# Business Profile Owned by Someone Else: Request Ownership > Google Business Profile owned by someone else and they do not reply? See the Request Access steps, the 3 day owner window, claim option and 7 day limits. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/google-business-profile-owned-by-someone-else-request-ownership - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-28 - Topics: Google Business Profile, Ownership, Local business - Related service: social media problem help: https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions ## Short answer Google's page says that for a storefront or hybrid business you go to business.google.com/add, find your business and select Request Access. The current owner is emailed and has 3 days to respond. If they do not, you may have the option to claim the profile, though the page says that option is not always available. ## Summary - This guide is for genuine business owners and authorised managers only. Google's page says to request ownership only if you are authorised to manage the business. - The page says the current owner is emailed and currently has 3 days to reply. If not, you may be able to claim the profile. - The page also says the claim option is not always available, and Google decides. Do not create a second profile, because duplicates may not show. - A new owner currently waits 7 days for some features. One wrong step can cost you the listing, so know what you are doing first. You run the shop. The listing on Google Maps carries your name, your address and your customers' reviews, but someone else verified it. It might be a former employee, an agency that has stopped replying, or a previous owner who has moved on. You cannot change your opening hours, answer reviews or fix the phone number. This guide is for genuine owners and authorised managers only. It follows Google Business Profile Help pages on requesting ownership, transferring primary ownership, resolving duplicate profiles and managing owners. Official steps come first, and Google decides. We cannot promise a result, and nothing here describes how to take over a business that is not yours. One wrong step can cost you the listing, so know what you are doing before you start. Last checked: 28 October 2026. Response windows and limits on these pages can change, so read the live pages before you act. ## Quick Answer: How Do You Request Ownership? The page [Request ownership of a Business Profile](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4566671?hl=en) says that if you are a business owner but a verified profile for your business is owned by someone else, you can request ownership from the current owner. For a storefront or hybrid business it says to go to business.google.com/add, enter the name and address of your business, and choose it from the list. You will see a message that says someone else may manage this Business Profile. Select Request Access, fill out the form and select Submit. It says to do so if you are authorised to manage the business. ## First, Check Whether You Are Already the Owner The same page has a tip: if you look for your profile and cannot find the Claim this business or Own this business button, you might already be the owner. The page [Find your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/145585?hl=en) says you must sign in to the Google Account associated with the profile to find it. It lists searching Google for your business name and city, searching Google Maps, or tapping Business at the bottom right of the Google Maps app. Try each Google Account you have used for the business before you send a request to anyone. ## Pick the Right Route for Your Business | Your business | What the page says to do | Where it says to do it | | --- | --- | --- | | Storefront or hybrid business | Select Request Access, fill out the form and submit | business.google.com/add | | Service-area business that works at the customer's location, with no physical shop or office | Contact Google, and in the Tell us what we can help with field enter Transfer ownership of listing, then select it as the issue description | The page's contact us link | | Bulk-verified account | The page says you can also use the bulk upload spreadsheet method to request ownership of existing profiles | The page's link on verifying in bulk | | Owner reachable and willing | The primary owner can transfer primary ownership to an existing owner or manager | More, Business Profile settings, People and access | ## What Happens After You Request Access The page says you will get an email confirmation, and that the current profile owner is notified by email and currently has 3 days to respond. To check the status, it says to sign in to your Business Profile or use the link in the confirmation email. It then lists three outcomes. - Approved: you get an approval email and can manage the profile. - Denied: you get a rejection email, but you can still suggest an edit to the profile. The page says you can also try to appeal the decision, and it does not give appeal steps. - No response after 3 days: the page says you may have the option to claim the profile. To claim, the page says to open the confirmation email, select View request, then Verify, and follow the on-screen instructions to verify your business. It also says you can sign in to your Business Profile and look for a Claim or Verify button. Then it adds a tip we want you to read twice: the option to claim a profile is not always available. If you do not see it, the pages we read do not describe another button to press. ## If the Previous Owner Does Not Respond The 3 day window is the page's own answer to the question of an owner who does not reply. It does not say that Google will move ownership to you, and we have found nothing on the pages that says so. What the pages describe is a request, a window, and a possible claim route, each decided by Google. If you see no claim option, check the time on the confirmation email, check the sign in on the right Google Account, and read the live page again. ## If You Became an Owner or Manager: the 7 Day Limits The page [Manage your Business Profile owners & managers](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100?hl=en) says that when you become an owner or manager, you currently have to wait 7 days before you can manage some features. During that time, it says you will get an error if you try to delete or undelete a profile, remove other owners or managers, or transfer primary ownership. It adds that if you delete your account within the first 7 days you are removed from the profile and need to be added back. So if you are approved and