Move Google Drive to Another Account — No Downloading

Tutorials & Methods
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:rocket: Move Your ENTIRE Google Drive to Another Account — Without Downloading Anything

:world_map: One-Line Flow: You click a few buttons. Google copies everything for you. Your internet does nothing. That’s it. That’s the whole trick.

:scream: Wait, This Is Actually Possible?

Yeah. And nobody talks about it.

You know how when you want to move files between two Google accounts, you normally have to:

  • Download everything to your computer
  • Wait 47 hours
  • Upload it all again
  • Watch your internet bill cry

Fuck all that.

There’s a way to make Google’s own servers do the copying. Internally. Behind the scenes. While you’re watching Netflix or touching grass.

Your files teleport from Account A to Account B.
Your bandwidth? Untouched.
Your data cap? Safe.
Your sanity? Preserved.

This is the cheat code nobody told you about.

:person_shrugging: Why Would I Even Need This?

Oh, you sweet summer child. Here’s when this saves your ass:

  • Your school/work email is getting deleted and you’ve got years of stuff in there
  • You made your Gmail in 2009 and your email is something like [email protected] and you’re finally ready to be an adult
  • You’ve got two accounts and want everything in one place
  • Your internet is slower than a government website and downloading 200GB would take until 2027
  • You’re a data hoarder and proud of it

Basically: if you’ve ever thought “I wish I could just… move all this shit without the hassle” — this is your moment.

:wrapped_gift: What You’re Actually Getting Here

This guide gives you 6 different ways to do the same magic trick.

From “my grandma could do this” easy… all the way to “I am become data, destroyer of storage limits.”

Pick your comfort level:

Difficulty Method Perfect For
:green_circle: Braindead Easy Google’s Hidden Button Anyone with a pulse
:green_circle: Still Easy Browser Extension Small transfers, lazy people
:yellow_circle: Medium Free Google Tool + Copy-Paste Bigger transfers, still free
:yellow_circle: Medium Phone Bots Controlling transfers from bed
:red_circle: Nerd Mode Power Tools Moving terabytes like a psychopath
:red_circle: God Mode Account Rotation 75TB/day. Yes, really.

You don’t need to understand all of them. Just pick the green one and you’re golden.

:green_circle: The “I Don’t Want to Learn Anything” Method

Google has a secret transfer tool built right in. No apps. No downloads. No commands. Just clicking.

Here’s the link: https://takeout.google.com/transfer

What you do:

  1. Open that link
  2. Type in your other Google account’s email
  3. Check your other email for a code, type it in
  4. Pick what to move (Drive, Gmail, or both)
  5. Click the button
  6. Walk away

Google handles everything. Could take a few hours or a few days depending on how much stuff you have. But you don’t have to do shit.

The catches (because nothing is perfect):

  • Only moves files YOU own — not stuff others shared with you
  • Sharing settings don’t transfer
  • Might take a while for big accounts

But for most people? This is the answer. Bookmark it. Tell your friends. Be the hero.

:green_circle: The “Click a Chrome Button” Method

If you just need to move a few folders and want zero thinking:

Install this: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ghfcnokfiggoglnikomdhhbhhlkmoelb

It’s a Chrome extension. You click, you pick source and destination, it copies.

Free tier = 5GB/month. Which is plenty for casual use.

The beautiful part? It copies server-side. You can close your browser and it keeps going.

:yellow_circle: The “Free Unlimited Power” Method

Okay, here’s where it gets fun.

Google has this thing called Colab — it’s basically a free computer in the cloud that Google lets you use. Originally meant for coding and AI stuff.

But we’re going to use it to copy files between accounts.

The irony? We’re using Google’s free servers to move files between Google accounts. They’re paying for the electricity. You’re paying nothing.

Show Me How (It's Easier Than It Looks)

Step 1: Go to https://colab.research.google.com

Step 2: Make a new notebook (it’s like a document but for code)

Step 3: Paste this in a box and click the play button:

!curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash

This installs the tool. Takes 30 seconds.

Step 4: Paste this and run it:

!rclone config

This asks you to connect your Google accounts. Follow the prompts. It’ll open Google login pages. Just sign in.

Step 5: Once both accounts are connected, run:

!rclone copy source: dest: --drive-server-side-across-configs -v

Replace source and dest with whatever you named your accounts.

Step 6: Watch it go. Or don’t. Close the tab. Go live your life.

Don’t want to set it up yourself? Someone already made a ready-to-go version:

People have moved 200+ terabytes with this method. For free. While sleeping.

:yellow_circle: The “Do It From My Phone” Method

Why sit at a computer when robots can do your bidding?

There are bots for Telegram and Discord that let you send a Google Drive link, and they’ll copy it to your account automatically.

Telegram:

Discord:

You set these up once (or find a public one), and then you just… text a link. The bot does the rest.

It’s like having a personal assistant who works for free and never complains.

:red_circle: The “I Have Terabytes and No Patience” Method

Skip this if you have normal human amounts of data.

But if you’re sitting on a mountain of files and Google’s 750GB/day limit is cramping your style…

There’s a way to create multiple “helper accounts” that each get their own limit. Stack 100 of them and suddenly you can move 75TB per day.

The tools:

This is what the serious data hoarding community uses. It’s legal. It’s free. It’s absolutely unnecessary for 99% of people.

But if you need it, now you know it exists.

