Top Proven Methods to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account

Summary: In this article, you will learn the top proven methods to migrate Google Drive to another account. However, it is essential for many reasons such as managing storage limits or changing the email address. Also, there are different methods of transferring Google Drive data securely and efficiently. We analyze both the methods i.e. manual and automated which helps you to choose the best approach for you.

Table of contents,

1. Introduction
2. Reasons
3. How to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account
4. Limitation
5. Wrapping Up
6. Commonly Asked Queries

Migrate Google Drive to Another Account: An Introduction

For the Gmail user, Google Drive is one of the important solutions for storing and managing the data in cloud. However, it provides only 15 GB of free storage which is quite a limited amount. When the limit is reached, users need to purchase additional storage or migrate files from Google Drive to another account. Since it is not easy to purchase extra storage for everyone thats why the transfer of data is a cost-effective and simple solution.

Google Drive is a part of the Google Workspace suite used over the globe for file storage, sharing, and collaboration. Sometimes you need to move your files to a new destination whether to any employee account or a new account.

No matter what the reason behind your moving your Google Drive account, it is essential to avoid data loss. In this article, you will get the proven and tested methods and step-by-step instructions to make sure that your content, organization, and structure of data remain the same.

Reasons to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account

There are some essential practical reasons why users need to move Google Drive to a new account. Let’s know what are those reasons.

1. Storage limits: When the free storage limit is reached, you will not be able to purchase additional storage, which will affect the cost.
2. Account problems: If the existing account has technical issues, you will need to transfer the Google Drive data to a new account.
3. Administrative requirements: Transferring files can help you better organize your data and keep personal and work files separate.
4. Collaboration and sharing: You can move your files to a shared account for better collaboration with colleagues, teams, or family members. This gives everyone easy access to the files they need.
5. Security and access control: Migrate files to the new Google Drive, which is better secured and managed by the organization, and control access and data security.
6. Account deactivation: If your current Google account is deactivated, transferring files to another account is important to prevent data loss.

Additionally, a new Google Drive account may contain updated features and large storage space. Therefore, it is advisable to transfer Google Drive to a new account. Now let us discuss the ways how to migrate Google Drive to another account.

Also See: Transfer documents from Google Drive to OneDrive

How to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account

Way 1: Using Google Takeout

Google Takeout is a special service that is used to create user data archives. However, it helps to transfer one Google account to another. Since it is a complex process that converts the files into a different format, you can adjust the settings and maintain the original format. Follow this step-by-step guide to make use of Google Takeout.

Step 1. Open the Google Takeout:?

Login to your Google Drive account with your credential IDs. Visit the website of Google Takeout and launch it.

Step 2. Select the data:?

Select the files and folders that you want to transfer. You can select specific data types or different categories at the same time.

Step 3. Customize the format for Archive:

• Scroll down and click on “Next step.”
• Choose the delivery method and select the “Add to Drive” option.
• Customize the archive format and size. However, you can select the settings of the original file format from here.

Step 4. Create and Export Archive:

• Click on the “Create Export” process and wait until the process is completed.

Note: It will take some time according to the size of the data.

• When the export is ready, you will get a notification and a download link.

Step 5. Download the archive:

Download a zip file to your PC that contains the selected data from your old Google Drive account.

Step 6. Upload data to a new Google Drive account:

• Log in to your new Google Drive account.
• Extract the ZIP files to the PC.
• Finally, upload the extracted files and folders to the new Google Drive account. However, you may use drag-and-drop or click the "New" button.?
• Select the option of "File upload" or "Folder upload."?

By following these steps, you can efficiently transfer your Google Drive data to another account. Also, it is helpful to maintain the integrity of the data. Now moving to the next method of the same.

Way 2. Transfer Google Drive files to the New Account Using Uploading/Downloading.

