U-M Google Updates

Final Reminder: Google Calendar appointment schedules will replace appointment slots on July 18

7/11/2024

As a final reminder, Google will be replacing the appointment slots feature in U-M Google Calendar with the appointment schedules feature on July 18, 2024. This change means that you will no longer be able to use appointment slots, and Google will permanently delete any existing, unbooked slots you have created beginning July 18. (Only the appointment slot blocks used for scheduling will be deleted. If an appointment slot is booked prior to July 18, that specific event will not be deleted.)

Because Google will not automatically transfer your slots to schedules, you will need to create a new appointment schedule and recreate your existing slots in this format manually. You should do this before July 18 to ensure your appointments aren’t lost. (If you do not use appointment slots, you can disregard this message.)

ITS has also created a list of tips and differences between features to assist you with moving your appointment slots to appointment schedules.

U-M Google April & May Monthly Summary

6/27/2024

Updates:

You can now set your Drive on the web to dark mode. Learn more about using Dark Mode in Drive.

  • New banner alerts for Google Drive item capacity limits in shared drives

Google has added new banner alerts in shared drives that appear when a drive approaches the item capacity limit (400,000). These banners will be visible when less than 20% capacity is left and will appear only for users who have edit access to add content to the specific shared drive. Learn more about other shared drive limits.

You now have the option to hide non-video tiles during Meet calls to focus on video-enabled participants. Users with their videos off can be shown on screen if/when they speak. This feature is only specific to your meeting view and does not impact what other participants see or set for their layouts during the meeting. Learn more about adjusting the tile view in Meet.

You can now transfer between devices while on a Meet call without hanging up and rejoining. For example, if you are taking a Meet call on your mobile device, you can switch to your laptop without issue. There is a new “Switch here” option when joining a meeting on your laptop, which will switch the call from your mobile device to the laptop. Learn more about transferring a meeting between devices in Meet.

You can now quickly convert ranges of data in Sheets into bulk drop-down chips. If you have a column of data that includes a variety of values (e.g., different project statuses), Sheets will show a “Convert to dropdown chips” suggestion when you click into your data range. By hovering over that indicator, you can preview the suggestion and then convert the values to drop-down chips in one click. To turn this feature off, click Tools > Suggestion controls > and uncheck the Enable dropdown chip suggestions box. Learn more about inserting smart chips in Sheets.

User clicks the new "Convert to dropdown chips" suggestion after selecting a range of data in a Google Sheets spreadsheet

Google has added a feature that improves control over your scrolling experience in Sheets. With smooth scrolling, you can scroll to a specific part of a row or column and stop wherever you’d like within the spreadsheet. This update works with all Sheets features, like frozen rows, hidden columns, charts, buttons, comments, and when you use scrollbars (instead of a mouse/trackpad). 

User demonstrating smooth scrolling in a Google Sheets spreadsheet

  • Address access permissions for embedded files in Google Sites

When adding embedded content from Google Drive into a Google Site, such as a PDF, document, or presentation, site editors will now be prompted to address potential access permission issues. The notification will also appear when site editors are publishing the site or sharing it with other site collaborators and viewers. This will ensure other site collaborators or viewers have permission to edit or view embedded Drive content when collaborating on a site. Learn more about adding Google files, videos, and more to Sites.

Google has updated the name of the Files tab in Google Chat spaces to “Shared.” The updated tab will improve upon the file management experience and create a central place to manage all conversation-related artifacts. You will also notice a refreshed user interface and features like a sort drop-down menu and support for shared links and media files.

  • Improved filtering for merged cells in Google Sheets 

You can now filter ranges with merged cells in Sheets.

  • For ranges with vertical merges, you can create a filter and apply various filter types (condition, values, and color). 
  • For ranges with horizontal merges, you can create a filter, apply various filter types (condition, values, and color), and sort by values or color. 

Learn more about sorting and filtering your data in Sheets.

  • Search for files directly using new search bar in Google Drive

You’ll notice an expanded search bar and enhanced search chip capabilities in the Google Drive Home view that enable you to filter files across your entire Drive.

Previously Communicated:

Less secure apps access is going away beginning June 15, 2024

Google Calendar appointment schedules will replace appointment slots on July 18

6/6/2024

Google will be replacing the appointment slots feature in U-M Google Calendar with the appointment schedules feature on July 18, 2024. This change means that you will no longer be able to use appointment slots, and Google will permanently delete any existing slots you have created or scheduled beginning July 18.

Because Google will not automatically transfer your slots to schedules, you will need to create a new appointment schedule and recreate your existing slots in this format manually. You should do this before July 18 to ensure your appointments aren’t lost. (If you do not use appointment slots, you can disregard this message.)

ITS has also created a list of tips and differences between features to assist you with moving your appointment slots to appointment schedules.

Less secure apps access is going away beginning June 15, 2024

5/15/2024

Google has announced that they will be turning off access to less secure apps and removing the Less Secure Apps setting starting on June 15, 2024. Less secure apps are third-party, non-Google apps that access your U-M Google account with only your @umich.edu email address and U-M password (not through U-M Weblogin). Common examples include Outlook 2016 or older and Apple Mail. These apps may use the Less Secure Apps setting to allow them full access to your account, which puts it at an additional security risk. To continue using these types of apps with your U-M Google account, you must switch to a more secure type of access called OAuth, which most modern applications use today.

ITS does not support using third-party, non-Google applications with U-M Google accounts or provide direct support for connecting to OAuth with them. Instead, we have created a detailed guide to help you determine if you are using less secure apps to access your U-M Google account and how you can switch to OAuth access.

