Transfer Ownership
We support two methods to transfer file ownership between accounts. In most cases we use a workaround that we've created called Copy-to-Transfer.
Why two methods?
Google does not support transferring files from one Google account to another when the source and target accounts are in different Google Workspaces, or if they are regular ...@gmail.com accounts.
It is straightforward to transfer files between Google accounts within a shared Google Workspace, and Drive Toolbox supports that method when it is available.
Copy-to-Transfer
Copy-to-transfer makes a new copy of each file that you transfer, in the target account. This method makes it much more convenient to transfer files between accounts — but it entails important limitations: (a) the file URL changes, and (b) metadata that Google does not copy cannot be transfered. To help fix old links, we store the deprecated URL on the new file as a shared Info Field so you can build a crosswalk.
How to Transfer Ownership: Initiate a Transfer
- Select files in the file table
- Click Transfer Ownership from the More menu in the selection toolbar (Organize -> Transfer Ownership)
- Enter the email address of the new owner
- Optionally enable Include subfolders to transfer ownership of files inside selected folders
- Click Start
Accepting the Files
If your transfer operation requires the Copy-to-Transfer method, the recipient will need to actively accept the incoming files.
- The recipient opens Drive Toolbox
- Initiate a Sync and wait for it to complete
- Open the Sharing panel and select the Transfers tab. You should see the pending transfers, and can accept or refuse them.
Important Considerations
Consumer Gmail Accounts
For personal Gmail accounts (not Google Workspace), ownership transfers are pending until the recipient accepts. The recipient receives an email notification to accept or decline. Until accepted, you remain the owner.
Pending transfers appear in the Transfers tab of the Sharing Panel, where you can track and cancel outgoing transfers.
Google Workspace Accounts
For Workspace accounts within the same organization, ownership transfers typically take effect immediately without requiring acceptance.
Copy-to-Transfer: Limitations
Google Drive no longer allows direct ownership transfers for personal Gmail accounts or across Workspace domains. Copy-to-Transfer works around this Google Drive limitation by copying the files into the recipient's Drive rather than moving ownership of the originals. The recipient becomes the owner of the new copies, while the sender's originals remain in place.
URLs will change. The copied files have new URLs. Any existing sharing links, bookmarks, or references to the original files will no longer point to the transferred copies.
We save the old URL with each new, transfered file as a Shared Info Field (dt/xfer_url) which you can use to generate a crosswalk.
Comments and revision history are not copied. Google does not include comments, suggestions, or version history when copying files. The new copies start with a clean history.
Some files cannot be copied. Google Drive Shortcuts and published Google Forms cannot be duplicated by the Drive API. These files are skipped during the transfer.
After a Copy-to-Transfer Completes
When the recipient accepts the transfer, the sender's original files can optionally be renamed with a "DEPRECATED COPY -" prefix. This makes it clear that the file has been superseded by a copy in the recipient's Drive. The rename is controlled by a checkbox when accepting the transfer.
A crosswalk mapping is saved on each file as a Shared Info field, recording each file's original URL.
Managing Transfers
The Sharing Panel's Transfers tab shows transfers in three groups:
| Group | Description |
|---|---|
| Outgoing | Files you own where transfer is pending acceptance |
| Refused | Copy-to-transfer files that the recipient has declined |
| Incoming | Files being transferred to you, awaiting your action |
From the selection toolbar, you can:
- Accept Transfers — accept incoming ownership transfers (both permission-based and copy-to-transfer)
- Reject Transfers — decline incoming transfers
- Cancel Transfers — cancel outgoing transfers you initiated
Refused Transfers
When a recipient rejects a copy-to-transfer, the transfer appears in the Refused group. Refusing a transfer does not remove the recipient's access to the files. To fully clean up, the sender can Cancel the refused transfer, which removes the transfer metadata and restores the recipient's original access level.
Learn More
- Actions Overview — All batch operations
- Job Queue — Monitor transfer operations