How to Move Files From One Google Drive to Another

This guide provides essential methods for transferring files between Google Drive accounts, making it easier to manage your documents across multiple accounts. It covers various techniques, including sharing files, using Google Takeout, and manually downloading and re-uploading files, ensuring you can choose the best approach for your needs. By following these steps, you can effectively streamline your file management process and maintain organization in your digital workspace. Whether you are consolidating accounts or simply moving files, this guide offers practical solutions to simplify the task.

36 steps
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2 minutes

Google Drive

How to share Documents With Your Other Google Drive Accounts

Select all the files or folders you want to transfer to your second Google Drive account.

Right click on the file or folder. Select the "Share" option.

Click "Share"

Type your secondary Google username.

Click on Advanced, and under Sharing Settings, change the permission to "Is Owner." Hit the blue Send button.

Use the "Shared with me" filter on the sidebar to share files to a shared folder.

Google Drive doesn't allow you to directly copy and transfer folders, so you can make copies of files within it, and then move them into a new folder or subfolder to replicate the original file hierarchy structure.

Right-click on each file (or select files). Choose "Make a copy." Rename the files appropriately, and select a location within the same account where you want to save the copied folder.

Tip! Additionally, if you want to transfer all of your data as an archive to another account, you can also utilize Google Takeout

Steps to Transfer Files From One Google Drive to Another

Select all the files or folders you want to transfer.

Create a folder in the destination Google Drive. Click "New".

Click "New folder"

Click "Create"

Move the selected files to the created folder

Move the selected files to the created folder. To do this, right-click on the file you want to move.

Click "Organize"

Click "Move”

Select the new folder in Google Drive, and click "Move"

Tip! You can also share the folder with the desired recipient.

Alternative Method 1: Use Google Takeout

Go to the official website of Google Takeout and log into your account.

Choose the Google Drive account from which you want to export files and click the "Next" button.

Select a delivery method. You must choose "Add to Drive" from the drop-down menu unless you prefer receiving a download link via email.

Click on "Create export." Then, you should download these compressed files to your local storage, unzip them, and finally upload all files to another Google Drive account.

Alternative Method 2: Manually Download and Re-Upload

Log in to your old Google Drive account, create a new folder, and put inside all the files that you want to transfer to the other account.

Click "New"

Click "New folder"

Click "Create" and put inside all the files that you want to transfer to the other account.

Right-click on the folder.

Click "Download" and wait for the process to be completed.

Then, log into your second Google Drive account, click the "Upload button" or "Upload folder" on the same folder you previously downloaded, and that's it.

Alternative Method 3: Transfer Ownership

After logging in, click Admin Console on the bottom left of your Google Drive admin account.

Select Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs > Transfer ownership

Enter the email address of the current owner in the "From user" field. And enter the email address of the new owner in the "To user" field.

Click "Transfer Files" to initiate the ownership transfer.

Wait for the transfer to complete, and then you will receive a confirmation email.