U-M Google Updates

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.

New look and feel for Gmail is arriving September 1

8/19/2020

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. According to Google, starting September 1, 2020, Gmail on the web will become a centralized location for your communication and collaboration.

Gmail will now feature four distinct components: 

  • Mail
  • Chat
  • Rooms
  • Meet

Google Chat, Meet, and Mail will not change, and you can continue to use them without interruption. However, Google Chat rooms will change and become their own space separate from Google Chat, where you can chat, 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.

In addition, Google has introduced new features for several of their tools within Gmail:

Google Chat

  • Set your availability to “Do not disturb.”
  • Display your availability with status notices in Chat, such as “Out of office.”

Google Chat rooms

  • Assign group tasks in rooms.
  • Get notified about task updates in rooms.
  • Pin important rooms, so they’re easier to find and access.
  • See files shared in a room.
  • Open and co-edit a document with your team in a room without leaving Gmail.

Screenshot of new Gmail interface. Shows "Project Clover" room, where a "Project Proposal" Google Doc is open and editable.  GIF of new Gmail interface. Cursor is click between Chat, Files, and Tasks tabs in the "Project Clover" room. In Tasks, cursor selects "Add room task" and creates a new task.

Google Mail
See integrated search results and toggle between Email and Chat results in Gmail on the web.

GIF of the new Gmail interface. A cursor is clicking back and forth on the Email and Chat views after searching for "Project Clover"

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.

    U-M Google July Monthly Summary

    8/11/2020

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

    Updates:

    Settings for Docs, Sheets, and Slides will adjust automatically when the Android system is set to use “Dark theme”. You can also turn dark mode on or off for Docs, Sheets, or Slides independently within each app: Menu > Settings > Theme > Dark.

    When using an iPad, you are now able to multitask with Gmail and other iOS applications. To turn on Multitasking on your iPad, go to the Settings app > Home Screen & Dock > Multitasking > select “Allow Multiple Apps”.

    There is a new option to print your Google Calendar in full color, so you can keep track of different event types. Using the new “View” option, you can also print one day or one week per sheet. With this updated print layout, you can fit up to 24 hours of events per day. Finally, events 25 minutes and shorter are displayed at the true height of the event duration and show location when space is available.

    Google has added additional editable event fields into the pop-up dialog when creating an event in Google Calendar, allowing you to add all the necessary information from one window, without having to click “More options”. These include:

    • Guest permissions: Grant guests permission to see the guest list, invite others or edit an event.
    • Attachments: Add attachments directly alongside the event’s description.
    • Calendar preview: Choose an event color, customize notifications, set free/busy, and change an event’s visibility.
    • “Find a time”: Overlay potential guests’ calendars to help you pick the best time for everyone.

    Screenshot of new dialog box when creating a Google Calendar event.

    ​Google has added new features to help you customize chart text and numbers in Google Sheets. These include: 

    • Click on almost any chart text element and update both its content and style, such as individual data labels and legend items.
    • Set advanced number formatting options on both your data labels and axis labels, including the option to conditionally format by color.
    • Use a contextual sidebar editing experience to format individual data labels, legend items, and single data points.

     

    Google has added the Trash feature to Google Contacts. Now, when you delete a contact, it will go into Trash, where it will stay for 30 days before being permanently deleted. In that time, you can view, restore, or permanently delete the contact. Trash will contain contacts deleted on any device, but you can only view and manage Trash on the web.

    Previously Communicated:

    ACTION NEEDED: Update your G Suite desktop/mobile apps before August 12

    8/5/2020

    As a result of changes to Google’s API and service infrastructure in 2018, some older versions of G Suite desktop and mobile apps may stop working on August 12, 2020. In particular, versions released prior to December 2018 may be impacted. These apps must be updated to ensure the highest level of performance and security.

    To ensure your workflows are not disrupted, you should update the following Google apps to the latest versions as soon as possible:

    According to Google, you will need to update your G Suite desktop and mobile apps by August 12, 2020, to ensure they continue working. Google’s changes could take 3 days or longer to begin to affect U-M Google. If you have already recently updated your applications, then there is no action needed on your end.

    Google Meet in Gmail on mobile

    7/31/2020

    Google has begun to roll out Google Meet in Gmail on mobile devices. You can now start a new meeting, join a meeting by entering the meeting code, or join upcoming meetings scheduled in Google Calendar without leaving the Gmail app.

    Additional changes include:

    • When you click on a Meet link from your Android or iOS device, you’ll be redirected to the Gmail app to join the meeting, instead of the Google Meet app.

    Note: If you click on a meeting link from within the Meet app, you will still stay in Meet and not be redirected to the Gmail app.

    • The look and feel of the Meet app has been updated to create a more intuitive experience.

    If you would like to hide the Meet tab inside of the Gmail app on iOS and Android devices:

    1. In the Gmail app, tap the menu icon.
    2. Scroll down the side menu and tap Settings.
    3. Scroll to the “Meet” section and tap “Show the Meet tab for video calling” to deselect.

    Note: If you have multiple accounts associated with your Gmail app, you will need to tap your UMICH account to change the setting.

    For more information, see Start or join a video call from Gmail on Android and iOS.

    According to Google, this feature began rolling out in U-M Google on July 13, 2020 (iOS) and July 20, 2020 (Android) and could take 15 days or longer to become fully visible.