level (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor). Send the new sharing link to anyone who had the old one, or update any links you posted publicly.

If you had a shared folder that multiple people could add files to, that folder becomes read-only after the transfer. People can still view and read files, but they cannot add new ones. You will need to create a new shared folder in your new account if you want that collaboration to continue.

Files that do not transfer this way

Gmail messages do not transfer through Google Drive because they live in a separate system. You will need to use Gmail's built-in forwarding or export tools if you want to keep your email history. Google Takeout (takeout.google.com) can read your Gmail as a file, but you cannot import it directly into another Gmail account.

Google Photos also do not transfer through Drive sharing. Photos are stored separately even if you have them backed up to Drive. To move photos, use Google Takeout to read them, then upload them to your new account's Google Photos.

Google Calendar and Google Contacts require separate export and import steps. You can export them from your old account and import them into your new one, but this is not part of the Drive transfer process.

Deleting your old account after the transfer

Before you delete your old account, make sure all files have moved and all sharing permissions have been updated in your new account. Sign in to the old account one more time and check that the Drive is now empty or contains only files you do not need.

Go to myaccount.google.com. Click Data & Privacy on the left. Scroll down to Your data & privacy options and click Delete your Google Account. Google will ask you to confirm and may require you to enter your password. You will have a short window (usually 20 days) to change your mind before the account is permanently deleted.

If you are deleting a Gmail address that other people use to contact you, send them your new email address first. Any emails sent to the old address after deletion will bounce back to the sender.

Transferring between Google Workspace accounts

If both your old and new accounts are Google Workspace accounts (the paid business version), your administrator may have additional tools available. Some Workspace plans include a Data Migration Service that can move Drive files, Gmail, and Calendar in one process. Contact your administrator to see if this is available for your organization.

If you are moving between two separate Workspace organizations, the manual sharing method described above still works. However, you may need administrator permission to share drives across organizations, depending on your security settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer files if I do not have access to my old account anymore?

No. You must be able to sign in to the old account to share the files with your new one. If you have lost access, you can try to recover the account through Google's account recovery process at accounts.google.com/signin/recovery. If recovery fails, those files are not transferable.

Will the transfer work if my new account is a different type, like a Workspace account?

Yes. The sharing and moving process works the same way regardless of account type. A personal Gmail account can share with a Workspace account, and vice versa. The only difference is that Workspace administrators may have restrictions on what can be shared outside the organization.

What if I have thousands of files?

Google processes large Drives in batches. The transfer may take several hours or even a day if you have more than 5,000 files. Do not close your browser or sign out during the move. You can check progress by opening your new Drive and looking at the folder — files will appear gradually as they transfer.

Do file names and folder structure stay the same?

Yes. All folder names, file names, and the organization of your Drive remain exactly as they were. The only thing that changes is the owner of each file.

Can I transfer just some files instead of everything?

Yes. Instead of sharing your entire My Drive, you can right-click a specific folder and share just that one. Then follow the same steps to move it to your new account. Repeat for any other folders you want to transfer.