Step 1: Download the Files from Old Google Drive:

• Login to the old account: Firstly,? you need to sign in with your Gmail account and open Google Drive.
• Select Files: Select the files and folders that you want to transfer.
• Organize the files: Create a new folder in Google Drive, name it “Export” and put all the selected files in that folder.
• Download the folder: Right-click on the “Export” folder and select the “Download” option. Google Drive will compress other files into a zip file and start downloading.
• View Progress: Track download progress in your browser. It may take some time to download large files, so keep your internet connection stable and the device charged.

Step 2: Upload Files to Your New Google Drive:

• Sign in with your new account: Sign in with your new Google Drive account.
• Upload Zip File: Click on the “+” icon or “File Upload” and select the downloaded zip file.
• Wait for the upload to complete: After uploading, the zip file will be visible in the “My Drive” section of your new account.
• Extract Files: Open the zip file by double-clicking it and extract the files with your favorite zip extractor tool.

Way 3. Move Google Drive to a new account By Using Direct Sharing

Step 1. Login and Select Files:

• Login with your Gmail account and open Google Drive.?
• Select the files or folders you want to transfer.

Step 2. Share with your new account:

• Right-click on the selected items, and click on Share.
• Enter the email address of the new account.
• Set the permissions to Editor and click on Share.

Step 3. View the Shared Files:

Now log in to your new Google Drive account. You will find your files in the? “Shared with me” section.

Way 4. Transfer the Ownership of the Old Drive Account

Step 1. Access Drive and Select Share Option:

• Login to Google Drive with your current account.
• Select files and folders which are to be transferred.
• After selecting, Click on Share and enter the email address of the new account.
• Check editor permissions and click on Send.

Step 2. Change Ownership Permissions

• Click on Share again, search for the account in the list, and select Transfer Ownership.
• Complete the transfer by clicking on Send.

Note: Folder ownership transfer does not automatically transfer ownership of files. Ownership of each file will have to be transferred individually.

Migrating Google Drive to Another Account: Limitation?

1. Takes a lot of time: The manual process is slow, mainly when you have a large number of files or folders. Every item needs to be selected and shared one by one, which is not efficient for large data.
2. Limited Handling of Complex Transfers: Manual methods are best for simple transfers. If you have to transfer shared folders or detailed file structures, these methods will not work well for you.
3. Risk of Data Loss: If any step goes wrong during transfer, data loss or file corruption is possible. However, files are not visible correctly in the new account or some files may lost.
4. Issue with Ownership Transfer: By transferring ownership of the folder, the ownership of the files in the folder is not automatically updated. Every file has to be updated individually, which can be time-consuming.
5. Bulk Transfer Support is not available: Manual methods cannot handle large-scale transfers efficiently. Moving large files manually can be prone to errors.?

If you are troubled by the limitations of manual methods of transferring data from Google Drive to a new account. Therefore, you may try an automated solution. Migrator Tool for Google Drive Migration is a great option that simplifies complex and large-scale migrations for your organization. This solution makes your migration process easy and efficient, without any manual effort, ensuring that your data is transferred safely and accurately. This will make your migration process smooth and hassle-free.

Wrapping Up

Migrating Google Drive to another account can be a little confusing at times. Due to the complexity of this process, people do not understand and get troubled. To overcome this confusion, we have listed the easiest and most effective methods that will help you transfer your Google Drive data from one account to another. However, You have five options: four manual methods and one method that requires a little manual effort but simplifies the process a bit.

Commonly Asked Queries

Que: Will the file structure remain the same after the migration?

Ans: Manually, these methods are not feasible with the file structure very well. Therefore, automated tools are more helpful in this.

Que: Can shared files transferred manually?

Ans: You can transfer the shared files manually, but that may be a bit difficult. So, you need to modify the permissions in the new account.

Que: How do you manage the permissions at the time of migration?

Ans: You have to manually set permission for each file or folder, or you can use the automated tool for it.

Also Read: How to merge two Google accounts