How To Get Stuff From A Google Account Into Another Google Account

It's easy and tbh Google have a tonne of very simple to follow steps, helpful videos and answers to common questions. But it's not about how easy it is, it's the perception that it's to do with "computers" and that a migration sounds like the black magic stuff from the 1990s ... well, it's not.

If you want to migrate all, some or just one of the following into a Google Apps account, or even a regular Google Account most commonly referred to many as a 'Gmail account', then follow the help:

• Contacts
• Calendar
• Gmail
• Drive

Remember, this following is useful for 1, 2 or a handful of users BUT if you're gonna migrate a whole organisation you'll want to start with Google's setup.googleapps.com and even engage the services of a local Google partner.

Contacts

Any user can do this at any time:

1. Export Contacts from OLD
2. Import Contacts into NEW
3. Check your mobile devices are syncing with the new account: Apple, Android

Calendar

Any user can do this at any time:

1. Export Calendar from OLD
2. Import Calendar into NEW
3. Check your mobile devices are syncing with the new account: Apple, Android

Whilst this get the evetns across don't rely on attendees, rooms etc to be connected up correctly - think of this as a personl copy of the events you had, but that something eh.

Gmail

You have two options, do it for your staff or get them to do it for themselves, both require a little fiddling in the admin console (don't worry, it's very easy).

Do it for them

1. Use the Migrate Tool (video) [must be admin to do this]

Let them do it for themselves

1. Turn on the ability to import email [must be admin to do this]
2. Get the user to import email from OLD to NEW
   (yes, this does Contacts as well)

Drive

Right, the diffcult child - there is NO migration tool for quickly move files and Google Docs from a Google Account into another Google Apps account. However, sharing is easy and this is what I recommend:

1. In your OLD create a top level folder and name it something like "Old [company] stuff"
2. Share this new Google Drive folder with NEW account
   (note: if you have a small number of users share it with them and have do the following as well)
3. Move all your OLD folders / files into this newly created folder
4. in your NEW account add the newly shared folder into "My Drive"
5. Create new files / docs using your NEW account from now on

The only downside of this is all the original files/folders/docs are still owned by the OLD accounts. If there is a time in the future you need to change this then you'll have to download from OLD / upload to NEW.

You may also want to check out Google Drive for Mac/PC and see if that helps get your OLD stuff down, and then you can upload it all to the NEW.

Sorry, not the best is it.