I'm a student with nearly 30 GB of files in my main Google account, including about 15 GB of my sister's photos. I shared those files with a second Google account and transferred ownership, then removed the original account's access. However, the storage usage on the original account still hasn't decreased after two days. I also deleted the files from the original account, but that didn't seem to help. Does transferring ownership move the storage usage to the new owner, or do I need to download and upload the files again?
3 Answers
Google Takeout can export the files, but it doesn’t automatically transfer ownership or reduce the original account’s storage. You would still need to download the exported files and upload them into the other account, then remove the old copies and empty the Trash.
Sharing a file or creating a shortcut doesn’t move it, but a completed ownership transfer normally makes the new owner’s storage account for it. Check the second account to confirm that it accepted the ownership transfer and that the files are actually listed as owned by that account. Also check the storage breakdown in both accounts, since the total can take some time to refresh.
If the ownership transfer didn’t complete, the reliable fallback is to download the files and upload them directly to the other account. After confirming the uploads work, delete the originals and permanently empty the old account’s Trash. Files in Trash can still count toward storage until they’re permanently removed.
I only deleted the files normally, so I’ll check the Trash and empty it. If the ownership transfer wasn’t accepted, I’ll use the download-and-upload method instead.