the owner list still shows names you do not recognise, you may be unable to remove them straight away. That is the page's stated limit, not a fault. Read the page on the day you are approved, and do not rush to change roles. ## If the Owner Is Reachable: Transfer Primary Ownership The page [Transfer primary ownership of a Business Profile](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3415281?hl=en) says only the primary owner can transfer primary ownership, and that owners can add or remove users. It says to go to the Business Profile, select More, then Business Profile settings, then People and access, select the user to transfer to, select Edit next to Access, choose Primary owner and Save. It also says that if you are transferring ownership of your business, you should transfer primary ownership of the profile so that your business info, such as reviews, is maintained. This route needs the person who holds primary ownership to act. If they are not responding, it is not open to you, which is why the Request Access route exists. ## Do Not Create a Second Profile It is tempting to make a fresh listing. The page [Resolve duplicate profiles & ownership issues](https://support.google.com/business/answer/12756178?hl=en) says you can have only one Business Profile for each business, that multiple profiles for the same business may mislead customers and are against Google's policies, and that a profile considered a duplicate will not show on Google Search or Maps. It lists an existing verified profile as one reason a profile may be marked as a duplicate. For a profile that already exists and is owned by someone else, it points to requesting access from the current owner. The same page says that if you forgot the login of the Google Account used to verify your business, you can use the Accounts troubleshooter. Our guide on [setting up Google recovery options](https://www.awarexone.com/research/google-account-recovery-options-setup) and our guide on [Google not being able to verify an account belongs to you](https://www.awarexone.com/research/google-couldnt-verify-account-belongs-to-you) cover that side. ## What We Will Not Suggest - Anything that misstates who you are or what your business is. Google asks you to verify a real business, and a misstatement could put the listing at risk. - Asking for the listing to be removed so you can start again. We did not open any page that describes removal as a way to gain ownership. - Paying anyone who says they can take ownership for you. The pages describe no such service. - Posting an owner's private details in public. If the owner is a former staff member, keep the conversation calm and private. ## What the Pages Do Not Say - They do not say that Google will transfer ownership if the owner never replies. - They do not say how long Google takes to decide an appeal after a denial. - They do not say why the claim option is sometimes not available. - They give no Malaysia specific documents, and this guide names none. ## When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help Some owners do this alone, and the official steps come first. The risks are plain. Sending a request from the wrong Google Account can leave you waiting on the wrong thread. Creating a duplicate profile can make your listing disappear from Search and Maps. A request can be denied, and the page lists denial as one outcome. And anyone who offers to take over the listing for payment is offering something Google's pages do not describe. If the listing drives your walk in customers, the previous owner is a person you are in dispute with, or your claim option is missing, handing the case to an experienced team such as AwareXone is the safer choice. We can help you put your timeline together, check which route fits your business type and word the request calmly. See our [social media problem help](https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions) page, and use the Apply for Case Review button at the end of this guide. ## When a Case Review Makes Sense A review helps when several people have touched the listing, when you moved from an agency to running it yourself, or when a request was denied. SocialSafe by AwareXone is a Malaysia-based service, independent of Google, that helps genuine owners use the official routes. We never ask for your password or any code, and we do not promise a result. See how we work on our [trust page](https://www.awarexone.com/trust). If your listing is suspended instead, see [Google Business Profile suspended](https://www.awarexone.com/research/google-business-profile-suspended-reinstatement). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I request ownership of a Business Profile someone else verified? For a storefront or hybrid business, the page says to go to business.google.com/add, find your business, select Request Access, fill out the form and submit it, if you are authorised to manage the business. ### How long does the current owner have to reply? The page currently says the current owner is notified by email and has 3 days to respond. ### What if the owner does not respond? The page says that after 3 days you may have the option to claim the profile, and adds that the option to claim a profile is not always available. ### Can I use the new owner features straight away? No. The page currently says a new owner or manager must wait 7 days before managing some features, and may see errors if they try to delete a profile, remove other users or transfer primary ownership. ### Should I create a new profile instead? The duplicate profiles page says you can have only one profile for each business, and that a profile considered a duplicate will not show on Google Search or Maps. ## Official sources - [Official: Request ownership of a Business Profile - Google Business Profile Help (read 28 October 2026)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4566671?hl=en) - [Official: Transfer primary ownership of a Business Profile - Google Business Profile Help (read 28 October 2026)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3415281?hl=en) - [Official: Resolve duplicate profiles & ownership issues - Google Business Profile Help (read 28 October 2026)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/12756178?hl=en) - [Official: Manage your Business Profile owners & managers - Google Business Profile Help (read 28 October 2026)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100?hl=en) - [Official: Find your business on Google - Google Business Profile Help (read 28 October 2026)](https://support.google.com/business/answer/145585?hl=en) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.