How to Transfer Ownership in Google Drive (Files and Folders)

Handing over a client project, passing the admin to a new assistant, or moving your business files off a personal account you set up years ago: at some point you'll want someone else to own a file in Google Drive, not just edit it. Ownership decides who can delete the file, and whose Drive it lives in.

Google lets you transfer ownership in a few clicks, but the rules change depending on whether you use a personal Google account or a work or school one. Here's what Google's help says, what happens to your access afterwards and why you might hit a wall.

Transferring ownership of a Google Drive file

Google's steps for Docs, Sheets, Slides and other files in Drive on a computer:

1. Open the file in Google Drive.
2. Click Share in the upper right.
3. Find the person you want to make the owner. They need to be in the list of people the file is shared with.
4. Click the down arrow next to their name.
5. Click Transfer ownership.
6. Confirm when Google asks.

If the person isn't in the list yet, share the file with them first, then come back and transfer it. Google says you can only transfer ownership to someone you've already shared the file or folder with.

What happens with a personal Google account

With personal accounts, the new owner has to agree. According to Google's help:

• The person gets an email inviting them to become the owner.
• Until they accept, you stay the owner, and they become an Editor in the meantime.
• If they accept, you're downgraded to Editor.

So nothing changes for you until they click accept. If they ignore the email, the file stays yours. It's worth a quick message telling them to look out for it, because ownership emails are easy to mistake for spam.

What happens with a work or school Google account

Inside an organisation, things are stricter but quicker. Google's help says that with work or school accounts, you can only transfer ownership to someone in your organisation, and the new owner doesn't need to accept. The change happens straight away.

Google also says you can't transfer a file from a personal Google account to someone with a work or school account. If you're moving files from an old personal Gmail into your business Workspace, transferring ownership won't work. Download the files and upload them to the new account instead, or share them and have the other account make copies.

Situation	What Google's help says
Personal to personal	New owner gets an email and must accept
Within the same work or school organisation	Transfers straight away, no acceptance needed
Work or school to someone outside the organisation	Not allowed
Personal to work or school	Not allowed

Cancelling a Google Drive ownership transfer

Sent the request to the wrong person? On a personal account, you can pull it back before they accept. Google's steps are to open the file, click Share, click the down arrow next to their name and choose Cancel ownership transfer.

Once they've accepted, the cancel option is gone. You'd need to ask them to transfer it back to you.

Transferring ownership of a Google Drive folder

Folders behave differently from files, and this catches people out. Google's help says that if you transfer ownership of a folder, you still own the files inside it. So handing over a project folder doesn't hand over the work inside.

If you want someone to own everything, transfer the files as well as the folder. Menus vary slightly for folders, so open Share on the folder and look for the same down arrow next to the person's name.

Where the file goes after you transfer ownership

Google says the file leaves your My Drive and counts towards the new owner's storage instead of yours. If you're an Editor afterwards, you can still find it by searching Drive.

That storage point can be useful. Moving big video files or design assets to the person who needs them takes the weight off your account, though it only works if they have room.

Handing over Google Drive files when someone leaves your business

For businesses using Google Workspace, Google's help says an administrator can transfer Drive files in bulk when someone changes roles or leaves. That's far easier than asking a departing team member to transfer each file one by one, and it means nothing gets lost if they've already gone.

On personal accounts there's no bulk tool, so plan handovers early. A shared folder for client work, owned by the business account from day one, saves a painful clean-up later.

Ownership transfers work in a similar way across Google products and other apps. If you're handing over your channel too, my guide to transferring a YouTube channel to another email walks through it, and for community spaces there's transferring Discord server ownership.

If you can't transfer ownership in Google Drive

1. Make sure you're the owner. Editors can't transfer ownership.
2. Check the file is shared with the person first.
3. Check both accounts are the same type: personal to personal, or work to work in the same organisation.
4. Look for a pending transfer you may have sent earlier and cancel it.
5. For work or school accounts, ask your Google Workspace administrator, who can move files for you.

Frequently asked questions

How do I transfer ownership in Google Drive?

Open the file, click Share, click the down arrow next to the person's name and choose Transfer ownership. You can only choose someone the file is already shared with.

Does the new owner have to accept?

With personal accounts, yes. They get an email and you stay owner until they accept. Within a work or school organisation, the transfer happens without acceptance.

Can I transfer ownership from my personal Google account to a work account?

No. Google's help says you can't transfer a file from a personal account to someone with a work or school account.

What happens to my access after I transfer ownership?

On a personal account, you're downgraded to Editor once they accept. The file also leaves your My Drive and counts towards their storage.

If I transfer a Google Drive folder, do the files inside move too?

No. Google says you still own the files inside a folder after transferring the folder itself.