Allow data transfer in schools

For administrators who manage ChromeOS devices for a school.

As an admin, you can prompt users to use the Content transfer app to migrate data from their managed Google account to their personal Google account. That way, when your students graduate and lose access to their school account, they don’t lose access to their emails, passwords, history, files, and so on.

Step 1: Check transfer permissions

Check Google Takeout transfer permissions to make sure that users can use the Content transfer app to transfer their data.

By default, the Google Takeout transfer permission is turned on for all organizational units, allowing users to transfer their Gmail and Drive data. For details about configuring Google Takeout controls for Drive and Gmail, go to Let graduating students transfer data.

For this step, you need admin privileges for Organizational Units (top-level), and Service Settings.

1. Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.

   If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.

2. Go to Menu   Data  Data import & export  Google Takeout.

   Requires having the Service Settings administrator privilege.

3. Click Additional transfer permissions.
4. Ensure that Allow users in this organizational unit to access Transfer your content is checked.

Step 2: Configure content transfer settings

In your Google Admin console:

1. Go to  Menu  Devices > Chrome > Settings. The User & browser settings page opens by default.

   Requires having the Mobile Device Management administrator privilege.

2. (Optional) To apply the setting only to some users and enrolled browsers, at the side, select an organizational unit (often used for departments) or configuration group (advanced). Show me how

   Group settings override organizational units. Learn more

3. Go to Content.
4. Click Content transfer tool.
5. Select Allow Content transfer tool in ChromeOS.
6. Set the start and end date for showing the Content transfer app on users’ devices. For details about configuring the start and end dates, go to Set Chrome policies for users and browsers.
7. Click Save. Or, you might click Override for an organizational unit.

   To later restore the inherited value, click Inherit (or Unset for a group).

The Content transfer app is automatically pinned to the shelf on users’ devices. Users can see and use the Content transfer app on their devices only between the dates that you specify. Otherwise, users can copy their data using Transfer your content as long as Google Takeout is set to Allow users in this organizational unit to access Transfer your content—See step 1 above. For details about letting users use Google Takeout to copy their data to another account, go to Let graduating students transfer data.

Note: If you configure Content transfer tool during an active user session, the app will not show in the launcher until the current session ends and the user signs in again.

What your users can expect

On their managed ChromeOS devices, users can open the Content transfer app from the Launcher or in Settings AccountContent transfer.

In the Content transfer app, users are prompted to enter the personal Google account that will receive their transferred content. Once users verify their personal account using the code that Google sends them, they can select the data that they want to copy and transfer to that personal account and start the transfer. It might take up to a week for the content transfer to complete. Users receive an email notification when transfer is completed.