Google Drive is one of the best cloud storage services. Whether it's providing a safe and easily accessible place for your backups, sharing large cloud files with others, or transferring files to another account. Google Drive covers all the bases.
Transferring files from one Google Drive account to another is done in different ways
- You can copy the content and paste it into a new document within the other user account, but this only works if the other account is yours since you need the password.
- You can make a copy and share it to another Google account, but this syncs all changes, including if the document is deleted.
- You can make a copy, share it, then change the owner of the other account (or you if it's your account) to give them full control.
- You can download the document and upload it to another Google Drive account, but that also requires a password, unless you send the file to the other recipient and let them upload it to their Drive account.
As you can see above, there are many ways to move a Drive file to another account, but each depends on where and why you're moving it. This article walks you through the file transfer process and the options for doing so.
Share Google Drive files to another account using a browser
Windows PCs, Linux PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks may look very different, but web browsing is not. Google Drive is a web application accessible through a browser. Thus, for any device, the principle remains the same. You can share a file with another account to give it access, which transfers the existing file so that it resides in both accounts. However, this process syncs changes to both locations, meaning all changes are saved, including file deletion.
Follow these steps to share files from one Google Drive account to another:
- Open Google Drive in a browser. Make sure you are logged into the correct account by clicking the button "user picture" in the upper right corner of the page.
- Navigate to the file/folder you want to move. You can select multiple files at once. To do this, hold down « Ctrl » on your keyboard and click on each file you want to select. You can also left click on empty space and select files.
- Once all the files/folders are selected, right click on one of them. Then select " To share. » Alternatively, you can use the "share icon" located in the top panel of your page. A window will appear, prompting you to select the accounts on which you want to share the files.
- Enter the email address of the second Google Drive account, find the account in the list and click on the current role next to it. To select “Editor. » Finally, click " To send. »
Copy Google Drive Files to Another Account Using PC Browser
If you want to transfer the file to another Google account without keeping it in the original, you can choose the "Make a copy" option, paste it in the second account and delete the original. To complete the transfer if you used the first process above, copy the files from the "Shared" folder and move them to a new one in the second account. The copy becomes independent of the original and changes will not be synchronized, including deletion. Here's how:
- press "Shift + left click" under Windows or "shift + click of a finger" in Mac to select the files in Google Drive that you want to copy.
- " Right click " under Windows or "double finger click" on Mac on one of the selected/highlighted files.
- To choose "Make a copy. "
- Rename the copied file(s).
- Move the copied files wherever you want (outside the "Shared" folder.)
Notes: You won't be able to copy the entire shared folder, only the files it contains. You can delete files from the original location if they are no longer needed.
Transfer Google Drive Files to Another Account Using Mobile
The principles of moving files to another drive are the same with iOS and Android devices. You select the files/folders you want to move, share them with the destination Drive, access the destination Drive, make copies and move them wherever you want. Yet, the steps are not the same because Google Drive on iOS and Android are different. Just do the following:
- Select the file you want to move. Press the "horizontal ellipsis" (three horizontal dots) in the upper left corner of the screen and select " To share. "
- Enter the address of the target Google Drive account. Make sure the account in question is labeled as “Editor. »
- Sign in to the other Google Drive account and access shared files from the original account. Select the files you want to move as before. Next, tap the three-dot icon and select Make a copy from the list.
- Select the location where you want to save the copied files. Locate the copied files and press the "horizontal ellipsis" (three horizontal dots). Rename the copies according to your preferences.
How to Download Google Drive Files to Your Device
In most cases, if you want to open Google Drive files that aren't photos, videos, etc., you can do that directly in Google Drive. However, even though we are talking about this type of device, you may want to move them from Drive to your device. Here's how.
Upload then upload Google Drive files to another account using PC browser
Again, the principle of transferring files from Google Drive to the device's hard drive is the same. Essentially you will download them and then upload them to the second account. After that you can delete the original as it is not exactly the same file.
- Select the file(s) you want to transfer.
- Right click on one of the selected ones.
- Select " To download. »
- Upload the file(s) as you would any other file.
- Log in to the second Google Drive account, then select My Drive to the top.
Download then upload Google Drive files to another account using Android
Using the Google Drive app on Android allows you to download files directly to your phone either by clicking on the file or selecting the option while the file is open. It's almost identical to the browser steps. Here's what you do.
Download then upload Google Drive files to another account using the iOS or Android app
While Android may have a direct "Download" option in Drive, iOS does not.
- Select the file(s) you want to upload.
- Press the "vertical ellipsis" (three vertical dots) in the upper right section.
- To choose " To download. »
Yes, it's as simple as that.
How to upload Google Drive files from your device
You can also move files the other way. This is called "downloading" the files, and it's all quite simple.
Navigator
The principle remains the same for the three platforms. Start by opening your favorite browser and logging into the destination Google Drive account.
1 method
- Access your Drive
- Select My Drive to the top
- Click on Download files ou Download dossier
- Select the files/folders you want to upload
- The download will start automatically
Now you can move the downloaded items to the desired folder. You can create a new folder by clicking My Drive and move new files by selecting and dragging them to the newly created folder or any other destination.
2 method
- Create or navigate to the folder where you want to upload the files
- Select the files on your computing device
- Use drag and drop to upload them to Drive
iOS / Android
Uploading from your iOS/Android phone or tablet to Google Drive is just as easy. Here's how:
- Find the file you want to upload to Google Drive
- Go to file options
- Select Share
- Choose the Google Drive option
- Select the Google Drive account where you want to upload the file
- Select location
- Download the file
Additional FAQ
How many owners do Google Drive files have?
There are three different role titles in Google Drive: Owner, Editor, and Reader. Every Google Drive item must have at least one owner. By default, the Owner title belongs to the person who uploaded a file/folder. However, the owner can add other owners to the Drive. The number is unlimited – anyone can be assigned the role of owner. However, even the owner cannot assign another owner using the Google Drive mobile app.
How big is Google Drive?
Every Google Drive account starts with a free plan, limited to 15GB. That's enough for most non-business Google Drive users. Upgrading to Google One will increase the storage limit to a minimum of 100 GB, depending on the plan. Upgrading to Google One gives you additional benefits, including advanced support.
File Transfer to Google Drive
We hope we've shed some light on Google Drive's basic file transfer options. If you have any questions or want to add anything, don't be a stranger – reach out and join the discussion with our community in the comments below.
