Changing who owns a file, or transferring it to a teammate, is done from the file detail page in Lightning Experience. The owner or a System Administrator can do this. Use it when a file needs to move because someone changed roles or is leaving.
- Open the file detail page
Click into the file from the Files related list, the Files tab, or a feed post so the file preview and details are showing.
- Open the sharing controls
Use the file's action menu to open Share or Edit File Access. You will see the current owner plus everyone the file is shared with and whether each is a Viewer or Collaborator.
- Transfer the file or adjust access
Choose the Change Owner action to hand the file to a new user, or add people and set them as Viewer or Collaborator. Decide whether the previous owner stays as a Collaborator or is removed.
- Save and confirm
Save the change. Reopen the sharing controls to confirm the new owner is listed and that access levels for everyone else match what you intended.
Full control: edit, delete, restore, transfer, and change sharing for everyone. Stored as OwnerId on the ContentDocument.
View, edit details, and upload new versions. Cannot delete the file or change sharing for other users.
Open and download only. The lowest access level in the Files sharing model.
Access is inferred from the user's permission on the related record, so it rises or falls with record access.
- Salesforce never reassigns a file automatically when its owner is deactivated, so the file stays orphaned until someone transfers it.
- Files created through the API are owned by the running user, which is often an integration account rather than the intended person.
- Transferring ownership does not keep the previous owner as a Collaborator unless you add a ContentDocumentLink for them.
- Only the owner and admins with Modify All Data can delete a file; removing collaborators never strips the owner's control.