How to Transfer Data from One Google Account to Another?
I created my Gmail account when I was a kid. That email ID doesn’t look professional enough to share as an adult. So I decided to create a new one and transfer my old account data to the new account.
Ex: rockstar123@gmail.com —-> raviteja123@gmail.com
However, Google doesn’t provide an easy way to transfer data from one Google account to another. On Microsoft Outlook, I can just create an alias and set it as my main Outlook email ID. But with Google, I have to manually transfer all my data. While the process takes time, it’s simple to follow. Here’s how you may do it too.
Before you begin, here’s an overview of what you may and cannot transfer from one Google account to another.
Table of Contents
Let’s Start Transferring Google Drive Files
One way to transfer is to download all your files and upload them to your new account. However, that method consumes a lot of data and time. There’s a better alternative way to transfer all the files.
1.OpenGoogle Driveon your old account and chooseMy Drivefrom the sidebar.
2.Now pressCtrl + Ato select all the files.
3.Click on thethree dotsin the options toolbar and select theShareoption from the menu.
4.In the pop-up,enter your new email IDand set the role as anEditor.
Now you’re able to access all your files on your new Google Drive account. However, you can only access them from the Shared with Me section and the actual files are still located on your old account.
5.To take complete ownership, open the sameshare menu > Editor > Transfer ownership.
6.Open Gmail of your new account and accept the invitation.
That’s it, now those files are completely transferred and saved in the new account. you’re able to remove access to your old account if you prefer to keep it private on your new account.
Next, Transfer Your Google Photos
Unlike Google Drive, you cannot transfer your ownership to Google Photos. You must manually download all the photos and videos from your old account and upload them onto your new one. That’s easy with Google Takeout.
1.Open theGoogle Takeoutwebsite and only select theGoogle Photosoption.
2.In the next step, set the transfer option toSend a download link via emailand file type asZip.
3.Click onCreate exportto export the file.
4.You should receive an email with the download link which can take hours or even days depending on the data size.
5.Click on the link in the email to download the Zip file. Then extract the Zip file.6.To import this data to your new account, openGoogle Photosand log in with your new account.
7.Click on theUploadbutton.
8.Navigate to the exported Takeout folder and select all the downloaded photos and videos to upload.
However, note that downloading and uploading can consume a lot of data and time if you have more files.
Move Your Emails to New Inbox
Gmail allows transferring all the emails from your old to your new account. Along with emails, you can also transfer contacts. Importantly, any emails sent to your old account will be forwarded to the new email account for the next 30 days.
1.OpenGmailon your new account, openSettings > See all Settings > Accounts and Import.
2.Now click on Import mail and contacts.
3.In the pop-up, enter the email address of your old account.
4.Log in with your old account for authentication.
5.Once done, you can import contacts, existing emails, and emails you may receive for the next 30 days.
6.To import, just click on theStart Importbutton.
The process of transferring all the emails can take up to 2 days.
Or Just Transfer Your Contacts
If you don’t want to import all the emails but just prefer to transfer your contacts, you can do it via Google Contacts directly.
1.First, open yourGoogle Contactson your old account, and click on theExportoption in the option toolbar.
2.In the pop-up, Export all contacts as aGoogle CSVfile.
3.Now open Google Contacts on your new account, and click on theImportoption in the sidebar. Click onSelect fileand then select the exported file.
4.Finally, click onImportto import all your contacts saved in your Google Calendar.
That’s it, all your contacts and all their details will be transferred instantly.
Don’t Miss Your Important Calendar Events
If you have saved your birthdays, due dates, important meetings, etc on your calendar, you’re able to bring all such info to your new account. If you have multiple calendars on your Google Calendar, you can choose to transfer all the calendars or only the ones you prefer.
1.OpenGoogle Calendaron your old account and go toSettings > Import and export.
2.Here click on theExportbutton to export all the calendars.
3.Now open Google Calendar on your new account. Go toSettings > Importand import the file exported from your old account.
Bring Your Chrome Bookmarks
If you saved any websites to visit later or bookmarked websites you visit regularly on Chrome, setting them again on your new account can be tiresome. Here’s how you can transfer all your bookmarks.
1.Open Chrome on your old account. Click onthree-dots > Bookmarks and lists > Bookmark Manager.
2.On the Bookmark Manager, click onthree dots > Export bookmarksand save the file.
3.Now switch the Chrome profile to the new account and open theBookmark Manageragain.
4.Here, click onthree dotsand selectImport bookmarks.
5.Select the exported file to import bookmarks from the old account to the new account.
You cannot transfer Chrome extensions, settings, etc. However, they can be easily replicated or installed on your new account too.
Safely Transfer Your Passwords
If you useGoogle Password Managerto save your passwords, you can also transfer them to your new account with just a few steps.
1.Open Chrome browser on your old account, click onthree dots icon,and selectPasswords and Autofill > Google Password Manager.
2.Click onSettingsin the sidebar and then on theDownload Filebutton beside Export passwords.
3.Once the file is downloaded, switch to your new account on Chrome and head over toGoogle Password Manager.
4.OpenSettingsand click onSelect filebeside the Import option. Select the exported file and all your passwords will be on your new account.
However, other autofill details like payment options and addresses cannot be transferred.
Share YouTube Music Playlists
YouTube Music playlists cannot be transferred like files or bookmarks, but you can add your new account as a collaborator. Then you can access your music playlists on your new account along with the option to add and remove music.
1.Open theYouTubue Music appor website on your old account >Libraryand open the playlist.
2.Click onEdit playlistand set the playlist from Private toPublic.
3.Once the Playlist is public, open theEdit playlistoption again and click on theCollaboratetab.
4.Enable theCollaborateoption and copy the link.
5.Open the link with your new account and click onContinuein the pop-up for confirmation.
That’s it, that playlist is added to your library and you also get the option to edit the playlist.
Be Manager of Brand YouTube Channel
Along with your YouTube channel, YouTube also allows you to create a brand YouTube channel. This gives you the option to create multiple channels with your same account and also different people can be the owner of that channel if needed. We can take advantage of the very feature to change the ownership from your old account to the new account.
1.Open Brand Account settings on Google and select the brand account you want to change ownership.
2.On the next page, click on Manage Permissions and login to your Google account for verification.
3.In the pop-up, click on the add icon and enter the email address of your new account.
4.Select the role of Owner and invite.
5.Now open Gmail on your new account and accept the invitation.
That’s it, your new Google account is also the owner of your brand account. You can remove your old account or leave it according to your needs.
Ravi Teja KNTS
Tech writer with over 4 years of experience at TechWiser, where he has authored more than 700 articles on AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. His journey started with a passion for discussing technology and helping others in online forums, which naturally grew into a career in tech journalism. Ravi’s writing focuses on simplifying technology, making it accessible and jargon-free for readers. When he’s not breaking down the latest tech, he’s often immersed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.
