Google Photos doesn’t let you transfer ownership of an album to someone else. The person who created an album always owns it. The practical workaround is to share the album with the new “owner,” turn on Collaborate so they can add photos, and have them save the photos to their own library and create their own album. For a whole library, such as when an account is being closed, use Partner sharing or download everything with Google Takeout and upload it to the other account.
What you can and can’t do
| Goal | Possible? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Make someone else the album owner | No | Not supported by Google Photos |
| Let someone add and see photos | Yes | Share the album and turn on Collaborate |
| Give someone their own copy of the photos | Yes | They save photos to their library, or you use Takeout |
| Share your entire library automatically | Yes | Partner sharing |
Workaround 1: Share the album and let them save it
- Open the album in Google Photos and tap Share.
- Choose the person or copy the link and send it.
- Open the album’s Options (three dots > Options) and turn on Collaborate so they can add photos.
- The other person opens the album, selects the photos (or taps the download/save icon), and saves them to their own library.
- They can then create a new album in their account with those photos. That album belongs to them.
Photos saved to their library stay with them, even if you later delete the shared album.
Workaround 2: Use Partner sharing
- In Google Photos, tap your profile picture > Photos settings > Sharing > Partner sharing.
- Choose your partner and decide whether to share all photos or only photos of certain people, and from which date.
- Your partner accepts and can turn on Save to your library to keep copies automatically.
You can have one partner at a time.
Workaround 3: Move photos with Google Takeout
- Sign in to the old account at takeout.google.com.
- Click Deselect all, check Google Photos, and click All photo albums included to pick just the album you want.
- Create the export and download the ZIP file.
- Sign in to the new account at photos.google.com and upload the photos. Create a new album with them.
Things to know
- If you delete a shared album, people lose access to it, but photos they saved to their own library stay.
- If the owner’s Google account is deleted, their shared albums disappear, so have others save copies ahead of time.
- Photos you save from a shared album count toward your Google storage.
Frequently asked questions
Can I transfer my whole Google Photos library to another account?
Not directly. Use Partner sharing with Save to your library, or download everything with Takeout and upload it to the new account.
Can a collaborator delete my photos from the album?
Collaborators can remove photos they added. Only the owner can remove other people’s photos or delete the album.
Can I leave an album I don’t own?
Yes. Open the album, tap the three dots, and choose Leave album.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.