If you've ever needed to move files from your work Drive to your personal account (or vice versa), you know the drill: download to your computer, switch accounts, upload to the new location, wait, wait some more. For a 1GB video file on average internet, that's easily 15-20 minutes of your life.

But here's the thing: those files don't need to touch your computer at all. There are ways to copy directly between accounts on Google's servers.

Method 1: The Sharing Workaround

Google does have a built-in way to copy files between accounts, but it's not obvious:

Step 1: Share the file

Right-click the file → Share → Add your other account's email as an Editor

Step 2: Switch accounts

Log into your other Google account

Step 3: Make a copy

Open the shared file → File → Make a copy → Choose destination folder

Step 4: Clean up (optional)

Remove the share permission from the original file

This works, and the copy happens server-side (fast!), but it's tedious. You have to do this for every single file, and you can't easily copy folder structures.

Method 2: Google Takeout (For Full Account Migration)

If you're trying to copy your entire Drive to another account, Google Takeout lets you export everything:

Go to takeout.google.com
Select Drive, choose your settings
Export as a .zip file
Download and upload to your other account

The problem? This isn't server-side. You're downloading potentially hundreds of GBs to your computer, then re-uploading them. It works for full migrations, but it's slow and painful.

Method 3: Use a Multi-Account Dashboard (Recommended)

The fastest way to copy files between Google Drive accounts is to use a tool that connects to both accounts simultaneously and uses Google's API to perform server-side copies.

That's exactly what Remoscope's Smart Copy feature does:

Server-side copies — Files transfer directly on Google's servers. No download/upload.

Copy folders — Preserve folder structures when copying.

Bulk operations — Select multiple files and copy them all at once.

Privacy-first — Runs in your browser, no third-party servers involved.

Speed Comparison

Method

1GB File

10GB Folder

Download + Upload

15-20 min

2-3 hours

Share + Make Copy

2-3 min

30+ min (manual)

Server-side Copy

5-10 sec

1-2 min

What Gets Copied (And What Doesn't)

Important to know before you start copying:

Gets copied

• File content
• Google Docs/Sheets/Slides (as native files)
• Folder structure
• File descriptions

Doesn't copy

• Comments
• Version history
• Sharing permissions
• Shortcuts (become full copies)

Common Use Cases

🎓 Graduating students

Copy important files from your .edu account to your personal Drive before you lose access.

💼 Job transitions

Back up personal files from your work account, or copy templates to your new company's Drive.

📦 Freelancer deliverables

Copy final files directly to your client's Drive instead of using shared links.

🗄️ Account consolidation

Merge multiple old accounts into one organized Drive.

The Bottom Line

The download-upload dance is obsolete. If you're copying files between Google Drive accounts, use a method that keeps everything on Google's servers. It's faster, easier, and doesn't waste your bandwidth.

Copy Files Between Google Drive Accounts: The Complete Guide