Tag Archives: Google Drawings

Changes to Google Workspace storage policies timeline

What’s changing

We’re extending the previously announced timeframe for upcoming changes to the Google Workspace storage policy. The updated timeline is:

  • June 1, 2021: High-quality photos will count towards Drive quota beginning June 1, 2021. There is no change to this timeline.
  • February 1, 2022: Any newly created Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files will count toward storage. Existing files within these products will not count toward storage, unless they’re modified on or after February 1, 2022. Read more in our Help Center.

Note that there are no changes to the previously announced dates for personal Google accounts.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users. Storage limits differ across Google Workspace and G Suite editions, but we estimate that the majority of users will not be affected by these changes. See “Getting Started” below for more information on determining storage usage across your organization.

Why it’s important

People are uploading more content than ever before—in fact, more than 4.3 million GB are added across Gmail, Drive, and Photos every day. These changes to our storage policy are necessary to provide our users with a great experience and to keep pace with the growing demand.



We recently announced changes to the pooled storage policy for Workspace for Education customers. As a part of these updates, to empower Google Workspace admins to adapt to this model and optimize their storage, we will provide new admin tools to identify and manage how storage is used and allocated before the policy goes into effect. We’ve decided to delay the count of Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files count toward storage quotas until that tooling is in place.

Getting started


Rollout pace

High-quality photos
Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard

Availability

  • These changes will apply to all customers with Google Workspace and G Suite licenses.

Resources

Changes to Google Workspace storage policies starting June 1, 2021

What’s changing

In 2021, we’ll make some changes to the way we store Google Photos, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard content that may impact your domain. Please see below for more details.

Google Photos
Starting June 1, 2021, any new photos or videos uploaded to Google Photos or Google Drive in High quality will count toward the storage limits for users in your domain. Currently, only photos and videos uploaded in Original quality count toward storage quotas. Please note that any photos or videos uploaded in High quality prior to June 1, 2021, will not be impacted by this change and will not count toward storage limits.

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard
Starting June 1, 2021, any newly created Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard files will also count toward the storage limits for users in your domain. Existing files within these products will not count toward storage, unless they’re modified on or after June 1, 2021.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users. Storage limits differ across Google Workspace and G Suite editions, but we estimate that the majority of users will not be affected by these changes. See “Getting Started” below for more information on determining how much storage each user in your organization is allotted.

Why it’s important

Over the past decade, Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos have helped billions of people securely store and manage their emails, documents, photos, videos and more. Today, people are uploading more content than ever before—in fact, more than 4.3 million GB are added across Gmail, Drive, and Photos every day. These changes to our storage policy are necessary to provide our users with a great experience and to keep pace with the growing demand.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability 

  • These changes will apply to all customers with Google Workspace and G Suite licenses. 

Resources

 

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

Quick launch summary 

We’re updating the interface which tells users about the file save status and whether they’re working online or offline in Google Docs editors and Drawings. The changes will help users understand where the file is saved, whether they’re connected to the network, and if the file is available to edit offline.

This is an update to the interface only - there are no changes in the underlying functionality. The changes you may notice include:

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


For users in domains where admins have turned off Docs editors offline access, we will adjust the message shown to users in order to minimize confusion regarding settings controlled by their admin. 

See images below for more details.

Getting started 



The saved file indicator is now next to the document name and features more descriptive text 


You can enable offline by clicking the document status icon 

Rollout pace 



Availability 


  • Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google Accounts. 

Resources 


Embed Google Drawings in Google Docs

What’s changing 

Now you can embed Google Drawings files saved in Drive into Google Docs and update the content of linked drawings embedded in Docs. When the source file is updated, you’ll see an “Update” button in the upper right hand corner of the embedded drawing.


Who’s impacted 

End users

Why you’d use it 

Instead of having to create drawings manually in a document, you can embed drawings from Drive in a document and refresh the content to keep it current. When you embed a drawing, the drawing is placed in the document, but linked to the original in Google Drawings. By using the “Update” button, you can update the drawing’s content with one click if changes are made to the source file. You can also choose to unlink drawings at a later date.

How to get started 


  • Admins: No action needed. 
  • End users: This feature can be accessed from the “Insert” menu in Docs. For further instructions, check out the Help Center. 


Helpful links 

Help Center: Create, insert & edit drawings 

Availability 

Rollout details 

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 7, 2019 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 7, 2019 


G Suite editions 

  • Available to all G Suite editions


On/off by default? 

  • This feature will be ON by default. 


Stay up to date with G Suite launches


Notice the new format for these launch announcements? Give us feedback on it here. 

Now your Activity Dashboard is one click away in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings

We’ve made it easier for you to open the Activity dashboard directly from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings. You’ll now see the Activity dashboard icon (a jagged arrow pointing upward) next to the comments button in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Clicking on the icon opens the dashboard, where you can analyze time statistics and adjust privacy and document settings. This gives you instant access to the Activity dashboard information you’re seeking. 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.

Launch Details

Release track:
Launching to Rapid Release, with Scheduled Release coming in 2 weeks

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace: 
Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact:All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information 
Help Center: See the view history of your Google Docs, Sheets & Slides

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Launch detail categories
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Use quick-access side panel to do more from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and more

We’re adding a quick-access side panel to the Docs editors and Google Calendar to help you quickly access other G Suite products without leaving what you’re working on. A similar side panel has been a popular feature of the new Gmail, and we hope that this integration will help you work more efficiently within and across G Suite.

You’ll be able to access three G Suite products from Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings:

  • Google Calendar: Quickly reference, create or edit invites. 
  • Google Keep: Easily take notes, create lists, and see your other content. 
  • Google Tasks: Manage your tasks and to-dos. 
You’ll also see the side panel in Google Calendar, where you’ll be able to use Keep and Tasks.


Launch Details 
Release track:
Launching to Rapid Release, with Scheduled Release coming in two weeks 

Editions: 
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace: 
Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact: 
All end users

Action: 
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information 
Help Center: Use Google products side-by-side 
The Keyword: With new security and intelligent features, the new Gmail means business


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Launch detail categories
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Improving the menus in Google Docs editors

Based on usage data and your feedback, we’re making some changes to the menus in the web versions of the Google Docs editors. These are similar to the changes we made in December and in January and will make it easier to find certain items.

Changes that affect all Docs editors menus (including Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets):
  • In the Tools menu, “Spelling” will be renamed “Check Spelling.”
  • In the Edit menu, “Select none” will be removed. 
  • Items in the File, Edit, and Tools menus will be reordered. 


Changes that only affect Google Sheets menus:
  • In the Data menu, “Filter” will be renamed “Create a filter.”
  • In the Data menu, “Validation” will be renamed “Data validation.”
  • Items in the Data menu will be reordered. 
  • Items in the Format menu will be reordered. 


These changes will only affect the visual menu on the web version of these products. All options will still be available via keyboard shortcuts and the search box in the Help menu.


Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid Release, with Scheduled Release coming in two weeks

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs
Help Center: Keyboard shortcuts for Google Sheets
Help Center: Docs editors homepage


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Launch detail categories
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Improved accessibility for Google Sheets, Slides, and Drawings

We want to make sure our products work well for everyone. That’s why, as part of our ongoing accessibility initiatives, we’re launching new features for Google Sheets, Slides, and Drawings. Specifically, we’re adding Braille support in Google Sheets, and screen magnifier support in Google Slides and Drawings.

Use Google Sheets with Braille displays

You can already use Braille displays to read and edit text in Docs, Slides and Drawings. Now we’re adding Braille support to Sheets as well. You’ll be able to use a Braille display to read and edit cell contents as well as navigate between cells in a sheet. At the moment, Braille support in Sheets will only be available on Chrome OS with the ChromeVox screen reader. We’re working to add support for other platforms and screen readers.

See our Help Center to find out how to use a Braille display with Sheets.

Use screen magnifiers with Google Slides and Drawings

We recently added screen magnifier support to Docs and Sheets. Now screen magnifiers will also work with Slides and Drawings.

You can use screen magnifiers with Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings on Mac and Chrome OS devices. See our Help Center to learn how to use screen magnifiers with Google Docs editors.

Launch Details

Release track:
Launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information


Help Center: Accessibility for Docs editors 
Help Center: Use a Braille display to read & enter text


Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Improved accessibility for Google Sheets, Slides, and Drawings

We want to make sure our products work well for everyone. That’s why, as part of our ongoing accessibility initiatives, we’re launching new features for Google Sheets, Slides, and Drawings. Specifically, we’re adding Braille support in Google Sheets, and screen magnifier support in Google Slides and Drawings.

Use Google Sheets with Braille displays

You can already use Braille displays to read and edit text in Docs, Slides and Drawings. Now we’re adding Braille support to Sheets as well. You’ll be able to use a Braille display to read and edit cell contents as well as navigate between cells in a sheet. At the moment, Braille support in Sheets will only be available on Chrome OS with the ChromeVox screen reader. We’re working to add support for other platforms and screen readers.

See our Help Center to find out how to use a Braille display with Sheets.

Use screen magnifiers with Google Slides and Drawings

We recently added screen magnifier support to Docs and Sheets. Now screen magnifiers will also work with Slides and Drawings.

You can use screen magnifiers with Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings on Mac and Chrome OS devices. See our Help Center to learn how to use screen magnifiers with Google Docs editors.

Launch Details

Release track:
Launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information


Help Center: Accessibility for Docs editors 
Help Center: Use a Braille display to read & enter text


Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Insert images more easily in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings

A picture is worth a thousand words... especially when you can add it to your document, presentation, or drawing quickly and easily. That’s why we’re making some improvements to the image insertion process in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings.

Going forward, when you select Insert > Image or click the Image button in Docs, Slides, or Drawings on the web, you’ll see the following options:

  • Upload from computer
  • Search the web
  • Drive
  • Photos
  • By URL



If you select “Upload from computer,” you’ll be taken to your computer’s file manager, which many users are familiar with. If you select “Search the web,” “Drive,” or “Photos,” you’ll be taken to a menu on the righthand side of your screen that is easier to navigate and more intuitive to use. You can also drag and drop images directly from this menu into your document. If you select “By URL,” you’ll be given the option to input the specific URL for an image.

These options should make it easier to enhance your documents, presentations, and drawings with images.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Insert or delete images or videos


Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates