U-M Google Updates

U-M Google December Monthly Summary

1/26/2023

The monthly U-M Google summaries inform the university community of new Google releases and previously communicated updates.

Updates:

You can now set a recurring “Do Not Disturb” schedule in Google Chat, so you are not disturbed by Chat notifications on web, Android, and iOS. Learn more about scheduling Do Not Disturb in Chat.

Google has added drop-down chips in Google Sheets. Dropdown chips are a custom formatting feature that is already available in Docs, and they enable you to easily indicate statuses or various project milestones outlined in your Sheet.

Demonstration of using drop-downs in Google Sheets

Additionally, Google has modified the workflow for creating and managing all data validation rules, including drop-down chips and checkboxes. You can now view and edit all existing rules that have been created in a specific Sheets tab and create additional rules from a new sidebar view. Learn more about inserting smart chips in Google Sheets.

Google has introduced a new ‘Follow’ feature that allows you to collaborate with colleagues in real time on Google Slides. You can now click on a collaborator’s avatar in the Slides toolbar to jump to whatever slide they are on, and continue to move with them as they navigate and make changes to a presentation. To stop following a collaborator, click on their avatar again.

Demonstration of using the new follow feature in Google Slides

  • Pin table headers when using pageless format on Google Docs 

When your Google Doc is set to the pageless format, you can now pin one or more table rows as header rows. When you scroll vertically past the top of the table, the headers will remain visible at the top of the window until you scroll to the bottom of the table.

  • Easily share files in Google Meet chat on web 

When sharing a file in Meet chat, you will now be prompted to update the file-sharing permissions to reflect which meeting attendees you’d like to have access to a particular file. Previously, when you shared the link to a Google Drive file in Meet chat, you had to ensure the document was shared with those on the call, either proactively or reactively, on a separate screen.

  • Warning banners for external email recipients on iOS devices

You'll now notice a warning banner when adding external recipients to an email on iOS devices. These warnings are already available for Gmail on the web and Android devices.

Previously Communicated:

Upcoming changes to Google shared drive creation process

Reminder: New Google shared drive creation process

1/4/2023

In an effort to improve the lifecycle management and automation of Google shared drives, the process for creating them changed on January 3, 2023.

You can no longer create shared drives directly within Google Drive and may notice the option to do so is grayed out. You will now use a new Google shared drive creation form in the Shared Drive Manager tool, similar to the request form you currently use to create Dropbox Team Folders.

Moving forward, you will also use the tool to change your drive's department prefix, name, and Manager role assignments. If you make these changes in Google outside of the tool, they will be reverted within 24 hours.

Additionally, only active U-M faculty, staff, and students are eligible to create shared drives. Sponsored affiliates, temporary staff, alums, retirees, and Google Shared Accounts cannot create shared drives.

As a reminder, shared drives should be used for collaborative data related to administration, learning, teaching, and/or research at the University of Michigan. Shared drives are not appropriate for storing personal data (SPG 601.07). Data in shared drives are considered to be owned by a group or team rather than an individual.

Refer to Shared Drives in U-M Google for instructions on using the new form to create a Google shared drive, including information on sharing, permissions, and best practices.

Upcoming changes to Google shared drive creation process

12/16/2022

For the last several years, you have been able to create Google shared drives directly within Google Drive. In an effort to improve the lifecycle management and automation of Google shared drives, the process for creating them will change on January 3, 2023.

Beginning January 3, you will no longer be able to create shared drives directly within Google Drive. You will instead use a new Google shared drive creation form, similar to the request form you currently use to create Dropbox Team Folders.

Additionally, only active faculty, staff, and students on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses are eligible to create shared drives moving forward. Sponsored affiliates, temporary staff, alumni, retirees, and Google Shared Accounts cannot create shared drives.

Note: The link to the new shared drive creation form will become available on January 3. Refer to Shared Drives in U-M Google for the new form link (when available), instructions on using the form, and additional information on sharing, permissions, and best practices.

As a reminder, shared drives should be used for collaborative data related to administration, learning, teaching, and/or research at the University of Michigan. Shared drives are not appropriate for storing personal data (SPG 601.07). Data in shared drives are considered to be owned by a group or team rather than an individual.

U-M Google November Monthly Summary

12/7/2022

The monthly U-M Google summaries inform the university community of new Google releases and previously communicated updates.

Updates:

Google has introduced an interactive Timeline View that allows you to track projects in Google Sheets. This new visual layer displays project information stored in Sheets, such as the task start and end date, description, and owner. To create a Timeline, navigate to Insert > Timeline, select a data range, and configure the attributes in the timeline settings sidebar. Learn more about creating and editing a Timeline View in Sheets.

Scrolling through an example Google Sheet with Timeline View

Google is making it easier to share files with the people you typically share with in Google Drive. A list of suggested recipients will now appear in the sharing dialog box when you click Share on a file in Drive.