Access to less secure apps will be turned off in two stages:

  • June 15: The Less Secure Apps setting will be removed for new users who have never enabled the setting and/or have the setting turned off.
    • Users who still have the setting enabled on June 15 can continue to use these apps until September 30.
  • September 30: Access to less secure apps will be turned off, and the setting will be removed for all remaining Google accounts.

If you do not take action by September 30 to reconnect your apps using OAuth, the less secure app(s) you’ve connected to will start showing an error message indicating that the username and password you entered are invalid, consequently preventing you from logging in to these apps via this method.

U-M Google February & March Monthly Summary

4/24/2024

Updates:

  • Jump to where your collaborator is while editing in Google Sites

Currently when working on content in Google Docs or Slides, you can go to wherever your collaborator is working within the document or presentation by clicking their profile picture in the top right corner. Google has introduced a similar feature in Google Sites. Now, when a Site editor clicks on a collaborator’s profile picture, they will jump to the selected tile of the clicked collaborator. If the collaborator is on a different page, the site editor will be taken to that page. If the collaborator moves to another page or tile after you follow them, you won’t move to the new one. Learn more about following a collaborator on Google Sites.

Google has introduced a new comment experience in Docs, Sheets, and Slides. While you will continue to see and interact with the comments experience you’re familiar with, you’ll also notice updates to our comment cards, icons, and more.

You can explore new and familiar ways to interact with comments by going to the View tab, hovering over Comments, and selecting: 

  • Show all comments: Opens a full-length view into multiple comments in Docs, Sheets, or Slides. It includes an updated search and filter functionality. You will also notice a curated “For you” list, which surfaces all the comments you need to take action on.
  • Expand comments (in Docs and Slides): Shows comments next to the document or presentation content so you can review comments and content together.
  • Minimize comments (in Docs and Sheets): Reduces comments to icons so you can have a more focused view of your work in Docs and Sheets. This setting provides a quick preview with high-level information about who is commenting when you hover over the minimized icons.
  • Hide comments: Hides comments from view when you want to focus solely on the content in Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

Google Doc where comments have been made by collaborators. Someone is viewing the comments and using the new minimize comments feature

  • Drag and drop an image to replace the background in Google Slides

Hovering over the border of an empty slide before dropping in an image will now set the image as the background in Google Slides. Dropping the image anywhere else will insert the image onto the slide instead.

To provide you with more context upfront, you will now see participant profile pictures for unread threads in the conversation view in Chat (similar to Slack threads).

Google has announced a new feature known as markups in Google Docs. The new markup experience lets you add handwritten annotations to documents with a stylus or your finger when using an Android device. On iOS devices and the web, you will only be able to view a document with markups, delete markups, and hide/show markups. Learn more about adding markups to Docs on Android devices.

  • Playback improvements to videos uploaded on Google Drive 

Google has enabled the generation and playback of “Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP” (DASH) video transcodes for all new videos uploaded to Google Drive. DASH transcodes provide adaptive bitrate playback, which allows you to receive higher- or lower-resolution playback based on aspects like your local network quality. As a result of this change, you’ll also notice: 

  • Improvements in join time (the time it takes from clicking play to actually starting playback)
  • A reduction in re-buffering, both in normal playback as well as during playback at higher speeds 

While this feature applies to all new videos uploaded to Drive, existing videos in Drive will be updated by the end of the year (according to Google).

Instead of manually creating values for your drop-downs in Sheets, you can insert preset drop-down chips that are configured for common use cases like priority or review statuses (similar to present drop-downs in Docs). After inserting a preset drop-down, you can use the data validation sidebar to adjust the options or add styles. Learn more about inserting smart chips in your Sheets.

Blank Google Sheets spreadsheet where someone is typing the @ symbol into a cell and selecting a preset drop-down chip

To prevent duplicate space names in Google Chat, you will no longer be able to create a space within U-M Google if the space name already exists. If the name already exists, an error message will appear. The same will happen if you try to edit the name of a space to another name that already exists. Existing spaces with the same name will not be impacted.

You will also notice an updated user interface when creating a new space in Chat. In addition to easily determining access settings, you can now designate the space for Collaboration or Announcements.

In Google Meet, you can now pin messages to the top of the in-meeting chat. Pinned messages will appear for all participants, even if they join the meeting after the message was initially sent. Participants can pin and unpin their own messages by hovering over the message and clicking the pin icon. Meeting hosts can unpin anyone’s message.

Google has added the ability to search for and insert a smart chip via Chat message that links to another Chat space. When composing a message in Chat, typing the “@” symbol will now display a list of suggested spaces to include as a smart chip based on your membership. You can also paste the link of a space into a message and press the Tab key to convert it into a space smart chip. (Note that a recipient of the space smart chip must be a member of the space to access it. If they are not a member, they will not have access.)

You can now make one-to-one video calls to other U-M Google accounts using the Meet mobile app. Previously, you had to create a meeting link ahead of time, which could then be shared in a calendar invite, chat, or email. Now you can place a Meet call on your mobile app directly to a colleague, ringing their mobile device. The individual must have the most up-to-date version of the Meet app on their phone and connected to their U-M Google account. Currently, you cannot make calls to those outside of U-M or via the web interface. Learn more about making calls with the Meet app.

If you’re a Google Meet host or co-host, you can pin up to three specific tiles for all meeting participants. Participants can unpin these tiles on their screen if they wish. Learn more about pinning content in Meet.

Previously Communicated: