How to Sync and Transfer Files from One Chromebook to Another

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Are you switching to a new Chromebook and want to keep your files and settings? While moving all of your apps and data from one Chromebook to another might sound difficult, it's actually very easy thanks to Google's automatic syncing. This wikiHow article will show you the fastest and most reliable way to transfer all of your data to a new Chromebook.

1

Enable "sync everything" on the old Chromebook.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f7\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f7\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-1.jpg\/v4-728px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    By default, all of the settings, apps, saved passwords, bookmarks, themes, payment info, history, and virtually everything else on your Chromebook (except your downloads and Linux data) is automatically synced to the cloud. [1] Just in case anything changed, double-check your sync settings to make sure you have everything you need:
    • Click the time at the bottom-right corner of your old Chromebook.
    • Click Settings (the gear icon).
    • Click Sync and Google services .
    • Click Manage what you sync .
    • Choose Sync everything to ensure that all of your data from this Chromebook will be available on your new Chromebook.
    • Alternatively, you can select Customize sync and choose to leave some things out.
    2. Advertisement
2

Copy your downloads to Google Drive.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e4\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e4\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Because your downloads (and any files saved in My Files) aren't synced to the cloud, you'll need to upload them to your Google Drive so they'll be available on your new Chromebook. [2] Here's how:
    • Open the Files app on your old Chromebook.
    • Open the Downloads folder in the left panel.
    • Hold down the Ctrl key as you click the name of each file you want to keep.
    • Press Ctrl + C to copy the selected files.
    • Click Google Drive in the left panel.
    • Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied files.
    • Click My Files in the left panel and check to see if there are any other files you need to add to Google Drive.
    • If so, select those files, press Ctrl + C to copy, and then paste them into Google Drive as well.
3

Back up your Linux files and apps.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/07\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/07\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-3.jpg\/v4-728px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You can skip this step if you didn't enable Linux. As long as your new Chromebook is the same architecture (e.g., ARM or x86), you'll be able to create a backup, upload it to Google Drive, and then restore the backup onto the new Chromebook. [3] To back up your Linux data:
    • Click the time at the bottom-right corner of your old Chromebook.
    • Click Settings (the gear icon).
    • Click Advanced .
    • Click Developers .
    • Click Linux .
    • Click Back up and restore .
    • Click Back up .
    • Choose a location to save the backup in My Files.
    • Enter a name for the backup and click Save .
    2. Advertisement
4

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-4.jpg\/v4-728px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Once you sign in, follow the on-screen instructions to set up your new Chromebook. Although you might need to sign in to some apps again, especially any Android apps you've installed, everything else should be the same. [4]
5

Find your backed-up files in Google Drive.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/48\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/48\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You can keep them there or download them to your Chromebook using these steps:
    • Open the Files app on your new Chromebook.
    • Click Google Drive in the left panel.
    • Hold down the Ctrl key as you click each file you want to download.
    • Right-click the highlighted file(s) and select Download .
    • The downloaded files are now in your new Downloads folder.
    2. Advertisement
6

Restore your Linux backup.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-6.jpg\/v4-460px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/70\/Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-6.jpg\/v4-728px-Transfer-Data-from-Old-Chromebook-to-New-Chromebook-Step-6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    You'll need to turn on Linux first, which you can do in Settings > Advanced > Developers . [5] Then, follow these simple steps to restore your Linux backup:
    • If you haven't already, download the Linux backup from your Google Drive—it's the file that ends with *.tini.
    • Click the time and select Settings .
    • Go to Advanced > Developers > Linux > Backup and restore .
    • Select Restore , and then Restore again to confirm.
    • Select the Linux backup file and choose Open .

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • If you use Android apps or games on your Chromebook, you might lose some application data (such as saved game progress from games that don't store data on their own cloud services). But since most apps keep info in the cloud, you likely won't notice any data loss from Android apps.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      2 Easy Ways to Enable USB Booting on Chromebook
      Install iTunes on a Chromebook: Simple Step-by-Step Tutorial
      How to
      Change Your Cursor Size and Color on a Chromebook
      11 Ways to Fix a Chromebook with a Black Screen
      2 Simple Methods for Rotating a Chromebook Screen
      Are Chromebooks Bad? 8 Advantages & Disadvantages
      How to
      Install Crouton on Your Chromebook
      Why Does My Chromebook Keep Disconnecting from Wi-Fi?
      3 Quick Ways to Use Emoji on Your Chromebook
      Easy Keyboard Shortcuts to Disable a Chromebook Touch Screen
      How to
      Change Password on Chromebook: Reset & Recover
      16 Ways to Fix the Mic Not Working on Chromebook
      How to
      Copy & Paste on a Chromebook
      How to
      Enable Developer Mode on a Chromebook
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/2914794
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/2809731?hl=en
      3. ↑ https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9592813?hl=en
      4. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/185277
      5. ↑ https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en&ref_topic=3415446

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 40,208 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement