Losing Access to Your School Google Drive? Do This First.

When Does a School Google Account Get Deactivated?

Most schools and universities deactivate alumni accounts 30–180 days after graduation. Companies typically deactivate accounts on your last day or within a week. The exact timing depends on your institution's IT policy.

Once deactivated, everything in your Drive is permanently deleted. Google does not offer a recovery window after deactivation.

Your Pre-Deactivation Checklist

1. Transfer Your Google Drive Files

This is the most important step. Use DriveSwap to copy all files from your school account to your personal Google Drive automatically. It handles Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, images, and more.

Don't forget to check Shared with Me — files others shared with you will also disappear when you lose access.

2. Export Your Google Photos

If you stored photos in your school Google account, export them via Google Takeout — select only Google Photos to speed up the export.

3. Save Important Emails

Forward important emails to your personal account, or use Google Takeout to export Gmail as a .mbox file that you can import into any email client.

4. Update Your Accounts and Logins

Update any accounts that use your school email as a login or recovery email: LinkedIn, GitHub, Amazon, Apple, etc. Search your inbox for "welcome" and "confirm your email" to find them all.

5. Download Google Contacts

Go to contacts.google.com → Export → Google CSV, then import into your personal account.

6. Save Chrome Bookmarks

If you used Chrome signed into your school account, export bookmarks (Settings → Bookmarks → Export) before signing out.

Timeline Recommendation

• As soon as you know your account is ending → Start Drive transfer with DriveSwap
• Week 1 → Update all accounts using school email, export contacts
• Week 2 → Export photos, save important emails
• 1 week before deactivation → Final check — log in and make sure you have everything