Transfer Ownership of Files and Folders in Google Drive

Summary

This article provides instructions for transferring ownership of files and folders in Google Drive. It includes instructions for both transferring to another individual account OR to a Google shared drive.

Body

Environment

U-M Google, Drive, shared drives

Issue

How do I transfer ownership of files/folders I own in U-M Google Drive (My Drive) to another individual at the university or to a Google shared drive?

Resolution

Note: Ownership of Google Drive files/folders cannot be transferred between U-M Google accounts (i.e., @umich.edu) and personal Google accounts (i.e., @gmail.com). This is a Google restriction, and ITS has no control over it.

Refer to Transfer Ownership of Files and Folders in Google Drive for more information.

  • Remember: Ownership is not cascading in Google. If you only transfer ownership of a folder that contains other files/folders to another individual account, the ownership of all files/folders within that folder does not change. You will need to transfer ownership of every file and folder within the folder structure if you are transferring it to another individual.

  • Google allows you to move both files and folders you own from your My Drive to a shared drive:

    • To transfer FILES, you must be a Contributor, Content Manager, or Manager of the shared drive.

    • To transfer FOLDERS, you must be a Manager of the shared drive.

Additional Information

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.

Details

Details

Article ID: 1125
Created
Mon 4/20/20 8:39 AM
Modified
Tue 11/12/24 11:43 AM

Related Articles

Related Articles (6)

This article provides additional information on the limitations and errors that may occur when moving a folder from Google My Drive to a Google shared drive.
This article provides information on how to find Google files you own and have shared with others.
This article provides guidance about transferring ownership of Google shared drives.
This article guides departments/units on how to gather a list of files/folders a departing employee owns and share it with the departing employee to request that they transfer ownership back to the unit.
This article guides individuals/departments/units on how to transfer ownership of Google Drive files/folders owned by an individual who has already left and is no longer at U-M.
This article explains how to transfer ownership of files and folders in a shared drive to your individual account's My Drive.