:warning: Shit That Might Trip You Up

Real talk on limitations:

  • “Shared with me” files — You can’t copy these because you don’t own them. Ask the owner to transfer ownership first, or make a copy manually.
  • Google Docs/Sheets/Slides — They convert during transfer and might look slightly different
  • Sharing permissions — Don’t transfer. You’ll need to re-share stuff.
  • It’s not instant — Big accounts take time, even with server-side copying

:link: Every Link From This Guide

What Where
Google’s secret transfer tool https://takeout.google.com/transfer
Chrome extension https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ghfcnokfiggoglnikomdhhbhhlkmoelb
Ready-made Colab notebook https://github.com/nguyenanhtuan1008/c2c-transfer
Telegram bot (simple) https://github.com/TheCaduceus/CloneBot_V2
Telegram bot (advanced) https://github.com/anasty17/mirror-leech-telegram-bot
Discord bot https://github.com/jsmsj/GdriveCloneBot
Power tool (gclone) https://github.com/l3v11/gclone
Power tool (sasync) https://github.com/88lex/sasync
Web-based option https://www.multcloud.com
Rclone guide for Colab https://forum.rclone.org/t/psa-use-google-colab-for-cloud-to-cloud-data-transfers/40636

:chequered_flag: Simple-Pimple For The Impatient

Got 5 minutes and zero energy?
→ https://takeout.google.com/transfer

Got slightly more time?
→ Colab method. Free. Unlimited. Chef’s kiss.

Want it on your phone?
→ Telegram/Discord bots.

Got ungodly amounts of data?
→ gclone with service accounts.

The fact that this is all free feels like a bug Google hasn’t patched yet. Use it before they notice.

6 Likes
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I use google app script to copy folders and files. Just need to emter source folder id and destination folder id.

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Yes, the Apps Script method! :fire:

For anyone reading this thinking “wtf is a folder ID” — someone already built a no-code version of exactly what adarsh is talking about.

One-click setup: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lKeEQSi0BZjcfCo56WcLNViI9SCeIZfsLxaosqt0ERw/copy

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What happens:

  1. Click that link → makes your own copy
  2. Go to Add-ons → Folder Clone → Select Folders
  3. Pick what you want to copy
  4. Let it rip

It even copies subfolders, multiple folders at once, and shared folders. No code. No terminal. Just pointing and clicking.

Heads up: Works within the same account. For copying between two different Google accounts, check the main methods above.

Nice one @adarsh_3993 — appreciate the script gang representing :oncoming_fist:

1 Like
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I get this for the google takeout transfer tool https://takeout.google.com/transfer Transfer Your Content is only available to authorized G Suite for Education Accounts. Please contact your administrator, or sign in with another Google Account. I have Google Workspace (no reseller directly from Google)

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:green_circle: The Easy Way

Ahh yeah, that’s the bullshit nobody mentions.

Google Takeout Transfer only works for:

  • G Suite for Education accounts
  • Workspace accounts where your admin actually enabled it

For everyone else (regular Gmail, most Workspace users) — you just get that annoying error. Classic Google move. Thanks for nothing.

✅ Here's what actually works for you

Option 1: RcloneView (drag & drop, zero thinking)

Download: https://rcloneview.com

It’s literally a two-panel file manager. Add both Google accounts, see them side by side, drag files from left to right.

  • No command line
  • No coding
  • No bullshit
  • Free version does everything

If you can use Windows Explorer, you can use this.

Option 2: Google Colab (free, nothing to install)

Use Google’s own free servers to copy between your accounts. Poetic justice.

Step 1: Open https://colab.research.google.com

Step 2: Paste this and hit play:

!curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash
!rclone config

Step 3: Follow the prompts to add both accounts

Step 4: Run the magic:

!rclone copy source: dest: --drive-server-side-across-configs -v

Your internet does nothing. Google’s servers handle everything internally.

:red_circle: The Hard Way

What @adarsh_3993 mentioned — Google Apps Script.

You paste some code, feed it two folder IDs, and it copies everything server-side. No downloads. No apps. Pure Google-on-Google action.

🛠️ DIY Script Method

Step 1: Go to https://script.google.com → New Project

Step 2: Delete everything and paste this:

function copyFolder() {
  var sourceId = "PASTE_SOURCE_FOLDER_ID_HERE";
  var destId = "PASTE_DESTINATION_FOLDER_ID_HERE";
  
  var source = DriveApp.getFolderById(sourceId);
  var dest = DriveApp.getFolderById(destId);
  
  copyContents(source, dest);
}

function copyContents(source, dest) {
  var files = source.getFiles();
  var folders = source.getFolders();
  
  while (files.hasNext()) {
    var file = files.next();
    file.makeCopy(file.getName(), dest);
  }
  
  while (folders.hasNext()) {
    var sub = folders.next();
    var newFolder = dest.createFolder(sub.getName());
    copyContents(sub, newFolder);
  }
}

Step 3: Grab your folder IDs

Open any Drive folder → check the URL:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ

That gibberish at the end = folder ID.

Step 4: Replace the placeholders with your real IDs

Step 5: Click Run → Approve permissions → Let it cook

:warning: Heads up: Works great for same-account or same-Workspace copies. For cross-account transfers, stick with the easy methods above.

Bottom line: Google Takeout Transfer is a lie for most people. These methods actually work — pick your comfort level and go. :rocket:

4 Likes
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Hi. Thanks for sharing this. I would like a similar thing but to transfer quickly large data e.g 300GB of files from my laptop (that is going to die soon) into Google Drive account. Do these methods include that use case. I can do this manually but it will take ages because of my internet speed and the quantity of files

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Use rclone, rclone copy laptop folder gdrivr_remote:path -P

One command only to copy a large folder