U-M Google Updates

Reminder: Google Meet premium features end on September 30

9/23/2020

At the beginning of March 2020, Google extended temporary access to some premium Google Meet features through September 30, 2020. Soon, a number of these features will be going away, and on October 1, 2020, the standard Google Meet features will return. See the table below to view the features that will be leaving and those that will take their place.

Now through September 30 October 1 and onward
250 maximum participants per session. 100 maximum participants per session.
Livestream a session to up to 100,000 viewers. No livestreaming available.
Record and retain sessions indefinitely in Google Drive (premium).* Record and retain sessions for 30 days (temporary).*

Recorded sessions can be downloaded or shared.

Note: Meetings recorded during the premium features access period will remain in your Google Drive.
 Recorded sessions cannot be downloaded or shared outside of the University of Michigan.
*Important: According to Google, they will continue to offer free premium recordings until their new temporary recordings feature is available later this year. Once temporary recordings are available, the premium recordings feature will leave the U-M domain. With temporary recordings, you (as the host) will be able to record a meeting and share the recording within the U-M domain for up to 30 days before the video expires. However, temporary recordings cannot be shared outside the University of Michigan or downloaded.

Visit the U-M Google Meet website to learn more about the service.

Reminder: Only use Google apps with U-M Google

9/22/2020

This communication 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 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 you only use apps and applications created and supported by Google to connect to U-M Google accounts for these reasons. (A web browser may also be used.)

Third-party apps and applications are created by a group or company other than Google (e.g., Apple Mail). 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 are permanently deleted.
  • Inaccurate calendar notifications sent to event invitees.

These 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.

U-M Google August Monthly Summary

9/9/2020

The monthly U-M Google Summaries inform the university community of Google releases. We communicate important information throughout the month.

Updates:

Google Meet videoconferencing policies applied to a Google Calendar event that are organized by a delegate or when a meeting is transferred will now be based on the person who owns the calendar event, not the delegate or original event owner. For more information, see How Google Meet settings apply to events created on or transferred to other Google Calendars.

Access checker is a feature currently in Gmail and Google Chat that ensures the recipients of a Google Drive file have permission to access it. Google has now made this feature available in Google Slides to make sure that anyone who is viewing or presenting a presentation can play embedded videos and audio files. 

When you insert a video or audio file that is stored in Drive into Slides, Access checker will automatically look to see if the people who have access to the presentation also have access to the audio or video file you just inserted. If they don’t, Access checker will suggest changing the permissions of the file so that all will be able to see and hear its content.

GIF of Google Slides presentation. Cursor adds video, pop-up regarding sharing with people appears.

Google is bringing the frequently requested dark theme to Google Chat on mobile devices (Android and iOS). This will apply automatically to match Android devices’ system settings. See ​Turn dark mode on or off to learn more about dark theme on iOS.

Google has brought two new features, previously only available on the web, to Google Docs on Android and iOS devices.

For Google Slides on Android, Google has added new viewing abilities. Rather than swiping to view slides one by one, you can now: 

  • Scroll through a vertical stream of slides. 

  • Pinch to zoom to get a closer look. 

  • Easily switch to editing, presenting, or casting content.

For more information, see How to use Google Slides on Android.

Previously Communicated:

New look and feel for Gmail is now available!

9/1/2020

Starting today, Gmail on the web will now integrate Chat, Drive, Mail, Meet, and Tasks, all in one place, becoming a centralized location for your communication and collaboration. According to Google, it could take 15 days or longer for the update to become fully visible across the U-M domain.

Screenshot of new homepage of Gmail.

Google Chat, Mail, and Meet are still available in the sidebar. However, Google Chat rooms are now its own section. Rooms are where you can chat with your group/team, share files and tasks, and collaborate on documents without leaving Gmail.

Important: You will continue to have access to Google Chat, Drive, Meet, and Tasks separately at their respective locations.

If you would prefer to hide Google Chat, Meet, and Rooms within Gmail, there are two ways to do so:

Minimize sections:
From the sidebar, click the triangle on Mail, Chat, Rooms, or Meet to minimize the section.

Turn off Chat, Meet, or Rooms in Gmail:

  1. Click Settings (gear icon) in the top-right corner.
  2. Click See all settings within the drop-down.
  3. Select the Chat and Meet tab.
    1. To deactivate the Google Chat section, select Chat off.
Important: When you deactivate Google Chat in Gmail, you will also deactivate "Rooms". If you wish to continue to use rooms in the new Gmail experience, you will need to leave Google Chat on.
  • To deactivate the Google Meet section, select Hide the Meet section in the main menu.
  1. Click Save Changes when you are done.
Note: If you turn these features off, you will no longer receive notifications from Google Chat or Meet. We recommend you leave it on for school/work use. 
Known issue: Files and Tasks tabs not appearing in rooms. 
During rollout, you may not see the Files and/or Tasks tabs in your rooms for some time. According to Google, it may take a few weeks for these tabs to roll out to all individuals in the U-M domain.

For a full list of new features for several of their tools within Gmail, please see our previous ITS communication.

Additional Resources

Note: The new integrated experience will roll out to Android devices, with iOS updates coming soon.

REMINDER: New look and feel for Gmail is arriving September 1

8/25/2020

Google has announced a new look and feel to Gmail on the web that integrates Meet, Chat, Gmail, Drive, and Tasks, all in one place. This is a reminder that, according to Google, Gmail on the web will become a centralized location for your communication and collaboration starting September 1, 2020.

Screenshot of new homepage of Gmail.

Gmail will now feature four distinct components: 

  • Mail
  • Chat
  • Rooms
  • Meet

Google Mail, Chat, and Meet will still be available on the sidebar. You can continue to use them without interruption. However, Google Chat rooms will become its own section in the sidebar. Rooms are where you can chat with your team, share files and tasks, and collaborate on documents without leaving Gmail.

Important: You will also continue to have access to Google Chat, Drive, Meet, and Tasks separately at their respective locations.

If you would prefer to hide Google Chat, Meet, and Rooms within Gmail, there are two ways to do so:

Minimize sections:
From the sidebar, click the triangle on Mail, Chat, Rooms, or Meet to minimize the section.

Turn off Chat, Meet, or Rooms in Gmail:

  1. Click Settings (gear icon) in the top-right corner.
  2. Click See all settings within the drop-down.
  3. Select the Chat and Meet tab.
    1. To deactivate the Google Chat section, select Chat off.
Important: When you deactivate Google Chat in Gmail, you will also deactivate "Rooms". If you wish to continue to use rooms in the new Gmail experience, you will need to leave Google Chat on.
  • To deactivate the Google Meet section, select Hide the Meet section in the main menu.
  1. Click Save Changes when you are done.
Note: If you turn these features off, you will no longer receive notifications from Google Chat or Meet. We recommend you leave it on for work use. 
Known issue: Files and Tasks tabs not appearing in rooms. 
During rollout, you may not see the Files and/or Tasks tabs in your rooms for some time. According to Google, it may take a few weeks for these tabs to roll out to all individuals in the U-M domain.

For a full list of new features for several of their tools within Gmail, please see last week’s ITS communication.

Additional Resources

Note: The new integrated experience will roll out to Android devices, with iOS updates coming soon.

According to Google, this feature should begin showing up in U-M Google on September 1, 2020, and could take 15 days or longer to become fully visible.