Best 4 Methods to Migrate Google Drive to Another Account

Overview: Google Drive is used to store the different files and folders. But because of its limited space and other reasons, it needs to be moved to another account. Therefore, through this article, you will find the top 4 methods to migrate Google Drive to another account efficiently.

Google Drive is a part of Google Workspace apps (G Suite) which provides storage for documents such as photos, files, and so on. Because Google Drive is based on a cloud server then it can be accessed from any location with the help of the Internet. It is widely supported in the organizations to enhance the collaboration between the team members. Apart from the collaboration, it is also an essential part of the organizations to store the presentations, excel, and document files. 

User’s Query:- I am switching to another organization. But I want to keep my Google Drive files. Due to this,  I need to transfer my Google Drive files and folders to another account. But I am unaware of the process. If anyone knows how I can achieve it, then kindly let me know.

But sometimes as per the changes in the industries, some of the organizations need to merge with others or rebrand themselves. In that situation, all the data from Google Drive needs to be migrated to another account. But the question arises how? Let’s elaborate on the solution for copying Google Drive data to another account.

Different Methods to Move Google Drive Files to Another Account?

There are different methods to transfer Google Drive folder to another account. Here is a list of the top 4 methods that can be used to complete the process of migrating Google Drive efficiently.

Method 1: Migrating Google Drive to Another Account Using Google Takeout Services

Google Takeout is a method that Google provides to migrate Google Drive to another account. Through this, you can export all the data of Google Drive into the local system so that it can used further either to share with others or to keep it as a backup. To use the Google takeout services, you have to execute the below steps:-

• Step 1. Open the Google takeout site and log in with the required credentials.
• Step 2. Choose an account for which you want to create an export and move Next.
• Step 3. Select a delivery method and then choose the option of Add to Drive.
• Step 4. Lastly, hit on the Create Export button.

As the process ends the data will saved to the local system in the zip format. You can extract the data from the zip file and then upload it to the required destination Google Drive account. All of the steps of this method need to be executed manually due to which the chances of errors are increased and data can be lost too. There are no modern features that can help to make the process more simpler.

Method 2: Moving Google Drive Files to Another Account Via Transferring Ownership

Google also has an alternative to Google Takeout to move Google Drive files to another account. There is an option to Transfer Ownership to the destination Google Drive account. Through this, the files will be moved to another Google Drive account. Below are the steps that can migrate Google Drive to another account.

• Step 1. Log in to the Google Admin console using the credentials.
• Step 2. Now, in the Admin console, open the Menu > Apps > Google Workspace > Drive & Docs.
• Step 3. Hit on the Transfer Ownership option.
• Step 4. Now enter the email address of the source user in the “From User”.
• Step 5. “To User”, provide the destination account email address.
• Step 6. Finally, click Transfer files.

Using these steps you can transfer files from one Google Drive to another by modifying the ownership of the Google Drive. There is a requirement to know the Google Drive functionalities in depth to perform this method. If any of the steps is misjudged then there are possibilities that the result will meet your expectations.

Method 3. Move Google Drive Files to Another Account Using Download & Upload

Downloading and Uploading the files from Google Drive manually is one of the easiest approaches to migrate Google Drive to another account. In this, all the files and folders should be downloaded manually and then they should be uploaded to the destination Google Drive account.

• Step 1. Open the source Google Drive account.
• Step 2. In Google Drive create a new folder and copy all the files to that folder that needs to be transferred.
• Step 3. Now press right-click on the newly created folder and choose the Download option.
• Step 4. When downloading the files is completed, log in with the destination Google Drive account.
• Step 5. Now in the destination Google Drive account, choose the option of upload. Select the downloaded folder and hit OK.

This is a very time-consuming process. It is not a good fit for the large data set. The process also takes time to download all the files into the local system. There is no surety that the data will be in the correct hierarchy while uploading files to the destination account.

