How to Transfer File & Folder Ownership in Google Drive™
Need to hand over ownership of files or folders in Google Drive, especially when you need to do it for hundreds or even thousands of items. Whether you’re offboarding employees, reorganizing projects, or handing over control to a new manager, doing it manually in Google Drive isn’t scalable.
In this guide, we’ll walk you step by step through how to transfer ownership using Folgo, so that the right person holds the reins without losing access or metadata.
Introduction
Google Drive makes it easy to store, share, and collaborate on files. But when files need to move from one owner to another, things can quickly become complicated. You may need to transfer ownership when an employee leaves, when a project changes hands, or when important files are still owned by the wrong account.
Google Drive does allow ownership transfers, but it is limited for large volumes of files and folders. For example, transferring a folder does not automatically transfer ownership of every file inside it.
There are a few ways to manage ownership in Google Drive:
-Use Folgo to transfer ownership of multiple files and folders more easily, directly from Google Drive.
-Use Google Drive’s built-in transfer option for simple, one-file ownership changes.
-Use Shared Drives when you want content to belong to the organization instead of an individual user.
With Folgo, you can transfer ownership in just a few steps, safely and directly from Google Drive.
Why Transfer Ownership?
Transferring ownership in Google Drive is essential when files need to move from one account to another. This often happens when an employee leaves, when a project changes owner, or when a team needs to keep important documents under the right account.
A file owner controls important parts of a document’s lifecycle. They can manage access, change sharing settings, delete the file, or pass ownership to someone else.
If ownership is not managed properly, organizations can end up with:
- important files owned by former employees
- documents stuck under the wrong account
- access issues during offboarding
- files that teams depend on but cannot fully control
- time wasted transferring items one by one
For Google Workspace teams, clean ownership is part of good Drive governance. It helps keep business content accessible, organized, and controlled by the right people.
Transfer ownership faster with Folgo
Folgo helps you transfer ownership of Google Drive files and folders in a more scalable way. Folgo an add-on fully integrated with Google Drive and Google Workspace.
Instead of handling each item manually, you can select the content you want to transfer and let Folgo process the operation for you in five simple steps!
-Install Folgo from Google Workspace Marketplace.
-Choose the files or folders you want to transfer.
-Enter the new owner’s Google account.
-Choose whether to transfer files, folders, or both.
-Start the transfer. And Folgo takes care of the rest for you!
Folgo also generates a Google Sheet report, so you can review what was transferred and quickly identify anything that needs attention.
For a detailed guide, visit our Help Center page.
Safer way to manage Google Drive ownership
Folgo is fully integrated with Google Drive and Google Workspace. There is no external platform to set up, and you can work directly from your Google environment. Therefore, no setup nor technical skills are required. Folgo is a user-friendly tool!
Our tool is officially Recommended for Google Workspace and has undergone a rigorous audit by a third-party security assessor selected by Google, known as the Cloud Application Security Assessment (CASA). Learn more.
Furthermore, Folgo only uses the permissions needed to run the action you choose. Your data is not sold, used for advertising, or moved to a third-party workspace for you to manage it. Check this page for more information.
Free trial & Pricing
Folgo is free to try. For 30 days, you can test ownership transfers and explore other powerful Google Drive management features.
Transfer ownership is available from Folgo’s Light plan, the most affordable plan. Depending on your needs, you can choose between public tiers designed for different usage levels. For heavier usage or specific requirements, please contact the Folgo team at support@folgo.app.
Conclusion
Transferring file ownership in Google Drive manually is slow and limited but with Folgo, you can do it at scale, safely, and automatically. Folgo gives you the power to transfer ownership across entire Drive structures effortlessly, making it the ultimate solution for IT admins, Workspace managers, and business leaders who need control and visibility.
Install Folgo and give it a try! We only showed one of many powerful features Folgo offers to help you manage Google Drive at scale. Feel free to explore Folgo's features and see how it helps your organisation!