U-M Google Updates

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

Updates:

• New document save status and offline indicator for Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Google is updating the Google Docs editors and Drawings interface which tells you about the file save status and whether you’re working online or offline. This is an update to the interface only - there are no changes in the functionality.

The changes you may notice include:

• A new location for the document save status next to the document name. 
• A more descriptive text to indicate whether a document is saved to the cloud (when online) or to the device (when offline). 
• A new way to enable offline by clicking on the document status icon. Previously, you had to go to File > Make available offline.

• New comment interface for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android

Google is updating the user interface for comments and action items in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides mobile apps for Android.

The changes you may notice include:

• Larger, clearer interface to make it easier to see comments and their context in a document. 
• Shortcuts and gestures to help you quickly scroll through and respond to multiple comments. 
• Quick access button to reply, “@” mention someone, and assign action items.
• Improvements to layouts in Google Meet

Google is making improvements to the Google Meet Tiled layout to allow you to see other attendees even when someone is presenting. Presentations will appear in a large tile, with the most active participants to the side or bottom. When you choose a new layout, this layout will be automatically saved as your preferred layout. This means it will be automatically applied for your future meetings until you select a new one. Google has also made some minor improvements to the Meet interface to better utilize the space on your screen.

• Share to Classroom and Cast for Education Chrome extensions are being discontinued

Google will be discontinuing the Share to Classroom and Google Cast for Education Google Chrome extensions on August 15, 2020. The most common uses for these two extensions can be replicated with the tools and features offered by Google Classroom, Docs editors, and Meet.

• New chart axis customization in Google Sheets: tick marks, tick spacing, and axis lines

Google is adding a few new features to help you customize chart axes in Google Sheets and better visualize your data in charts.

The new options are:

• Add major and minor tick marks to charts. 
• Customize tick mark location (inner, outer, and cross) and style (color, length, and thickness). 
• Set the precise numeric spacing between major and minor axis ticks or grid lines. 
• Choose to show or remove the line that marks the axis.

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

This is a reminder that beginning January 1, 2021, devices across all operating systems will not be able to print using Google 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. Note: Due to COVID-19, many printers are unavailable across the university. To find a list of available printers, see the Shared Computing Site Directory - COVID-19 Temp Operations spreadsheet.

Google has announced they will be transitioning Google+ over to an updated service called Google Currents. Starting on July 6, 2020, you will begin to lose access to Google+ and all existing communities will begin the transition to Currents. No action is required by you or your team.

Google Currents is a rebranding of Google+ with an updated interface and a set of new features. Currents offers a more streamlined experience to collaborate on and exchange ideas across the university. For more information, see Get started with Currents.

What should I expect?

• All users and existing Google+ content will be automatically transitioned to Currents.
• All existing links to plus.google.com will continue to work. These links will automatically be redirected to currents.google.com.
• The Google Currents Android and iOS apps will replace Google+’s mobile apps, which will no longer be supported. Within your Google+ app, you will be prompted to upgrade to the new Currents app to continue to use the service on mobile. If you have auto-update enabled on your phone, your app will be automatically upgraded to Currents.
• In the days prior to the transition, you may see a banner in Google+ notifying you of the launch of Google Currents. The banner will also include links to relevant G Suite Help Center articles.
• There will be no option to revert back to Google+.

According to Google, this transition will begin on July 6, 2020, and could take 5 days or longer to complete.

When was the last time you checked your spam label in Gmail? Once in a while, a legitimate email can be marked as spam instead of appearing in your Inbox. We recommend you check your spam label periodically for legitimate emails that may appear there by mistake. If you do find a message that has been accidentally marked as spam, you can select it and click Not Spam in the top toolbar to help ensure that future messages from this sender are not flagged as spam. Additionally, adding colleagues to your Google Contacts can help with mail delivery.

Google has announced a new quick settings menu to help you find and use different layouts, settings, and themes to make Gmail look the way you want it.

Note: This update only adds an easier way to access settings that already exist in the full Gmail settings menu. There are no new settings and your existing settings won’t be changed. You can still view the full settings menu by clicking the “See all settings” button at the top of the new quick settings menu.

When you click on the Settings gear icon, you’ll now see different interfaces, inbox types, and display options alongside your inbox. When an option is selected, the inbox will instantly update so you can compare choices and see how settings work in real-time.

Gmail has many options to customize layout, look and feel, and other details. These include:

• Changing the density of text and information displayed.
• Choosing a different inbox type to help prioritize and organize emails. 
• Adding reading panes to quickly see email contents. 
• Applying themes to personalize the look and feel of your inbox.

According to Google, this feature should begin showing up in U-M Google on June 22, 2020, and could take 15 days or longer to become fully visible.