The fastest way to transfer Google Drive files is to share the folder with your new account, then move the files into a folder you own there

You cannot directly transfer ownership of Google Drive files from one account to another in a single action. Instead, you share the files with your new account, move them to a folder you control there, and then remove the original account's access. This takes about 10 minutes if you have fewer than 100 files, and longer if you have thousands — but it keeps all your files intact and preserves folder structure.

The process works the same whether you are moving personal files, work documents, or a mix. You will need access to both accounts at the same time, so have both open in separate browser tabs or windows.

Key Takeaways

  • Sharing a folder with your new account and moving files there is faster and safer than downloading and re-uploading thousands of files.
  • You must be signed into both accounts simultaneously to move files between them.
  • Shared files do not count against your storage quota in the new account until you move them into a folder you own.
  • If you have more than 5,000 files, Google Takeout (a download tool) may be more reliable than moving files one by one through the web interface.
  • After files are moved, you can delete the old account or keep it for archive access.

Share your entire Google Drive folder with your new account

Sign into your original Google account and open Google Drive. Locate the "My Drive" folder in the left sidebar — this is the root folder that contains everything you own. Right-click on "My Drive" and select "Share". A dialog box will open asking for email addresses.

Type the email address of your new Google account into the sharing field. Make sure you set the permission level to "Editor" so the new account can move and modify files. Click "Share" to send the invitation. The new account will receive a notification that a folder has been shared with it.

If you have files in multiple locations (some in "My Drive" and some in shared folders you do not own), you will only be able to move the files in "My Drive" this way. Shared files that belong to someone else will remain in the original account — you cannot transfer ownership of files you do not own.

Open the shared folder in your new account and move files into a folder you own

Sign into your new Google account in a different browser tab. Go to Google Drive and look for the shared folder in the "Shared with me" section on the left sidebar. Click on it to open it.

Create a new folder in your new account's "My Drive" to hold the transferred files. You can name it something like "Transferred Files" or organize it however you prefer. Then, select all the files and folders from the shared folder, cut them (Ctrl+X or Cmd+X), and paste them into the new folder you created (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V). This moves the files so they are now owned by your new account instead of being shared.

If you have thousands of files, this process may take several minutes or longer. Google Drive will show a progress indicator. Do not close the tab or sign out while the move is happening.

Use Google Takeout if you have a very large number of files

If you have more than 5,000 files or if the web interface move is too slow, use Google Takeout instead. This is Google's official tool for downloading all your data from one account. Sign into your original account and go to takeout.google.com.

Select "Google Drive" from the list of services and click "Next step". Choose "All Drive data" to download everything, or select specific folders if you only want some files. Google will prepare a download file (usually a .zip archive) and email you a link. Download the file to your computer, unzip it, and then upload the contents to your new account's Google Drive.

This method takes longer overall because of download and upload time, but it is more reliable for very large transfers and gives you a backup copy on your computer in case something goes wrong.

Remove the original account's access once files are safely in the new account

After all your files are moved and you have verified they are in your new account, go back to the original account and remove the sharing permission. Open Google Drive in the original account, right-click on "My Drive", select "Share", and look for your new account's email address in the sharing list. Click the trash icon next to it to remove access.

You can now delete the original account entirely if you want, or keep it for archival purposes. If you keep it, the files will no longer be accessible through that account's Drive, but the account itself will still exist.

What to do if files are stuck in shared folders you do not own

If you have files in shared folders that belong to your workplace, a group project, or another person, you cannot transfer ownership of those files to your new account. You can only download them individually or ask the folder owner to share them with your new account.

For work files in shared team folders, contact your IT department or the folder owner and ask them to grant your new account access to the same folders. For personal shared folders, you can ask the owner to re-share them with your new account, or download the files and re-upload them yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my files take up storage space in both accounts while they are shared?

No. Shared files only count toward the storage quota of the account that owns them. Once you move the files into a folder you own in the new account, they will count only toward the new account's storage limit. The original account's quota will decrease once you delete the files there.

Can I transfer files if I do not have access to the original account anymore?

Not through the sharing method. If you have lost access to the original account, you can only recover files if you have a backup or if Google can help you regain access to the account. Contact Google Account Recovery to try to regain access, or use any local backups you may have created.

What happens to file permissions and sharing links when I move files?

Sharing links and permissions tied to the original account will break once you move the files. You will need to re-share the files from your new account if other people need access. Any public links you created will no longer work.

Do I need to move files one at a time or can I move folders?

You can move entire folders at once. Select the folder in the shared view, cut it, and paste it into your new account's Drive. All files inside the folder will move with it and keep their original folder structure.

How long does the transfer usually take?

For under 1,000 files, expect 5 to 15 minutes. For 1,000 to 5,000 files, expect 30 minutes to an hour. For larger transfers, Google Takeout is usually faster because it prepares the download in the background while you do other things.