Moving Google Drive files to another account takes more than sharing them with a second email address. You can change who owns the originals, create separate copies, or download and upload your files. For two personal accounts, start with ownership transfer on a computer.
Share your files with the destination account first
Sharing alone does not change who owns the files, even though your second account can access them.
To prepare for copying or ownership transfer, open drive.google.com while signed in to the account holding the originals.
Select the file you want to transfer, or hold Shift while selecting multiple files.
Click Share.
Enter the destination account’s email address.
Choose Viewer, Commenter, or Editor for the access you want to grant.
Click Send or Share, depending on the dialog. Your second account now has access. Ownership comes next.
Transfer ownership of the original files
This makes your second personal Google account the owner of the existing files.
On a computer, sign in to Drive as the current owner.
Right-click the previously shared file or selected files.
Open Share > Share.
Open the permission dropdown beside the destination account.
Select Transfer ownership.
Switch to the destination account in Drive.
Search for pendingowner:me to find files awaiting acceptance.
Select those files.
Open Share.
Select Accept ownership?.
Click Accept.
Repeat the transfer for files inside any folder you transfer. Changing a folder’s owner does not change the owner of its contents.
Create separate copies in the second account
Want to leave the originals where they are? Copying gives the destination account its own files. The originals’ permissions must allow copying.
Using Chrome on a computer, sign in to the destination account.
Open the files shared with that account.
Choose Make a copy from a file’s right-click menu. A copy saved in the destination account’s My Drive belongs to that account. A copy saved in a work or school shared drive belongs to the organization instead. This command copies files, but cannot copy an entire folder and its contents recursively.
For an open Google document, choose File > Make a copy instead.
Enter the copy’s name.
Select its destination folder.
Click Ok.
If copying fails, try the download-and-upload method below, provided the file’s permissions allow downloading.
Move files by downloading and uploading
In the source account’s Drive on a computer, select the files you want to move. Use Ctrl-click on Windows or Command-click on Mac to select multiple files. To move whole folders at once, use Google Takeout below.
Choose Download from the selection’s right-click menu.
Extract any downloaded archives before uploading their contents.
Sign in to Drive with the destination account.
Choose New > File Upload or Folder Upload.
Select the downloaded files or extracted folders to upload them. This creates new files in the destination account; it does not transfer the original file identities.
Tip: Dragging local files or folders into the destination account’s Drive also uploads them.
Make copies on a phone or tablet
The ownership-transfer option is missing on Android, iPhone, and iPad because Google requires a computer to change a file’s owner.
For shared files that permit copying, use the destination account in the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app.
On Android, tap More beside the shared document.
Choose Make a copy.
Enter a title.
Select the save location.
Tap Ok.
On iPhone or iPad, tap More beside the shared file while using the destination account.
Select Make a copy. The new copy opens in the app.
To transfer ownership of the original instead, use Drive on a computer and follow the ownership-transfer steps above.
Export a larger collection with Google Takeout
Takeout exports your whole Drive or selected content as an archive for uploading to the second account; even its Add to Drive delivery option saves an archive that needs a subsequent upload.
- 1.Visit takeout.google.com while signed in to the source account.
- 2.Clear unwanted product selections, keep Drive selected, and choose the included data and export formats.
- 3.Select Next step and configure a one-time archive, file type, and archive size.
- 4.Under Delivery method, choose Send download link via email, then select Create export.
- 5.When the export is ready, select Download archive and extract it.
- 6.Sign in to the destination account’s Drive and use New > File Upload or Folder Upload to upload the extracted Drive content.
Check work and school account limits
Google Workspace ownership transfers work within the same organization and do not require recipient acceptance. Direct personal-to-Workspace and external Workspace ownership transfers are unsupported.
For a work account, contact your administrator about moving the files. Copying, downloading, and external sharing depend on your organization’s permissions.
Eligible school accounts have a separate Transfer your content service at takeout.google.com/transfer for copying content to a personal Google Account, with administrator permission. Originals remain, and the destination account owns the copies.
School transfers can take up to a week. Comments copy, revision history does not, and sharing must be re-established.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a shortcut instead of transferring the files?
A shortcut points to the original file or folder without transferring ownership or creating an independent copy. In the destination account, right-click the shared item and choose Organize > Add shortcut. Choose a location, then click Add shortcut.
Will exporting and uploading preserve my document’s revision history?
No. Exporting a Google document and uploading the result does not preserve its original cloud document identity or complete revision history.
Can I turn uploaded Office documents into Google Docs files?
Yes. On a computer, sign in to the destination account at drive.google.com/drive/settings. Enable Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format, then upload compatible documents.
Can Drive for desktop move everything between accounts?
Drive for desktop supports copying ordinary downloaded or local files into the destination account’s My Drive and syncing them. Native Google documents require web ownership transfer, web copying, or export first.