U-M Google Updates

REMINDER: Dynamic email in Gmail tomorrow!

9/18/2019

As previously communicated, we will be turning ON dynamic email in Gmail tomorrow for the U-M Google domain. For more information on what dynamic email is, check out last week’s communication.

As a reminder, you can turn dynamic email OFF for your individual account by following these steps:

  • At the top right of your Gmail, click the gear icon () and then Settings.
  • Next to Dynamic email, uncheck the box next to Enable dynamic email.
  • At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

Screenshot showing the settings Images and Dynamic email in Gmail settings

Note: Located next to Images in the Settings menu (and above Dynamic email), the Always display external images setting must also be enabled for dynamic emails to be displayed. If you currently have this setting disabled, it will be re-enabled when dynamic email is switched on but can be disabled again if you choose to turn off dynamic email for your account.

Improved Working Hours in Google Calendar

9/17/2019

Google has announced updates to the feature in Google Calendar that helps you let colleagues know when it’s best to work with you: Working Hours.

Note: If you have not already turned on Working Hours, you will be prompted to do so when the feature is rolled out. You will see a dialog box with an estimate of your working hours, which you can confirm via Got it or change. You can disable the feature by selecting Settings in this dialog.

Screenshot of the dialog box which will be appearing with the new Working Hours updates in Google Calendar

If you’d like to disable Working Hours, you can do so in Google Calendar by following these steps:

  • From your calendar, click the gear icon () and select Settings from the drop-down list.
  • Click Working hours under General in the left sidebar to find the option to disable.

The updates to this feature include:

  • Working Hours now show in grid view. When you schedule a meeting with other Calendar users, their working hours will be shown in the calendar grid. 
  • New warning note for event creators. If you try to schedule an event outside the working hours of one or more guests, you’ll now see a notification. 
  • Working Hours are ON by default. Working Hours will now be turned on for all users by default. You can turn it off at any point in Calendar’s settings.

GIF showing what the new updates to Working Hours looks like in Google Calendar

According to Google, this feature should begin showing up in U-M Google on September 16th and could take up to 3 days or longer to become fully visible.

New out of office visibility in Gmail

9/16/2019

Google has announced a new feature for out of office visibility in Gmail. Now, when you have an out of office event on your Google Calendar, a notice of that out of office status will appear in Gmail when an individual tries to contact you via email. Also, while you’re writing an email, Google will display a banner in the email compose window stating that the recipient is out of office and when they expect to be back.

Screenshot of the new out of office visibility notification in Gmail while composing an email

These notices will automatically start showing up when anyone whose calendar you have access to has an out of office event scheduled.

Caution: Do not use Gmail’s native out of office message feature. This feature is not compatible with MCommunity groups.

If you’d like to disable sharing of your calendar availability to other G Suite apps, you can do so in Google Calendar by following these steps:

  • From your calendar, click the gear icon () in the top right to access your Calendar settings and select Settings
  • Under Settings for my calendars in the left sidebar, select the calendar you wish to disable sharing on
  • Next, select Access permissions and uncheck Show calendar info in other Google apps, limited by access permissions.

According to Google, this feature should begin showing up in U-M Google on September 16th and could take up to 3 days to become fully visible.

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Interested in our latest updates about Google G Suite at U-M? Check out the Google Service Updates page.

To receive notifications of service disruptions, join the Collaboration Services Notifications MCommunity group.

Dynamic email in Gmail

9/12/2019

Google has recently announced a new feature known as dynamic email for Gmail. With dynamic email, you can take action directly from within the message, like RSVP to an event, fill out a questionnaire, browse a catalog, or respond to a comment.

GIF showing a brief overview of Google's new dynamic mail feature in Gmail

Note: You can identify dynamic email when you see a lightning bolt next to a message.

Third-party companies and services other than Google can send dynamic email, but only after a registration process where senders need to be approved and vetted by Google. Google has established guidelines and security requirements that third-party dynamic mail senders need to adhere to.

Dynamic email will be turned ON for the U-M Google domain on September 19th. Once enabled, you can turn dynamic mail OFF for your individual account by following these steps:

  • At the top right of your Gmail, click the gear icon () and then Settings.
  • Next to Dynamic email, uncheck the box next to Enable dynamic email.
  • At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.
Note: Located next to Images in the Settings menu (and above Dynamic email), the Always display external images setting must also be enabled for dynamic emails to be displayed. If you currently have this setting disabled, it will be re-enabled when dynamic email is switched on but can be disabled again if you choose to turn off dynamic email for your account.

Screenshot of the Images and Dynamic email settings in Gmail

Reminder: Only use Google apps with U-M Google

9/9/2019

This is a reminder that using third-party apps to connect to a U-M Google account can lead to unexpected results. 

Google-Created Apps and Applications

Apps and applications created by Google provide the most seamless experience when using Google services, particularly with mobile devices. Google-created apps and applications are also supported by Google, whereas third-party apps are not. We strongly recommend that only apps and applications created and supported by Google be used to connect to U-M Google accounts for these reasons. A web browser may also be used.

Third-Party Apps and Applications

Third-party apps and applications are created by a group or company other than Google. Google does not support the use of third-party apps or incidents that might result from using them. Using apps not provided by Google is at your own risk and could lead to university data loss. We have seen issues related to the use of third-party applications when used with Google services.

Some reported issues include:

  • Email and calendar events permanently deleted 
  • Inaccurate calendar notifications sent to event invitees 

These types of issues have occurred using an iPhone or iPad and Apple’s native mail and calendar apps. However, unexpected behavior is not limited to iPhones and iPads. Third-party desktop applications such as Apple Mail and Calendar or Microsoft Outlook may also cause unexpected behavior.

Be aware of the apps you use with your U-M Google account. Google provides and supports apps for Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and more in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Using only the apps provided by Google ensures that we can get support from Google when issues arise.