In this post, we’ll explain how to transfer ownership of a file in Google Drive and answer some of the most commonly asked questions at the end. So without wasting any more time, let’s get started. Also Read: 10 Best Google Drive Tips and Tricks for Beginners and Pros

Transfer Ownership in Google Drive

Before making someone the owner of Google Drive, you need to share the file with that person first. Read on to learn how.

  1. Launch your web browser and navigate to Google Drive’s homepage. Now find the file or folder for which you want to change the ownership. Right-click on it and select the Share option from the list.
  2. In the Share window that appears, inside Add people and groups box, type in the email address of the person to whom you want to transfer the ownership.
  3. After entering a valid email address, hit the Send button. While sharing the file you can choose to notify the person of the file shared. Once the file is shared with the other person, you can now transfer the ownership of the file to that person from the current owner’s Google Drive account. To do that, head over to the Google Drive homepage and right-click on the shared file to open the Share window. In the pop-up that follows, you’ll find a list of people with whom the file is currently being shared. You can use the drop-down menu next to their name to select the Make owner option to give them ownership of the file or folder. You’ll be asked to confirm the decision of transferring ownership as you might lose access to the file if the new owner chooses to remove you. If you’re fine with that, click on Yes to confirm. Google Drive will notify the new owner of the transfer via an email and an in-app notification. Note that transferring ownership of a folder in Google Drive only changes the ownership of the folder and not the files it contains.

Transfer Ownership of Google Drive in Bulk

When it comes to transferring ownership of multiple files at once, Google Drive also lets you do that. The process is almost similar to the one above. Here’s how to do it. Head over to the Google Drive homepage. Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and select multiple files and folders in Google Drive. Now right-click anywhere on your selection and select the Share option. In the following window, add the email address of the person and click on Send.  Now, make the same selection and open the Share menu again. This time you’ll get the option to change the ownership of all the selected files in the drop-down menu. Click on Yes to confirm and the ownership of all the selected files will be transferred. What kind of files I can transfer? Google Drive allows transferring all sorts of Google files including Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google My Maps, and Drive Folders. Will I lose access to the file after transferring ownership? Yes. You’ll still be able to access or edit the file as long as the new owner doesn’t revoke your access. How can I get back the ownership of the file? Once you transfer the ownership of the file, you’ll not be able to get it back on your own unless the new owner decides to transfer it back. Can I delete the transferred file? Yes and no. After transferring the ownership of the file, you can delete the file from your account but not from the owner’s. Can I transfer ownership via the Google Drive app? While you can share a file or folder with someone from the Google Drive app, sadly and surprisingly, there’s no option to transfer ownership of that file. However, a simple workaround would be using the Desktop mode on your phone’s web browser. That way, you can transfer ownership of the files right from your Android or iPhone.

Closing Remarks: Transfering Ownership in Google Drive

As we just saw, transferring ownership of Google Drive files and folders is quite simple and quick. You can use this to transfer ownership of important files or even manage your Google Drive storage if you own multiple accounts.  However, if you’re looking to transfer all sorts of data associated with your Google account such as contacts, emails, calendar events, Drive files, photos, bookmarks, etc., check out this guide to learn how. Also Read: How to Save Multiple Photos From Google Drive to iPhone