U-M Google Updates

This message is intended for developers and those who use Google APIs to pull information into other apps and systems. You may disregard this message if you do not use the Google Sheets API or other Google APIs.

As part of the migration to the Sheets v4 API, Google will retire the Sheets v3 API on March 3, 2020. 

Make sure that projects originally built on the v3 API continue working long after it is gone. This migration guide provides tips on how to transition your apps, including a mapping of older commands to operations in v4 and some ideas for using the new functionality to your advantage. Additional documentation is available to help get started on a new project or leverage the content and appearance controls not available in previous versions. 

Three years ago Google introduced the Sheets v4 API, which offered custom development with programmatic access to critical features like filters, conditional formatting, charts, and pivot tables. V4 API also enables batch methods for better performance, provides an easier-to-use interface, and operates on an individual file basis, which, when used with the drive.file scope gives better control over which files to share with apps. Since its launch, Google has improved version 4 by supporting new Sheets features and introducing developer metadata. 

If you’re new to using the Sheets API, be sure to check out the sample resources and videos on the developer site.

You may disregard this message if you do not use Google Cloud Print.

As of December 31, 2020 Google will no longer support Cloud Print, Google’s beta, cloud-based printing solution. Beginning January 1, 2021, devices across all operating systems will not be able to print using Cloud Print. We recommend that you find an alternative print solution and migrate your print services by the end of 2020. 

One alternative, MPrint, is U-M's printing service that allows campus community members to print from their computer or mobile device to many printers on campus. For devices running Chrome OS, Google recommends native printing (CUPS). For other devices or multi-OS scenarios, Google recommends the respective platform’s native-printing infrastructure or working with a print-solutions provider.

The monthly U-M Google Summaries inform the university community of Google releases for Core Apps as well as the Non-Core Apps (those that are not part of the G Suite for Education agreement). We communicate important information on Core Apps throughout the month. Core and Non-Core Apps are listed on the G Suite website.

Core Apps:

• Improvements to image carousels, table of contents, and buttons in new Google Sites

Google has added new options to recently released features in new Google Sites. You’ll now be able to:

• Add captions to images in an image carousel
• Set a transition speed for an image carousel
• Hide headings from a table of contents
• Choose between different styling options for buttons
• Dark mode available for Google Tasks on iOS

Google Tasks will now automatically follow the system default setting when it’s set to “Dark” on iOS 13. This feature is already available on Android. You can use Google’s Help Center to learn how to enable dark mode on your device.

• View the version history of a new Google Site

Google is starting to add version history for sites created in new Google Sites. Version history will roll out over the course of 2020 for both users creating new sites, as well as for previously existing sites.

Version history allows site editors to easily:

• Revert to previous versions of a site
• Restore deleted site content
• View the history of who has made changes to a site

Use Google’s Help Center to learn more about using version history and restoring the earlier version of a site.

• Review the latest changes to a new Google Site before publishing

Before publishing changes to your new Google Sites, you can now compare the currently published site with the soon-to-be-published draft site in an annotated, side-by-side view. You’ll automatically be prompted to “Review changes and publish” on every subsequent update after a site is initially published. You can turn this feature off on a per-site basis. See Google’s Help Center to learn more.

• Use Hangouts Meet with Internet Explorer 11

Google has added limited Hangouts Meet support in Microsoft Internet Explorer 11. You will need to download and install the latest version of the Google Video Support Plugin for Meet to run on Internet Explorer. See Google’s Help Center to learn more about supported browsers and some of the limitations of using Hangouts Meet with Internet Explorer.

Previously Communicated:

• Right-to-left language support for new Google Sites

Google has made a change to where you can find rooms and resources in a Google Calendar event. When looking to see what rooms or resources you have booked for an event, you’ll now see this information within the guest list and no longer in the location field.

This change prevents duplication of the room or resource in your event and allows you to clarify the geographic address of the event in the location field, giving your guests a clearer understanding of where they should be.

Note: If you wish to see an event location as part of your calendar view summary, you must add it manually to the location field.

According to Google, this feature should begin showing up in U-M Google on January 6 and could take 15 days or longer to become fully visible.

Google has added right-to-left language support in new Google Sites for the following languages:

• Arabic
• Farsi
• Hebrew
• Urdu

When you have your language set to one of the above, the site editing experience will adjust to place the editing sidebars and menus on the left-hand side of the screen instead of the right. Similarly, once a site is published, site viewers who have their default language set to one of the above will see navigation elements like menus reversed to match the right-to-left language.

According to Google, this feature should have begun to show up in U-M Google on November 12 and could take three days or longer to become fully visible.