U-M Google Updates

Two new formatting tools available in Google Docs

Google has introduced two new features in Google Docs to help with formatting your documents. These new features include:

  • Insert section breaks and view section breaks in Docs

You can now insert a next page or continuous section break in Google Docs by going to Insert > Break. From here, you can select Section break (next page) or Section break (continuous).

Note: both types of breaks will start where your cursor is located on the document.

To view where section breaks are located in a document, use the new show section breaks tool by going to View > Show section breaks. When Show selection breaks is enabled, you’ll see a blue dotted line where each section break is located.

Screenshot of what the new section breaks look like in Google docs
 

  • Adjust margins per section 

It’s now possible to use the ruler to adjust the left and right margins by section. Previously, it was only possible to adjust the margins for the entire document.

If you don’t make a selection, the ruler will adjust the margins for the section that corresponds to your cursor location. Or, you can highlight multiple sections of your doc to be adjusted.

You can also adjust margins per-section by going to File > Page Setup.


Interested in our latest updates about Google G Suite at U-M? Check out the Google Service Updates page.

New features for Google Slides Present mode

Google has announced that they are adding some new features in Present mode for Slides to make navigating a presentation easier while you’re presenting. With these new features, you’ll be able to:

  • Resize speaker notes and slide thumbnails in the presenter view 
  • Navigate to any specific slide with a keyboard shortcut
  • Control video playback with keyboard shortcuts
  • View all available Present mode keyboard shortcuts by clicking the new “tips” button in the presentation control bar. 

To resize speaker notes, at the top of the page, select Presenter View from the Present drop-down list and then drag the line divide between the slide preview and speaker notes to match your needs.

gif showing how to use the new resize speaker notes in google slides
 

To view a list of the new keyboard shortcuts at the top of the page select Present. Then at the bottom of the presentation in a black toolbar, select Tips: 

gif showing how to access the new keyboard shortcuts in google slides

Interested in our latest updates about Google G Suite at U-M? Check out the Google Service Updates page.

U-M Google June Monthly Summary

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:

Google has made two changes to footers in new Google Sites. These changes include:

  • Removing the current footer at the bottom of all new Sites, which contains the words “Made with new Google Sites…” and the “Create a site” button.

Before:

screenshot of the old Google Sites footer message

After:

gif of the new Google Sites footer interactive message

The “Report abuse” link (which is only shown in certain scenarios) is not being removed and can be found in the newly designed site info icon (lower left-hand corner on a site, like above) moving forward. 

  • Adding the ability for site editors to show the last time a page was updated via a newly designed site info icon.

 

  • Reminder: Google Classic Sites creation has been turned off for the U-M Google domain. If you have a business case which presents a need which can’t be fulfilled with new Sites, contact the Service Center.

 

  • Tip: Did you know? With link sharing in Google Drive you can allow everyone in the university to view, comment or edit a document. It’s important to make sure only the right people have access. Learn how to check this setting on your documents and restrict access at the Google Drive Help page.

 

Previously Communicated:

 

Note: Keep in mind that even when Non-Core Apps are found in a Core App (like Add-ons in Gmail and Google Drive), they are not covered by the G Suite for Education agreement.

Interested in our latest updates about Google G Suite at U-M? Check out the Google Service Updates page. 

 

A Friendly Reminder: Check Your SPAM Label Periodically

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 the 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.


Interested in our latest updates about Google G Suite at U-M? Check out the Google Service Updates page.

U-M reviewing Gmail confidential mode before release

You may have read in various news articles that Google announced it would turn on Gmail confidential mode for G Suite users on June 25. U-M, like many institutions, has disabled this feature to allow for appropriate review and analysis. ITS staff members in Collaboration Services and Information Assurance are working with the U-M Office of the General Counsel and others to better understand the new feature and its potential use at the university, as well as to determine what guidance and support might be needed for its use.