What transferring a Gmail account means
Transferring a Gmail account means giving someone else full control of the email address, inbox, and all the data inside it. Google does not have a single "transfer" button. Instead, you change the account owner by updating the recovery email and phone number, then the new owner can reset the password and take over completely. This is different from forwarding mail — the new person owns the account itself, not just receives copies of incoming messages.
The process works best when both people are present and cooperating. If you are moving your own email to a different account, or handing off a work account to a colleague, you will follow the same steps: update the recovery information, then the new owner logs in and changes the password. If the account is inactive or you have lost access, the path is longer.
Key Takeaways
- Transferring a Gmail account requires changing the recovery email and phone number to ones the new owner controls, then they reset the password to take over.
- You can only transfer an account if you currently have access to it — if you have lost the password and recovery information, Google's recovery process is the only option.
- The new owner should set up two-factor authentication and review connected apps and devices once they take control.
- Transferring an account does not automatically move data to another Gmail inbox — the new owner inherits the account as-is, including all existing emails and settings.
- If the account belongs to a deceased person, Google has a separate memorialization and legacy contact process rather than a standard transfer.
How to change the recovery email and phone number
Log into the Gmail account you want to transfer using the current password. Go to myaccount.google.com and click Security in the left menu. Under "How you sign in to Google," you will see Password, 2-Step Verification, and Recovery email. Click on Recovery email.
You will see the current recovery email address. Click the pencil icon to edit it. Google will ask you to confirm your identity by sending a code to the current recovery email or phone number on file. Once you confirm, enter the new owner's email address in the recovery email field and save. Repeat this process for the phone number: go back to the Security page, find Recovery phone, and update it to the new owner's phone number.
After you update both the recovery email and phone number, the new owner can use those credentials to reset the password. They should go to the Gmail login page, click Forgot password?, and follow the prompts. Google will send a verification code to the recovery email or phone number you just entered. Once they verify, they can set a new password and log in.
Removing your own access after transfer
Once the new owner has successfully logged in with the new password, you should remove your own access to prevent confusion or accidental changes. Go back to myaccount.google.com, click Security, and scroll down to Your devices. You will see a list of devices and browsers currently signed into the account. Click on each one and select Sign out.
You should also change the recovery email and phone number one more time — this time to information only the new owner has access to. This prevents you from being able to recover the account later if you change your mind. Once you sign out of all devices, you no longer have access to the account.
What happens to connected apps and services
When you transfer a Gmail account, all apps and services connected to it stay connected. This includes cloud storage (Google Drive, Google Photos), YouTube, Google Calendar, and any third-party apps that use Gmail to sign in. The new owner inherits all of these — they will see the same Drive files, the same YouTube subscriptions, and the same calendar events.
The new owner should review what is connected. Go to myaccount.google.com, click Security, scroll to Your apps with access to your Google Account, and review the list. If there are apps or services the new owner does not recognize or does not want, they can click on each one and select Remove access. This is especially important if the account was used for work or contained sensitive information.
If you no longer have access to the account
If you have lost the password and do not have access to the recovery email or phone number, you cannot transfer the account using the method above. Instead, you will need to use Google's account recovery process. Go to the Gmail login page and click Forgot password? Answer the security questions Google asks — these might include the date you created the account, a previous password, or recovery information you set up years ago.
If you cannot answer the security questions, Google will ask you to verify your identity another way. This might include confirming the phone number or email you used when you created the account, or providing a government ID. The process can take several days, and Google may not be able to recover the account if you cannot provide enough proof that you own it. Once you regain access, you can then follow the transfer steps above.
Transferring a deceased person's account
If the Gmail account belongs to someone who has passed away, Google does not transfer ownership in the traditional sense. Instead, you can request to become the account's legacy contact. A legacy contact can read the account's data or request that Google delete it, but cannot log in or send emails from the account.
To request legacy contact status, go to google.com/accounts/deceased and fill out the form. You will need to provide proof of death (a death certificate) and proof that you are authorized to manage the account (a will, power of attorney, or other legal document). Google reviews these requests and typically responds within a few weeks. If you need to access the account's emails or files before the legacy contact process is complete, you may need to work with a lawyer or the person's estate.
Setting up security after the transfer is complete
Once the new owner has control of the account, they should when ready set up two-factor authentication to protect it. Go to myaccount.google.com, click Security, and turn on 2-Step Verification. This requires a second form of identification — usually a code sent to a phone or generated by an authenticator app — every time someone signs in from a new device.
The new owner should also review the account's recovery information one more time to make sure it is accurate and up to date. Check that the recovery email and phone number are ones they actively use and have access to. If they ever lose access to the account in the future, these are the only ways Google can help them regain it. They should also review the list of connected devices and apps one more time and remove anything they do not recognize.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer a Gmail account if I do not know the password?
No, not directly. You need access to the account to change the recovery email and phone number. If you have lost the password, use the "Forgot password" option on the Gmail login page to regain access first. If you cannot answer the security questions, you will need to go through Google's account recovery process, which can take several days.
Does transferring a Gmail account move emails to the new owner's inbox?
No. The new owner takes over the account as-is — they see the same inbox, the same folders, and the same emails that were there before. If you want to move emails to a different Gmail account, you need to use Gmail's forwarding or export features separately. The transfer itself does not copy or move data anywhere.
What if the new owner wants to change the email address itself?
Gmail does not allow you to change the actual email address of an account. If the new owner wants a different email address, they would need to create a new Gmail account and forward mail from the old one. They can set up forwarding in Gmail settings so messages sent to the old address automatically go to the new one.
Can I transfer a Gmail account to someone who does not have a Google account yet?
Yes. The new owner does not need an existing Google account. You can set their personal email address as the recovery email, and they can use that to reset the password and create a Google account. Once they log in, the account is theirs.
What if I transfer the account but then change my mind?
Once you have signed out of all devices and the new owner has changed the password, you cannot regain access unless they give you the new password or change the recovery information back. If you think you might change your mind, do not sign out of all devices or update the recovery information until you are certain.