Google Takeout Instructions

Walkthrough: Using Google Takeout to Migrate Data to a Personal Gmail Account

This guide will help you move your data (emails, contacts, calendar events, and Drive files) from your school Google Workspace account to your personal Gmail account.

Part 1: Export Data Using Google Takeout

1. Sign In to Google Takeout:

   • Go to Google Takeout and log in with your school Google Workspace account.

2. Select the Data to Export:

   • You will see a list of Google services like Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Contacts, etc.
   • Click Deselect all to clear all selections.
   • Select the services you want to export:
     • Mail (to export all emails and labels)
     • Drive (to export files and folders from Google Drive)
     • Contacts (to export all your contacts)
     • Calendar (to export calendar events)
   • For each selected service, you can click on the "All data included" button to customize what specific data you want to export.

3. Choose Export Settings:

   • Click Next step at the bottom of the page.
   • Under Delivery method, choose Send download link via email.
   • Set Frequency to Export once.
   • Choose the File type (.zip is recommended) and File size (leave as default unless you have a preference).
   • Click Create export.

4. Wait for the Export to Complete:

   • Google will start creating a copy of your data. This may take some time, depending on how much data you have.
   • You will receive an email with a download link when the export is ready.

5. Download the Exported Data:

   • Click on the download link in the email and save the .zip file to your computer.
   • Unzip the downloaded file to access folders like Mail, Drive, Contacts, and Calendar.

Part 2: Import Data to Your Personal Gmail Account

Now that you have your data exported, let's import it into your personal Gmail account.

Importing Emails and Contacts

1. Import Emails:

   • Log in to your personal Gmail account.
   • Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right) > See all settings > Accounts and Import.
   • In the "Import mail and contacts" section, click Import mail and contacts.
   • Enter your school email address and follow the prompts to sign in and allow access.
   • Select to import both Mail and Contacts and click Start Import.
   • This process may take several hours or days to complete, depending on the volume of emails.

2. Manual Import of Contacts (If Needed):

   • If contacts do not import via the above method, manually import them:
     • Go to the Contacts folder from the unzipped Takeout data.
     • Log in to your personal Gmail account and go to Google Contacts.
     • Click Import on the left sidebar.
     • Choose the .vcf or .csv file from the unzipped folder and click Import.

Importing Google Drive Files

1. Upload Drive Files to Your Personal Account:
   • Log in to your personal Google Drive.
   • Open the Drive folder from your unzipped Takeout data on your computer.
   • Drag and drop the files and folders into your Google Drive or use the New > File upload or Folder upload options.
   • Alternatively, you can share the files from the school account Drive to your personal account and then make copies.

Importing Calendar Events

1. Import Calendar Data:
   • Log in to your personal Google Calendar.
   • Click the + sign next to “Other calendars” on the left sidebar.
   • Select Import.
   • Choose the .ics file from the Calendar folder in the unzipped Takeout data and click Import.

Importing Other Data

1. Check Other Google Services:
   • Some data, like YouTube subscriptions or saved bookmarks, may need to be manually exported or recreated.

Part 3: Verify and Organize Your Data

1. Verify Imported Data:

   • Go through your emails, contacts, calendars, and files to ensure everything is imported correctly.
   • Organize your files in Drive and set up folders, labels, or other structures as needed.

2. Delete the Takeout Archive (Optional):

   • If you no longer need the downloaded data, delete the .zip file and unzipped folders from your computer to save space and protect your privacy.