The U-M campus community may continue to use U-M Google+ as they always have. Google recently announced the expedited retirement of the consumer version of Google+. We have received assurances directly from Google that this change will not affect our G Suite for Education version.
U-M Google Updates
Google+ is Staying Around for UMICH
12/20/2018
New Google Contacts!
12/10/2018
Over the next few months, Google will completely replace old Google Contacts with new Google Contacts (also known as Contacts preview).
New Contacts launched in 2015 and Google added many features since then. With the recent launch of contacts delegation, new Contacts now has many comparable features from old Contacts, and more.
As a result, new Contacts will replace the older version, and it will be the only Google Contacts version after February 12, 2019. Similar to the new Gmail, the replacement process will take place in two stages:
Stage 1: Everyone upgraded to new Contacts, with the option to opt out
On January 15, 2019, new Contacts will automatically become the default version in our domain. When this happens, anyone using old Contacts will be moved to new Contacts. Individuals will still be able to revert back to old Contacts if they want until stage 2 (see below).
Stage 2: All users upgraded to new Contacts, old Contacts turned off
On February 12, 2019, old Contacts will be turned off completely, and anyone remaining in old Contacts will be moved to new Contacts. There will be no option to use the old version.
U-M Google November Summary
12/4/2018
The monthly U-M Google Summaries inform campus 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:
- Changes to the Google sign-in interface
Starting November 27, 2018, Google began to make some small changes to the appearance of the Google sign-in page. These follow changes made earlier this year, which updated the sign-in page to match other Google products. Specifically, you might notice outlines around some entry fields, and changes to the spacing and styling of other text on both the web and mobile screens. According to Google, the changes could take up to two weeks to reach all of campus. See the new Sign in screen. - Activity Dashboard is one click away in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings
Google added an Activity dashboard icon (a jagged arrow pointing upward) next to the comments button in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
Clicking the icon opens the dashboard, where you can analyze time statistics and adjust privacy and document settings. Hovering over the icon enables you to view the information others can see about you in the Activity Dashboard. To learn more about seeing the view history of your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files, consult the Help Center.
Previously Communicated:
- Add captions in Google Slides
- Gmail Offline Chrome App Removed
- Google Calendar SMS Notifications Ending
Note: Keep in mind that even when Non-Core Apps (like Add-ons) are found in a Core App (like Google Drive), they are not covered by the G Suite for Education agreement.
Google Calendar SMS Notifications Ending
11/28/2018
Google has announced that starting January 7, 2019, SMS notifications from Google Calendar will no longer be available. Calendar will still offer in-app notifications, regardless of your device or connection.
If you had previously been receiving Calendar notifications via SMS, they’ll be replaced with in-app and email notifications. You’ll see these notifications:
- As event notifications in a web browser that has Calendar open or a mobile device if you have the Google Calendar app for Android or iOS.
- In an email if you had set up SMS notifications for new events, changed events, canceled events, or event responses.
Google will also be making some changes to the Calendar API to support this change. Check out the Google Developers’ page to learn more.
Gmail Offline Chrome App Removed
11/28/2018
Google has heard feedback that people want to use the same Gmail app whether they’re online or off. A new offline feature makes that possible, allowing you to search, write, delete, and archive up to 90 days of messages, even when you don’t have an internet connection.
This native capability is easier to use and performs better than the Gmail Offline Chrome app, so Google is removing it from the Chrome Web Store after December 3, 2018. This is part of Google’s ongoing effort to move Chrome apps to the web.
In preparation, we recommend the following to use Gmail offline:
- Enable Gmail offline in the Gmail settings.
- Uninstall the Gmail Offline Chrome app (instructions included in the link in step 1).
To access Gmail while offline, use a Chrome web browser (v61 or higher).
Note: Gmail offline is only available in the new Gmail.