Need to transfer your Google Drive folder to another account? Whether you're switching jobs, organizing your digital life, or simply consolidating your files, moving Google Drive folders between accounts is a common task that many users struggle with. In this guide, I'll walk you through several methods to move your Google Drive folders safely and efficiently from one account to another.

Google doesn't offer a direct "move account" button, but don't worry—there are several reliable ways to transfer your files without losing any data. I've tested these methods myself and compiled the most effective approaches based on different situations and folder sizes.

Why You Might Need to Transfer Google Drive Folders

Before diving into the methods, let's quickly look at some common scenarios where you might need to move Google Drive folders:

• Changing jobs and needing to transfer work files to a personal account
• Switching from a school account that's about to expire
• Consolidating multiple Google accounts into one
• Organizing files between work and personal accounts
• Backing up important folders to a secondary account

Method 1: Share and Download (Best for Small to Medium Folders)

This straightforward method works well for folders that aren't too large. It involves sharing the folder with your destination account, then saving it to the new Drive.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Log into your source Google account (the one that currently has your folders)
2. Navigate to Google Drive and locate the folder you want to move
3. Right-click on the folder and select "Share"
4. Enter the email address of your destination Google account
5. Set permission level to "Editor" so you can modify files in the new account
6. Click "Send" to share the folder
7. Log out of your current account and log into your destination account
8. Check your email for the sharing notification or go directly to "Shared with me" in Google Drive
9. Right-click on the shared folder and select "Add to My Drive"

After adding the folder to your Drive, you'll have a copy in your new account. However, remember that this creates a link to the original folder rather than moving it entirely. To complete the transfer, you'll need to create a full copy.

Creating a Full Copy in Your New Account:

1. In your destination account, right-click on the folder you just added to My Drive
2. Select "Make a copy" (for individual files) or use Google's "Copy Folder" feature
3. Rename the new copy if desired
4. Verify all contents transferred correctly by checking the file count and opening a few files

Once you've confirmed everything transferred correctly, you can delete the original folder from your old account if needed.

Method 2: Download and Upload (Best for Maintaining File Structure)

For users who want complete separation between accounts or need to preserve exact file structures, the download and upload method works well.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Log into your source Google account
2. Go to Google Drive and select the folder you want to move
3. Right-click the folder and select "Download"
4. Wait for Google Drive to prepare the download (it will compress the folder into a ZIP file)
5. Save the ZIP file to your computer
6. Extract the ZIP file to a location on your computer
7. Log out and sign in to your destination Google account
8. In Google Drive, click "New" → "Folder Upload" (or drag and drop the extracted folder)
9. Wait for the upload to complete

This method creates a complete copy with the exact same structure as your original folder. It's particularly useful for large folders with complex hierarchies that you want to preserve exactly.

Tips for Large Uploads:

• Use Google Chrome for the most reliable upload experience
• Make sure you have a stable internet connection
• For very large folders, consider uploading in smaller batches
• Keep your computer awake during the upload process

Method 3: Google Takeout (Best for Very Large Transfers)

Google Takeout is Google's data export service that lets you download your data from various Google services, including Drive. This method is ideal for very large transfers or when you want to back up everything at once.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Go to Google Takeout while logged into your source account
2. Deselect all services except "Drive"
3. Click "All Drive data included" to customize what to export
4. Select only the folders you want to transfer
5. Click "OK" then "Next step"
6. Choose delivery method (Download link via email is usually best)
7. Select file type and size (ZIP is recommended)
8. Click "Create export"
9. Wait for the export to complete (you'll receive an email when ready)
10. Download the exported files from the link in your email
11. Extract the ZIP files to your computer
12. Log into your destination account and upload the extracted folders to Google Drive

This method is particularly useful when you have many gigabytes of data to transfer. Google Takeout handles large exports well and maintains your folder structure.

Method 4: Use Google's Transfer Tool (For G Suite/Workspace Users)

If you're using Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), there's an official data transfer tool available. This is primarily for administrators but can be very useful in business contexts.

Requirements:

• Both accounts must be part of Google Workspace
• Administrator access or permission from your admin

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Sign in to the Google Admin console with admin credentials
2. Go to "Data Migration" in the tools section
3. Select "Drive" as the service to migrate data from
4. Choose source and destination accounts
5. Select the specific folders to transfer
6. Start the migration and monitor progress

This method is ideal for business transitions and offers the most seamless transfer experience, but it's limited to Workspace users.

Method 5: Using Third-Party Transfer Tools

Several third-party tools can help transfer Google Drive folders between accounts. These can be particularly useful for automated or scheduled transfers.

Popular Options:

Tool	Best For	Cost
MultCloud	Cloud-to-cloud transfers without downloading	Free plan available, premium from $9.90/month
Wondershare InClowdz	User-friendly interface, multiple cloud support	Free trial, then $9.95/month
cloudHQ	Business users, continuous sync options	Free plan available, premium from $15/month
Rclone	Technical users comfortable with command line	Free and open-source

Using MultCloud (Example):

1. Create a MultCloud account at multcloud.com
2. Add both Google Drive accounts to MultCloud
3. Go to "Cloud Transfer" in the menu
4. Select the source folder from your first account
5. Select the destination in your second account
6. Click "Transfer Now" to begin the process

The advantage of these tools is they transfer directly from cloud to cloud, saving your bandwidth and time since files don't need to pass through your computer.

