Luckily, if you’re the owner of a file, you can use sharing settings in Google Drive to easily transfer your ownership. In this article, you can find easy-to-follow steps for the process involved in transferring ownership of Google Drive files.
How to Transfer Ownership of Google Drive Folder and Files?
There are two steps you need to follow to transfer ownership of your files and folders. Initially, You need to send an ownership invite from your end. Then, the recipient needs to accept the request from their end.
Step 1: Share Google Files
You can only transfer ownership of files and folders to the users who already have Editor level access to those files. For those with no access, you need to share the file or folder before you send the ownership invitation. The method to share your files and folders are mentioned below:
On Web Browser
On Mobile
Step 2: Send Ownership Invitation
The transfer ownership feature is only available for PC users. However, you can also use the Desktop site feature on your android devices. The method to send an ownership invitation to other users is mentioned below.
On Desktop
On Mobile
When you open the desktop version of Drive on your phone, you can then transfer ownership of your files and folders. To do so, you can use the same steps mentioned earlier for a desktop. You cannot transfer ownership of your files and folders in Drive if you use an iOS device. The Desktop view method is only applicable to android devices.
Step 3: Accept Ownership Invitation
After getting the ownership invitation, the receiver should accept the invitation to finalize the process. Here’re the steps you need to follow: The previous owner will receive a confirmation email when the ownership transfer is complete. Similarly, that owner will now have the Editor access to the file. The new owner will be able to change access, transfer ownership, or remove access to the file as they see fit.
Can I Regain Ownership of the File I Transferred?
If you successfully transfer the ownership of files on your drive, you can not undo it. The new owner will have full access to the file. You’ll get the ownership only if they transfer it back using the method mentioned above. If you click on the Share button of a Google document, you can see who owns the file. If you have access to both accounts, you can follow the steps in this article to transfer ownership back and forth as you see fit.