Google Drive sharing dialog box with red box around new suggested users to share with

  • Use “smart chips” in Google Sheets as links on mobile 

Currently, you’re able to quickly add people and files into Google Sheets with smart chips (i.e., using @) on the web. These chips will now be treated like linked text on mobile devices and will show relevant hovercards and context menu items.

  • Resizing Pivot Tables in Google Sheets

You can now resize the pivot table editor side panel when creating or editing a pivot table in Google Sheets. This functionality is especially useful when the names of columns or fields are too long, and you want to see the text in its entirety. Learn more about creating and using pivot tables in Sheets.

  • Enhancing spell check in Google Docs

In Google Docs, words whose spelling is not recognized will now be underlined in red, even if there is no suggestion. When you click on a word, you'll see it labeled as an "unknown word," and you can then choose to add the word to your personal dictionary or ignore the suggestion. This feature is only available in English at this time.

Misspelled word highlighted in red with new pop-up stating it's an unknown word

  • Improved hearing aid support for Google Meet on Android

Google has expanded Google Meet hearing aid support on Android devices to recognize a wider variety of hearing aid devices. Meet will automatically default to using hearing aid support when they’re connected. You can also select hearing aids during a meeting from the audio settings menu. If the hearing aid has a built-in microphone, this microphone will be used. If it doesn’t, the mobile phone or tablet microphone will be used.

  • Share Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files in Google Meet chat 

If you are presenting or joining a Google Meet session from a Docs, Sheets, or Slides file, you can now easily share that file with meeting attendees through in-meeting chat. With this update, you’re able to grant access to a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to all or specific meeting attendees. Learn more about using Google Meet with Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Previously Communicated:

None for the month of November!

U-M Google October Monthly Summary

11/15/2022

The monthly U-M Google summaries inform the university community of new Google releases and previously communicated updates.

Updates:

You can now reply directly to any message in new and existing unthreaded spaces. This creates a separate in-line thread where smaller groups of people can continue a conversation on a specific topic, similar to Slack’s in-line threading. Moving forward, newly created spaces will feature in-line threading by default.

User opens new in-line thread in Google Chat and views the thread content

With the new right-side thread navigation panel, you can browse through all the threads in the space and filter just for threads you’re following or where you’re specifically mentioned.

Additionally, beginning in early 2023, the option to create spaces organized by conversation topic (i.e., threaded spaces) will be removed, and in-line threading will become the default for all new spaces. Existing threaded spaces will not be impacted. More information to come, according to Google.

Learn more about using Spaces, organizing a space, and managing a space with in-line threading. 

You can now add Google Drive files directly into a Google Sheet as a smart chip to quickly preview and interact with files in Sheets. This feature is already available in Google Docs. Learn more about inserting smart chips in Google Sheets.

User types an "@" into a cell in Google Sheets and selects a file to add to the cell

In addition to the new ability to add smart chips for Drive files in Sheets, you can now also add Google Calendar events. Once placed in your Sheet, you can view the event name and an actionable hover card in the cell, which includes an overview of attendees, times, and other meeting metadata. Learn more about inserting smart chips in Google Sheets.

Google has expanded interoperability with Google Meet and Jamboard with the new option to join or start a meeting directly from Jamboard on the web (as you can with Docs, Sheets, and Slides). This feature is available on the web. Learn more about collaborating with Jamboard in Meet.

As they did earlier with Docs and Sheets, Google is now updating the menus in Google Slides and Google Drawings to make it easier to locate the most commonly-used features.

You can now split table cells into a desired number of rows and columns in Google Docs.

To split cells, right-click the table cell, select Split cell, enter the number of rows and columns you want, and click Split. Learn more about adding and editing tables in Docs.

User right-clicks in multiple table cells in a Google Doc table and selects Split cell

Google has added three features to improve the Google Chat and Gmail search experience on web and mobile. These features include:

  • Search suggestions: Search query suggestions based on your past search history in Chat will now appear as you type in the Chat search bar.
  • Gmail labels: You can now search messages under a specific Gmail label in the mobile app to return results only within that label. You can also use search chips in the Gmail search bar to refine label searches.
  • Related results: For Gmail search queries that return no results, related results will be shown.

Learn more about search in Gmail and searching for Google Chat messages. 

  • See when colleagues are out of the office on Android

When viewing an individual’s information card in Google Calendar, Gmail, and Chat on Android, you are now able to see their out-of-office status via an out-of-office banner. This feature is already available on iOS devices.

  • Improved experience for the Calendar guest list in Google Meet

To help participants run effective hybrid meetings, in addition to seeing the RSVP status of everyone on the meeting invite, you'll now see all information from the Google Calendar guest list, including: 

  • Working Location 
  • Out-of-office status 
  • If the meeting is outside of an invitees working hours 
  • If an invitee is joining from the meeting room

Previously Communicated:

Notice: Google Hangouts will finally retire on November 1, 2022