Comparing All Methods: Which One Should You Choose?

Here's a comparison to help you decide which method is best for your specific needs:

Method	Best For	Pros	Cons
Share and Download	Small to medium folders	Quick, no downloads required	Maintains sharing links to original account
Download and Upload	Maintaining exact file structure	Complete separation between accounts	Uses local storage, bandwidth intensive
Google Takeout	Very large transfers	Handles huge amounts of data reliably	Can be slow for large exports
Google Transfer Tool	Business/Workspace users	Official solution, maintains permissions	Only available for Workspace accounts
Third-Party Tools	Regular transfers between accounts	Cloud-to-cloud transfer, no downloads	May have costs, privacy considerations

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Important Considerations When Moving Google Drive Folders

File Ownership and Permissions

When you transfer files between accounts, ownership and permission settings may change. Here's what to keep in mind:

• Files created in your original account will show you as the owner
• When copied to a new account, the new account becomes the owner
• Sharing settings and permissions don't automatically transfer
• You may need to re-share files with collaborators from your new account

Google-Specific File Formats

Google's native formats (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) behave differently than uploaded files:

• Native Google files don't count toward your storage quota
• When downloading Google files, you'll need to select a conversion format (DOCX, XLSX, etc.)
• Comments and revision history may not transfer perfectly between accounts

Storage Space Considerations

Before transferring, check your destination account's available storage:

1. Log into your destination Google account
2. Go to drive.google.com/drive/quota to see your storage usage
3. Consider purchasing additional storage if needed before starting the transfer

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Transfer Stops or Fails

If your transfer stops unexpectedly:

• Check your internet connection stability
• Try transferring smaller batches of files
• Use Chrome or Firefox browsers for the most reliable experience
• Disable any browser extensions that might interfere with Drive

Missing Files After Transfer

If files seem to be missing after transfer:

• Check the "Recent" section in your new Drive to see all newly added files
• Look for files in root directory rather than in folders
• Search by filename in case files were moved to unexpected locations
• Check if files exceeded size limits (Google Docs has specific limits)

Permission Issues

If you encounter "Access Denied" or permission problems:

• Make sure you're signed into the correct account
• Check that sharing permissions were set correctly in the original folder
• Try incognito/private browsing to avoid account confusion
• For Google Workspace accounts, contact your administrator

After the Transfer: Cleaning Up

Once you've successfully transferred your folders, take these final steps:

Verify the Transfer

1. Compare file counts between original and new folders
2. Open a sample of files to ensure they're working correctly
3. Check that folder structure has been maintained

Remove Duplicate Data

To avoid confusion and save storage space:

1. Remove sharing access from the original folder if you used the sharing method
2. Delete the original folder from your old account if no longer needed
3. Delete any temporary downloads from your computer

Update Sharing and Collaborations

If you were collaborating with others:

1. Inform collaborators about your account change
2. Re-share relevant folders from your new account
3. Update any embedded links in websites or documents

Frequently Asked Questions

Will moving files between Google accounts affect file versions and comments?

Yes, in most cases. When you copy Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides to a new account, the version history and comments may not transfer completely. The new copies will show the destination account as the creator, and previous edit history might be lost. If maintaining this history is crucial, consider keeping the original files shared with both accounts rather than creating complete copies.

Can I transfer ownership of Google Drive folders instead of copying them?

You can transfer ownership of individual Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other Google-format files, but not folders as a whole. To transfer ownership, share the file with the destination account, then in the sharing settings, change that person's role to "Owner." Note that this only works with Google's native formats, not with uploaded files like PDFs or images.

Is there a limit to how much data I can transfer between Google accounts?

There's no specific limit to how much you can transfer, but you're bound by the storage limits of your destination account. Free Google accounts come with 15GB of storage shared across Drive, Gmail, and Photos. If you're transferring large amounts of data, you might need to purchase additional storage through Google One or use a Google Workspace account with higher limits.

How long does it typically take to transfer large Google Drive folders?

Transfer times vary greatly depending on your internet connection, the size of your folders, and the method you choose. For reference, uploading 10GB of data might take 2-4 hours on a typical home internet connection. Google Takeout exports can take anywhere from minutes to days for very large accounts. Cloud-to-cloud transfers using third-party services are often faster since they don't use your local bandwidth.

Can I automate regular transfers between two Google accounts?

Google doesn't offer built-in automation for regular transfers between personal accounts. However, you can set up automated transfers using third-party services like MultCloud, cloudHQ, or by creating scripts using Google Apps Script if you have programming knowledge. These solutions can be configured to sync specific folders on a schedule, ensuring both accounts stay updated with the latest files.

Conclusion

Moving Google Drive folders between accounts doesn't have to be complicated. By choosing the right method for your specific needs—whether it's the simple sharing approach for small folders, download-upload for complete transfers, Google Takeout for large data sets, or third-party tools for cloud-to-cloud transfers—you can successfully migrate your files while maintaining their organization and integrity.

Remember to verify your transfer was successful before deleting any original files, and be mindful of storage limitations in your destination account. With the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to move your Google Drive folders smoothly and get back to your work without missing a beat.