How to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account Without Losing Files
Migrating Google Drive to another account sounds easy, until you try it. I’ve done it myself, and in this guide, I’ll show you the most practical methods to migrate Google Drive to another account without data loss.
Let’s understand:
Why I Had to Move Google Drive to Another Account?
In my case, I was moving from a college-provided Google Workspace account to a personal Gmail account because my graduation meant I’d lose access soon. I had:
- Hundreds of academic files
- Google Docs/Sheets, I collaborated on
- Research data and PDFs
- Personal photos I had accidentally uploaded
If you’re in a similar situation, or if you’re switching jobs or consolidating storage, these methods will help. Before moving to the procedure, first take Google Drive Backup to make sure nothing won’t be lost.
How to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account?
Below are the exact methods I used to move my Google Drive files safely to another account without losing access or structure:
Method 1: Use Google’s Share & Make a Copy Technique
I read this Google support article on file sharing, which explains how to add another account as an Editor. Here’s how I completed the task:
- Sign in to your old Google account.
- Open Google Drive and select all the files/folders to move Google Drive to another account.
- Right-click > Share > Added my new Google account and gave it Editor access.
- Sign in to a new Google account, and access the Shared with me section.
- Open each folder, select the files, and then use Make a copy.
- Move the copies to My Drive in the new account.
#Method 2. Use Google Takeout to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account
- Open Google Takeout.
- Hit the Data & Privacy option.
- After scrolling down, you see the Download or Delete Your Data. Under that, click on Download your data.
- Check the Deselect All option.
- Scroll down and mark only Drive data.
- Choose the .zip format, file size, delivery method, and frequency, the press the export button.
- Google send you a download link via email.
- Afterwards, download & extract the files, and upload them to a new Google account via drag-and-drop.
Method 3: Use Google Drive Desktop App for Both Accounts
I followed this Google Drive for Desktop setup article to sync my old Drive account to my PC. Additionally, this method helped when I wanted to move Google Drive to another account while keeping the original layout:
- Install Google Drive for Desktop.
- Sign in with your old Google account.
- Synced files locally.
- Signed out and signed in with the new account in a different profile.
- Dragged the locally synced files into the new account’s Google Drive folder.
Method 4: Advanced Solution to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account
Manual methods might work for a few files, but if your Drive is anything like mine, with thousands of documents, shared folders, and sensitive data, you want something more powerful. The SysTools Google Drive Migration Tool helps to achieve the expected results.
It preserves structure, accuracy, and control. The easy-to-use UI and multiple filters allow admins to select and shift the exact data they want. Apart from the UI, the tool bypasses the need for downloading any data on local systems and directly places all of the user content in its intended location. It allows you to share the entire Google Drive in a few simple clicks.
Steps to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account
- Step 1. Open the tool, then select GSuite (for Google Drive) as both the source and the destination.
- Step 2. Now, mark the box next to Documents, and apply the Date filter if needed.
- Step 3. Move on to the source page, fill in the required details, and press validate.
- Step 4. Repeat the step for the destination to move Google Drive to another account.
- Step 5. Choose a User Mapping option from Fetch Users, Import a premade CSV, or Download a premade template, fill it, and upload.
- Step 6. Once the User list is available on the preview screen, select the ones whose cloud data you want to move. Prioritise any accounts from your selection, and Validate them.
- Step 7. End the process from your side by pressing the Start Migration button.
Author’s Verdict
Migrating Google Drive to another account was time-consuming until I figured out the right strategy. It is recommended to opt for the specified automated solution(Method 4) if you want to migrate Google Drive to another account without losing data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why did Google forbid the transfer of a Google Drive to an account outside my organisation, despite my having admin privileges?
This is a security feature of Google that can’t be changed from your end, even if you hold admin privileges. The only alternative is to extract all Google Drive data and send it over to the external entity by other means.
Q2. What do the different permission levels of Google Drive sharing indicate? Which one is the most appropriate?
There are 3 different access levels that you can put on a file/folder while sharing it. The first is Viewer, choose it if you don’t want the recipient to make any changes to the source. Commenters can add notes on the data, but cannot make any permanent changes. The last criterion is that the Editor must most closely resemble the owner. They can add/delete and pass on editing power to others as well.
Q3. Am I going to lose any data after I decide to migrate Google Drive to another account?
Not if you select the automated utility. As it prioritises both the data as well as the way it is arranged in the source. The tool maintains the folder structure as well. So all of your data is safely taken from the source and deposited on the target.
Q4. I use the free tier of Google Drive; are there any maximum thresholds that I need to be aware of?
For free account holders, the threshold limits are of no concern, as the daily limit of Google Drive is 750 GB. Moreover, a single file can be up to 5 TB in size. It is extremely rare that your requirement ever reaches this limit at all. The speeds of upload/download depend entirely on your network bandwidth.