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How to Transfer Ownership of a Google Doc

It's not possible on mobile, but you can change the Google Doc owner on computer

By Nick Steinberg Nick Steinberg Writer Wilfrid Laurier University Nick Steinberg has been writing about technology since 2014. His work has appeared in Goliath, Screen Rant, TechRadar, and many more publications. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 6, 2022 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Google Apps Docs Sheets Slides

What to Know

Click Share. Enter the new owner’s name or email and select Transfer Ownership > Send Invitation.To undo a change, click the dropdown menu next to the person’s name and select Cancel Ownership Transfer.Only one person can own a Google Doc document at a time. You can share Google Docs with multiple people, but only one person at a time can be the owner. If circumstances change and you need to transfer ownership of a document to another collaborator, there’s a quick process for doing so using Google Doc’s Share functionality.

How to Change Ownership of a Google Doc

If you know who you’d like to transfer ownership of a Google Doc to, you can do so by opening the document on a PC or Mac. This functionality is not possible with the Android or iPhone apps. When you send an ownership transfer request, the recipient will be automatically upgraded to a document Editor (unless they’re already an editor). Once the ownership transfer is complete, you’ll be downgraded to Editor. Navigate to docs.google.com in your web browser and open the document you want to transfer. Click the blue Share button in the top-right corner of the screen. If you haven’t shared the document with the person you want to be the new owner, you’ll need to do this first. Enter their name or email address in the Share window and click Send.
If the person’s name doesn’t appear in the Share window, try closing and re-opening it. Select the dropdown menu to the right of the new owner’s name and click Transfer Ownership. Click Send Invitation. Sending an invitation doesn’t instantly complete the transfer process. The pending owner will be notified of the transfer request by email and until they accept, you’ll remain the owner of the document. If you’d like to cancel the invitation, click the dropdown menu to the right of the person’s name and select Cancel Ownership Transfer.

How to Accept a Google Docs Ownership Transfer Request

If you are the recipient of an ownership transfer request, you should get an email in your inbox inviting you to accept the request. However, if you accidentally lose or delete the email, you can find pending ownership transfer requests in your Google Drive. Open Google Drive. Type pendingowner:me into the search bar at the top. Right-click the document you want to respond to and select Share. Click Accept ownership? Click Accept to confirm. FAQ How do I see the owner of a Google Doc? A document's owner will have "(owner)" next to their name in the Share menu. They'll also be at the top of the user list. How do you make yourself the owner of a Google Doc? The only way to make yourself the owner of a Google Doc is to create it yourself. Otherwise, the current owner will have to initiate a transfer request, as in the steps above. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Allow Access to Google Docs How to Share and Collaborate With Google Drive How to Unshare a Google Doc How to See Who Has Viewed a Google Doc How to Open Google Docs How to Access Google Docs Trash How to Email a Google Doc How to Move Google Docs From One Drive to Another How to Check for Plagiarism in Google Docs How to Add a Border in Google Docs How to Add Accents in Google Docs How to Add a Hyperlink in a Google Doc How to Rotate an Image in Google Docs How to Schedule a Google Meet How to Change a Google Docs Background to a Picture How to Use APA Format in Google Docs Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies