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Google+ will finally die for good in 2023 with 'Currents' shutdown
The public version of Google+ died in 2019, but now the version for businesses (Google Currents) will wind down starting next year.
Google+ was Google's attempt at building a social network, but it was finally shut down in April 2019 due to its unpopularity and API security problems. However, Google+ continued to live on for business accounts as 'Google Currents' in G Suite, where everyone in an organization or company could make posts and talk to each other. Google revealed on Thursday that Currents will go away soon, marking the official end of anything related to Google+.
Legacy G Suite accounts will be able to migrate their data to a free account
Google says it will offer an option to free G Suite users to move their data including non-Workspace paid content to a free Gmail account.
Back in the day, Google used to offer a free G Suite plan that allowed users to have a Google account with a custom domain. Google stopped offering this tier in 2012 but those who had created a free account were able to continue to use the service, up until now. Last week, Google began informing users that it was going to end support for free G Suite accounts, leaving users no choice but to upgrade to a paid plan or lose access to core Workspace features such as Gmail and Calendar. But it seems Google will offer an easy way to migrate your data to a Gmail account.
Google will force free G Suite accounts to paid plans, starting in July
Google stopped offering free G Suite accounts in December 2012, and anyone still using one will have to switch to a paid plan this year.
Google online accounts usually fall into one of two categories: free personal accounts with a @gmail.com address attached, and workplace accounts provided by a company or organization. There are also some Google accounts, which offer the custom domain ability of corporate accounts (e.g. having john@example as a Gmail account) for free, but now Google is cutting that option years after it stopped being offered.
Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Meet, etc. get new icons and features as part of G Suite's rebranding into Google Workspace
Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Meet, etc. get new icons and features as part of G Suite's rebranding into Google Workspace.
Earlier this year in July, we learned that Google was working on integrating Docs, Chat, and Meet with Gmail. And soon after the first leak popped up, Google announced the integration as an early access preview for G Suite customers. The company has now gone ahead and completely revamped G Suite as Google Workspace, with new features and icons for Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Meet, and more.
Google extends unlimited Meet calls for free users and adds noise cancellation on mobile for G Suite Enterprise users
Google extends unlimited Meet calls for free users until March 31, 2021 and adds noise cancellation on mobile for G Suite Enterprise.
When Google made Meet free for everyone to use, it came with the stipulation that, after September 30, call length would be limited to just one hour. If you wanted to make calls longer than that (up to 24 hours), you’d have to become a business user.
You can now collaborate on Microsoft Office files uploaded to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
Google is updating Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android with new collaboration tools for uploaded Microsoft Office files.
An update introduced to Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets on Tuesday allows Android users the ability to collaborate on Microsoft Office files.
Google rolls out Google Meet, Chat, and Rooms tabs in Gmail for G Suite customers
The Gmail mobile app and desktop site for G Suite customers are adding tabs that integrate Google Meet, Google Chat, and Google Rooms.
Google has a lot of different tools for staying productive while working from home, including Meet, Chat, and Rooms. Now, the search giant is adding tabs for each service inside the Gmail app, but only for G Suite customers at this time.
Google adds link previews, Smart Compose, and more to Docs, Sheets, and Slides for Android
The Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android are getting nifty new features: link previews, smart compose, and more.
Google on Wednesday introduced a slew of new features for Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android. The new features, which include Smart Compose and link previews, were previously made available for G Suite users on the web.
G Suite users can now edit Google Calendar events directly in Gmail or Google Docs
The Google Calendar shortcut in Gmail and Docs will soon be able to directly edit events, making it possible to do eveything you need from the side panel.
Gmail and Docs on the desktop, along with a bevy of other Google services, features a side panel with shortcuts to Google Tasks, Keep, and 3rd-party add-ons. Google Calendar is another one of these shortcuts and it allows you to view the schedule for a single day, add events, and delete events. Soon, it will allow you to also directly edit events.
Google Meet's background noise cancellation feature is pretty amazing
Back in April, Google announced a noise cancellation feature for Meet, and today we're getting our first look (or listen) at the remarkable results.
Google Meet, formerly known as "Hangouts Meet," has primarily been the company's video conferencing platform for G Suite users. Recently, however, Google opened Meet up to everyone as video calling has become much more common due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in April, Google announced a noise cancellation feature for Meet, and today we're getting our first look (or listen) at the remarkable results.
"Search Chips" help refine searches in Gmail for G Suite users
Gmail for G Suite users is getting more powerful search abilities thanks to a new feature called "Search Chips." It's rolling out now.
Gmail is a nearly ubiquitous method for communication, which is a good and bad thing. You can contact pretty much anyone if you have their email address, but that also means anyone can contact you if they have your address. This can lead to an inbox full of thousands of emails, which is why search is so important. Gmail for G Suite users is getting more powerful search thanks to "Search Chips."
Google is making a messaging app for G Suite that combines Gmail, Hangouts Meet/Chat, and Drive
Google will now be coming out with yet another messaging app, this time, dedicated to G Suite users, which will merge a bunch of other apps. Check it out!
You are probably already privy to the news that Google will be doing away with Hangouts sooner or later, and in doing so, they've broken it apart into two different services for G Suite enterprise users: Hangouts Meet, which serves as a platform for video chatting for online meetings, and Hangouts Chat, which helps users within an organization communicate easily and painlessly. While this solution works alright, it can be confusing for some enterprise users who may not be able to immediately tell the difference between the two apps just by the name, especially given how the regular Hangouts app still exists. Now, Google is aiming to fix this inconsistency and try and fix fragmentation by merging most of their work/enterprise-oriented solutions into a whole new service.
G Suite users get basic Google Assistant voice commands for Gmail and Google Calendar
Google is finally allowing G Suite accounts to use Google Assistant voice commands for Gmail and Google Calendar actions.
People who regularly use G Suite accounts often complain about the lack of features compared to regular Google accounts. The company has slowly been fixing this as of late with a bunch of features added back in April. Now, Google is finally allowing G Suite accounts to use Google Assistant voice commands for Gmail and Google Calendar.
Google confirms G Suite customers can't set reminders in Google Assistant
Much to the display of G Suite customers, Google has now confirmed that G Suite users can't set reminders using the Assistant.
Setting a reminder or an alarm is one of the first things one does when using the Google Assistant. It's the most basic functionality offered by the Assistant and I tend to use it every day. The feature was previously available to all Google Assistant users, however, it seems like Google has now removed the functionality for G Suite customers.
Google rolls out G Suite calendar integration with Google Assistant for some users
Google just started rolling out the ability to access the G Suite calendar via Google Assistant. This feature was first announced at Google Cloud Next 2019.
Google offers a plethora of services to its corporate users via G Suite. It has basic features like calendar and reminders, but also advanced stuff like hosting a website or creating a work email. Integrating corporate accounts with regular Google services is getting easier and easier. Google just started rolling out the ability to access the G Suite calendar via Google Assistant. This feature was first announced at Google Cloud Next 2019.
Zive Introduces its Desktop G Suite Client called "Kiwi for Gmail 2.0" for Windows
Zive introduces its desktop G Suite client called Kiwi for Gmail 2.0 for Microsoft Windows users. Services include Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, and more.
If you've been using Android devices as long as I have, then Google services have likely become a large part of your life - for better or worse. I use Gmail for all of my e-mail purposes, Google Docs/Sheets/Slides for document creation, Google Photos for my saving all of my best memories, and Google Drive for storing my files long-term. While each of these services have great applications available for Android and iOS, using G Suite services on the desktop is a different story. The only way to really use these services on a desktop OS such as Microsoft Windows 10 is to dedicate a browser tab to it - which is fine because it works the same on any machine. However, sometimes it's better to work from a dedicated desktop client for improved multi-tasking purposes, and to that end a company called Zive created a desktop G Suite client called Kiwi for Gmail 2.0. Initially only available for Apple's macOS, Zive is now extending support to users on Microsoft Windows.
Google Pushes Hangouts in a more Corporate Direction with Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat
Google is giving Hangouts it corporate and enterprise direction that it promised last year, with the launch of Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet. Read on!
If you ask anyone to sum up Google's messaging strategy, then you'll probably draw a blank stare. We've tried to come up with an answer ourselves, and have found that quite difficult. What started off with one app trying to provide a convenient messaging platform evolved into several different apps trying to compete for different (but often overlapping) sets of users, but then failing to deliver some key functionality that hinders their adoption.