You can transfer a Google Drive folder to another person in three steps: share it with edit access, have them accept, then remove yourself

Google Drive does not have a direct "change owner" button. Instead, you transfer ownership by giving someone else full control of the folder, then stepping back. The person receiving the folder must have a Google account. The process takes a few minutes and does not require any special permissions or admin access — any folder owner can do it.

The folder itself stays in your Drive until you remove your own access. Once the new owner has it, they can move it to their own Drive, rename it, or change who can see it. You will lose access to the folder and its contents once you remove yourself, so make sure you have copies of anything you need to keep.

Key Takeaways

  • Share the folder with the new owner and give them Editor access — this is the highest permission level in Google Drive.
  • The new owner must accept the share invitation before you can remove yourself as the original owner.
  • Once you remove your own access, you cannot see or recover the folder unless the new owner shares it back with you.
  • The folder does not automatically move to the new owner's Drive; they can move it themselves after you step back.
  • If the folder contains shared files or subfolders with their own permissions, those permissions stay in place even after ownership changes.

Step 1: Share the folder with Editor access

Open Google Drive and find the folder you want to transfer. Right-click the folder name and select Share, or click the folder and use the Share button in the top right. A sharing window will open.

Type the email address of the person who will become the new owner. In the permission dropdown (which defaults to "Viewer"), select Editor. This gives them the same level of control you have. Click Share to send the invitation.

Google will send the new owner an email notification. They do not need to do anything special to accept — they can straightforward open the email and click the link, or they will see the folder appear in their Google Drive under "Shared with me."

Step 2: Confirm the new owner has access

Wait a few minutes for the invitation to reach them. You can ask them to open Google Drive and confirm they see the folder in their "Shared with me" section. They do not need to move it or rename it yet — they just need to be able to see it.

If they do not see the folder within a few minutes, ask them to refresh their browser or sign out and back into Google Drive. Occasionally the share takes a moment to sync across Google's servers.

Step 3: Remove yourself from the folder

Once the new owner can see the folder, go back to your own Google Drive. Right-click the folder and select Share again. Look for your own name in the sharing list — it will show your email address and say "Owner" next to it.

Click the three dots next to your name and select Remove. Google will ask you to confirm. Click Remove again. You will when ready lose access to the folder and will no longer see it in your Drive.

What happens to the folder after you remove yourself

The new owner now has full control. They can move the folder to a different location in their Drive, rename it, change the sharing settings, or delete it entirely. Any files or subfolders inside will keep their existing permissions — if a file was shared with a third person, that person will still have access to it.

The new owner can share the folder back with you if you need to work on it together later. If they do, you will see it in your "Shared with me" section again, but you will not be the owner.

If you need to transfer a folder with many shared files

If the folder contains files that are already shared with multiple people, those sharing arrangements do not change when you transfer ownership. Each person who had access to a specific file will keep that access. The new owner can see all the sharing details and adjust them if needed.

If you are transferring a folder that is shared with an entire team or organization, ask the new owner to review the sharing settings after they take over. They may want to change who can access what, and it is easier to do that once they have full control.

What to do if you accidentally remove yourself

If you remove yourself before the new owner has confirmed they can see the folder, you will lose access and will not be able to fix it yourself. The new owner can share the folder back with you, but you will need to contact them and ask them to do so.

To avoid this, always wait a few minutes after sharing and ask the new owner to confirm they see the folder before you remove your own access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer a folder to someone who does not have a Google account?

No. The person must have a Google account (Gmail, Google Workspace, or another Google service account) to receive ownership. If they do not have one, they will need to create one first. You can share the folder with them as a Viewer in the meantime so they can see the contents.

What if I want to keep access to the folder after transferring it?

Do not remove yourself from the sharing list. Instead, ask the new owner to share the folder back with you after they take over. You will have Editor access (or whatever level they choose to give you) but will not be the owner.

Can I transfer a folder to multiple people?

Google Drive does not allow multiple owners of a single folder. You can only transfer ownership to one person. If you want multiple people to have full control, share the folder with Editor access to each of them, but only one will be listed as the owner.

Does transferring a folder move it to their Drive?

Not automatically. The folder stays in your Drive until the new owner moves it. Once they have Editor access, they can move it to their own Drive, a shared drive, or organize it however they want.

What happens to comments and version history after I transfer the folder?

All comments, edit history, and version history stay attached to the files inside the folder. The new owner will see the full history of who made changes and when. Your name will still appear in the history as the original creator or editor.