U-M Google Updates / U-M Information and Technology Services

Save Time With New Custom Templates

1/12/2017

Hello,

Using templates can make work faster and easier, which is why Google is introducing custom templates in G Suite for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. Submit files to shared template galleries in the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms home screens for co-workers to adapt and use as needed. These templates will help your team focus less on formatting and more on getting the work done quickly and efficiently. To use a template, go to the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms homepage. There will be a selection of templates available at the top of the screen. Click on the template you want to use. The template will open in a new tab and you can get to work!

To save a file as a template you simply submit files to shared template galleries in the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms home screens. This will allow your co-workers to adapt and use them as needed.

Note: The old templates gallery will be turned off early 2017. This will give you time to transition to the new galleries. A message will be shared in the old gallery letting you know the exact date. It will not take place before February 1, 2017. The Collaboration Services Team

Custom URLs Not Available in New Google Sites

1/11/2017

Custom URLs make it easier for people to remember and find websites. Although popular, Google does not allow for custom URLs in the new version of Sites. Additionally, new Google Sites cannot be moved back to the Classic Sites version. The U-M Google team will monitor Google’s progress in this space and let you know if and when Google provides this functionality. If you feel strongly about this feature being missing from the New Sites, we encourage you to provide feedback to Google by selecting Report an Issue from the More Actions (gear icon) drop-down list in Google Sites.

The Collaboration Services Team

Cite Your Sources With Explore in Google Docs

12/16/2016

Hello,

Google has announced they are improving on the Explore feature in Google Docs to allow you to cite sources. With the click of a button in Explore in Docs on the web, you can insert citations from the web as footnotes. You can change the formatting of your citation making it easier to use MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. To cite a source, click Explore in the bottom-right of the screen. Enter search text and press Enter/Return. Then click Select citation format and make a style selection, the default is MLA. Then hover over the search result to cite and click Cite as footnote and a footnote is added to the Doc.

Google November Monthly Update

12/5/2016

The monthly U-M Google Updates 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 U-M Google List of Services page.

Core Apps:

New! You can export presentations in OpenDocument Presentation (ODP) format from Google Slides.
Gmail and Google Calendar just got a whole lot better on iOS! This is the biggest overhaul of the iOS app in nearly four years! Some of the exciting new things you can do are:
- Undo Send just like on the desktop
- Search faster with instant results and spelling suggestions
- Swipe to archive or delete items out of the inbox
- Spotlight Search support so you can search for Events, Reminders, and Goals in Apple’s Spotlight Search.
Notifications and more in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android. Notifications which are currently seen in Google Drive Android app are now visible in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps. In Sheets, you can now resize rows and columns, create and edit data validation, and change the color of tabs.
Trash view and more in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides mobile apps for Android. You can now view and restore previously deleted files and insert GIFs into documents.

Note: Keep in mind that even when non-core apps are found in a core app (like Google Drive), they are not covered by the G Suite for Education agreement.

New Google Sites Goes Live on 11/21

11/11/2016

Google Sites is beginning the transition from classic Sites to a completely new implementation of Sites starting on November 21, 2016 by making the new Sites the default option. Google Sites is one of the most popular products offered by Google and with the introduction of the new Sites there will be more options for customization and functionality. Some of the new exciting features include:

Drag-and-drop design experience
Real-time collaboration
Easy access to all your Google Apps content (Drive, Maps, Calendar, etc).
New and stylish themes and layouts

Important notes:

In 2017, Google will provide and recommend options to migrate your sites from classic Sites to new Sites.
Beginning in 2018, Google will send a timeline and instructions regarding the gradual process to shut down classic Sites. The specific date for the shutdown of classic Sites has yet to be set, but Google will inform you at least one year in advance of the shutdown.

If you’re interested in more information about the new Sites, Google has put together a Google Sites Help Center to help with the transition to the new Sites as well as a Learning Center for more information about the new sites.