How to Transfer Ownership of a Google Drive File
Make someone else the owner of a Google Drive file or folder by sending a transfer invitation from the Share dialog, which the new owner accepts.
Every file has one owner, and only the owner can delete it or transfer it. Handing ownership to someone else takes a few clicks in the Share dialog plus their acceptance.
Share the file with the person first
Ownership can only go to someone who already has access. Right-click the file, hover Share, click Share, type their email address, pick any role, and click Send. For a personal Google account, the recipient must also have a Google account; ownership cannot be sent to a plain email address.
Open the Share dialog again
Right-click the file and choose Share, Share once more, or click Share at the top right if the file is open. Under People with access, find the person you want to hand it to.
Click their role and choose Transfer ownership
Click the role dropdown to the right of their name and choose Transfer ownership. A confirmation explains that they will be able to delete the file and remove you from it. Click Send invitation. You stay the owner until they respond, and the dropdown next to their name reads Cancel ownership transfer in case you change your mind.
The new owner accepts
They receive an email with an Accept button. They can also open the file, click Share, and accept the pending transfer from their own name in the list. Once they accept, they become Owner and you drop to Editor. They can then remove you if they want. On some Workspace accounts the transfer completes at once with no invitation.
Transfer the files inside a folder separately
Transferring a folder changes the owner of the folder only. Each file inside keeps its original owner until you transfer it too. Open the folder, select the files, and repeat the steps, or transfer the largest ones first if storage is the goal.
Workspace limits. Ownership cannot move to an account in a different organization's domain; the transfer option does not appear for outside addresses. An administrator can transfer everything a person owns to someone else from the Admin console, which is the usual route when an employee leaves. The new owner's storage is charged for the file from the moment the transfer completes.
In the mobile app. Tap the three dots next to the file, choose Manage access, tap the person's name, and choose Transfer ownership.