Limitations of Manual Methods

There are various drawbacks to using the above manual methods, some of the note-worthy limitations are discussed below:

1. Shortcomings of Download & Upload:

The download and upload method is quite time-consuming, as you need to manually download each file and folder from the source Google Drive account and then you need to upload these data to the destination account. For small data sizes, you can still use this method, but for large volumes of data, it takes a significant amount of time.

2. Shortcomings of Transferring Ownership:

To transfer the ownership of files and folders to migrate Google Drive to another account, you must have technical expertise. Performing any wrong step can lead to unexpected consequences. Moreover, it can create data loss and breach. Moreover, if you are not technically sound then you may share those files which were not intended to share.

3. Shortcomings of Google Takeout:

Google Takeout involves multiple steps that require manual execution. This can lead to undesired results if not followed correctly. Moreover, it lacks modern features such as a date filter, generating reports, etc.

Overall, manual methods are generally not recommended for large datasets due to the time involved and the potential for errors.

Related: How to migrate OneDrive for Business to another tenant?

Method 4. Migrate Google Drive to Another Account Using Automated Tool

The finest and most secure way to transfer Google Drive files to the destination Google Drive folder is by using the automated tool. The experts recommend the Migrator Wizard G Suite Migration Software for seamless migration. This is the best tool for transferring small as well as large Google Drive files. After installing and running this tool, there is no requirement for an additional tool.

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There is also a smart date-range filter to move only the selected data to the destination Google Drive account. The folder & files hierarchy will remain the same in the destination Google Drive account after the process ends. This tool can also used to merge two Google Workspace accounts. Let’s look into the steps of the automated tool to copy Google Drive folder to another account.

Software Working Steps

• Step 1. Download and set up the tool on the local machine.
• Step 2. Choose both the platforms Source and Destination as G Suite.
• Step 3. Select the data that for transferring to the destination Google Drive account.
• Step 4. Login and validate the source and destination admin credentials. Then click on Next.
• Step 5. Load the users for whom you want to move files from the Google Drive account.
• Step 6. After validating the users into the tool, click on the Start Migration button.

Conclusion

As per the above discussion, now you can choose the relevant method as per the requirement. All of the methods are elaborated in detail. The automated tool for migrating Google Drive files to another account is recommended by the experts. Because it provides a seamless migration without error. Apart from the seamless migration the automated tool also maintains the files and folder hierarchy as the original. So, the automated tool is the best choice to migrate Google Drive to another account.

FAQs

Q1. How do I export everything from Google Drive?

A – Go with the below steps:-

• Step 1. Login to your G Suite account with valid credentials.
• Step 2. Go to the takeout site – https://takeout.google.com/
• Step 2. Choose an account for which you want to create an export and move Next.
• Step 3. Select a delivery method and then choose the option of Add to Drive.
• Step 4. Lastly, hit the Create Export button.

Q2. How to migrate Google Drive to another account quickly?

A – Since the manual method has lengthy steps. On the other hand, using the software you can perform this migration in just 5 steps as described below.

• Step 1. Install and run the software on a PC.
• Step 2. Select G Suite as the source and destination.
• Step 3. Enable the required fields and set the date filter.
• Step 4. Log in with the valid credentials and validate.
• Step 5. Select user accounts and start the migration.

Q3. Is it possible to transfer the entire Google Drive account to another account?

A – Yes, by using the above-explained tool you can transfer entire Google Drive files to the destination account. 

Q4. How long does it take to transfer Google Drive to another account?

A – The time it takes to complete data transfer depends upon several factors such as –

• The method used to perform the data transfer,
• Amount of data present in the source,
• Network bandwidth and speed, etc.

Hence anticipating the exact time could not be possible. But on average if you use the manual method then it can take days to weeks. However, if you switch to the automated method discussed in this write-up then you can experience an efficient and more effective migration.

Q5. Can I transfer the ownership of my previous account to another account?

A – Yes, by using the below steps, you can do so.

• Step 1. Open GAC and go to the Drive & Docs section.
• Step 2. Click the Transfer ownership option.
• Step 3. Complete From User and To User details.
• Step 4. Lastly, transfer the files.