There are many reasons you may want to transfer the files of one Google Drive account to another. Maybe you want to change your email but want to keep access to the files you’ve already created. Or, if you have files dedicated to different areas of your life, you may find it easier to have them in separate accounts to keep track of them better.
Moving the files is not complicated, but it can be time-consuming if you have a large number of files. Here are three ways you can transfer your Google Drive files to another account.
1. Share your files
One way to move files from your Google Drive to another account is to use Google’s share feature. Instead of just sharing, though, you must make your new account the owner of the files.
1. Log in to your current Google account.
2. Select all the files.
3. Click on the Share button near the top right. It’s a person with a plus sign next to it.
4. Type your new account’s email address in the box as a collaborator.
5. Click Done.
6. On the next window, click Send to complete the sharing.
7. Click the Share button again.
8. In the drop-down box next to the new account that says Editor, click and select “Make owner.”
9. Click Done.
10. Confirm that you want to change the owner of the files.
11. Log in to your secondary account. The files should now be found in Drive.
Use Google Takeout to Move Your Files
Google Takeout is a service that takes all your existing Google data and packs it together into one file. If you use this process to transfer your files, you can save them in offline storage, such as your computer or external hard drive.
1. Go to Google Takeout. You will see a super-long list of data that is stored under your Google account.
2. At the top, click on the “Deselect All” button.
3. Scroll down until you see the Drive section.
4. Click the box next to Drive.
5. If you don’t want to download everything, click on the “All Drive data included.” Choose only the files you want to transfer.
6. Click the OK button.
7. Scroll down to the bottom and click Next step.
8. On the next page, find the “Customize archive format” section. Choose your delivery method, export type, and file type and size.
9. Scroll down, click the “Create Archive” button and wait for the download button to appear. It takes a while, especially if you have a large number of files.
3. Download your files
Instead of using Google Takeout, you can use a simple download procedure to transfer your files to the new account.
1. Log in to your old account.
2. Create a new folder by clicking on New and then clicking on Folder.
3. Move all your other files into the new folder.
4. Right-click on the new folder and click Download.
5. Wait for the Zip file to download to your computer.
6. Log in to your new account.
7. Unzip the files.
8. Click the New button and select Folder upload.
9. Select the folder to upload.
4. MultCloud
There is also a third-party service called MultCloud that will allow you to move files from one drive to another without downloading anything or switching back and forth between two different accounts several times.
The MultCloud interface looks similar to any file explorer. To use it:
1. Create an account at MultCloud.com.
2. Click “Add cloud drive.”
3. Select the “Google Drive” option.
4. Choose your original account.
5. Repeat the process and choose your secondary account.
6. Select the files you want to move to the new account and drag them into the new account’s folder on the left.
If you want to change your Gmail address without losing all your previous work under the old account, give one of these methods a try. Another approach is to sync multiple Google Drive accounts on the desktop.
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Tracey Rosenberger spent 26 years teaching elementary students, using technology to enhance learning. Now she's excited to share helpful technology with teachers and everyone else who sees tech as intimidating.