Will I still have access to Outlook after the switch to Google Workspace?

No, all access to Microsoft will be turned off after we move, so you will need to use Google Workspace for all emailing and calendaring after your scheduled launch date. 

If you notice any issues with your Google account (i.e. missing data, etc), please report your issues using the Migration Issue Tracker form here or through our normal support channels.

When will I get access to Gmail and Google Calendar?

You can check the migration timeline here to see when your Gmail and Calendar will cutover.  If you previously had access to the collaboration suite (Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides), then you will continue to have access while the migration takes place.  You can start using the messaging tools (Google Meet and Google Chat) through your existing company account now.

Where do I go if I need help with Google Workspace?

Visit the Getting Ready for Google page for guidance related to what you can expect on your first days using Google Workspace, and visit our Learn by App page for training materials organized by product (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, etc).  You can also email GoingGoogle@saddleback.com to ask questions about the move to Google Workspace. 

What are the differences between Outlook and Google Workspace?

Visit the Switching to Gmail and Switching to Calendar pages to see the key differences between Outlook and Google Workspace.

Do I need to create a Chrome profile for my Google Workspace account?

Yes! We encourage you to create a Chrome profile when you sign in to Google Workspace. See instructions here on the steps you need to take.

Can I still sign up to be a Google Guide?

Thank you for your interest!  We have closed the sign-up sheet for Google Guides.

What if I don’t have access to the internet?

Google Workspace allows for offline collaboration in Drive and offline email access. 

• Offline access in Drive: Enable offline access in Drive settings > Enable any file you want to have the ability to work offline. You will now be able to view and edit the documents while on the go. Once internet is restored, changes will sync to Google Drive. Check out this user guide to learn more. 

• Offline access in Gmail: View historical email (up to 30 days).  You can draft messages and send once internet is restored. Check out this user guide to learn more. The initial download of mail does tend to use more of your internet in the beginning and can impact browser performance. If you choose to turn on offline access, we recommend enabling offline mail over the weekend and limiting it to the past 30 days.

What is going to happen to SharePoint?

SharePoint data will be moved to Google Drive under the Shared Drives section. You will be granted equivalent permissions in the shared drives that your SharePoint files are migrated into. 

Will I still receive my Cisco deskphone voicemails to my email after the switch?

Yes!  However, there will be a slight change to how voicemails are managed with your Gmail inbox.  Please click here for more information about your deskphone voicemail.

What tools are in scope for the transition?

Check out our guide here for more information on what is in scope for our Google Workspace transition. 

Will I be able to use Google Workspace Apps on my phone?

Yes! Simply download the Workspace applications from the Google Play Store or iOS App Store and sign into your Google Workspace account.

Will my existing emails and folders in Outlook be migrated to Google Workspace?

Yes, your existing emails and folders will be migrated from Outlook to your new Gmail mailbox. Folders will be replicated as “labels” in Gmail but will reflect the folder names and hierarchical structure from Outlook. Attachments in emails will be moved. If the attachment is over the Gmail size limit, they will get migrated to a folder in Drive and linked to the email. 

Will my existing shared calendars in Outlook be migrated to Google Workspace?

Yes, shared calendars will be migrated to Google Calendar and delegation/access will be automatically granted as part of the migration process, based on the existing delegation settings in Outlook.

Will my OneNote data be migrated to Google Workspace?

No, OneNote data will not be automatically migrated. We recommend manually transferring important notes to Google Keep or Google Docs. See instructions on migrating OneNote data and how to switch to Google alternatives here.

What are the Google alternatives to OneNote?

We encourage using Keep, Tasks, or a Google Doc for all note taking needs.

Will Microsoft Office templates be automatically converted to Google format (i.e. Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc)?

No, all Microsoft Office templates will be migrated to Google Drive and stored in their respective format (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). 

Can I edit a Word / Excel / PowerPoint file in Google Drive?

Yes, most Office 365 formats will allow you to access them in Google Drive and edit the document without having to convert the file.

Can password-protected Microsoft Office files be opened and/or edited in Google Workspace?

No, password-protected files will present an error when opening in Google Drive and cannot be previewed, edited, or converted to a Google editor format.  In order to work on protected files in Google Workspace, you will need to open them in Microsoft Office and remove the password protection prior to uploading to Drive.

Can I stop messages from being grouped into conversations?

Yes.  Click the gear icon in the top-right of Gmail and scroll down to Conversation View.

• Conversation View off: New messages won't be grouped into conversations, and any existing conversations are ungrouped into separate messages.

• Conversation View on: Messages with the same subject are grouped together in a conversation thread. If you want to send a reply, but don't want it to be added to the conversation, you can change the subject line in your reply.

Can I recall a message I already sent?

Yes. With Gmail's Undo Send feature, you can recall a message for a brief period of time after you send it. For more information, see Undo sending your mail. 

When should I delete a message versus archive it?

Deleting or archiving a message removes it from your inbox.

If you delete a message, it's placed in the Trash and then permanently removed from your Google Workspace account after 30 days.

If you archive a message, it's moved to All Mail (your archive), where you can easily find it in the future using Google's powerful search feature. Messages remain in your archive forever unless you choose to delete them or unless your company limits the retention of your mail.

Because you have plenty of space for storing all your mail (unlimited), we recommend that you archive messages rather than permanently delete them.

What is the size limit on sending/receiving attachments?

Gmail has a 25 MB limit on all sent email, and allows receiving emails up to 50 MB. 

Tip: With Google Drive, there's no need for attaching files on emails. Simply save the file to Google Drive and share the link!

How do I set Gmail to the default email program to open when clicking email links?

In Chrome, go to mail.google.com. While viewing your Gmail page, click the diamond-shaped icon in the far-right side of the address bar at the top. Click Allow to allow mail.google.com to open all email links.

How do I pop messages out to view, reply, or compose?

You can enable keyboard shortcuts from your Gmail settings and then use the following shortcuts:

• Shift-click on a message = to pop it out to read it

• c = to compose a new email

• d  = to compose a new email in a new tab in your browser

• shift + r = to pop out reply window

• shift + a = to pop out reply all window

Is there a way to automatically spell-check my emails?

The 'more options' arrow in the bottom-right of the compose window gives you the option to check spelling in your email before sending. Gmail automatically shows a red underline in messages for common spelling errors.

How do I add a label to an email that I am composing?

While viewing the compose window, click the 'more options' arrow in the bottom-right, hover over Label and select one of your labels from the list. Note: this option is available when composing new messages and not when replying/forwarding.

Can I drag and drop attachments from one email to another?

No, for security and bandwidth-saving benefits, Gmail handles attachments differently than other email programs. By not automatically downloading attachments, you lessen the risk of getting a virus on computer. To save an attachment, hover over it and click one of the icons to download the file and save to your computer, or add the file to Google Drive.

Why is Gmail filtering legitimate emails as spam?

Gmail’s spam filtering may be a little aggressive, but you can train it to be better if you notice legitimate emails are going into your Spam label. There are two options to better use Gmail spam and prevent similar emails in the future:

• Show your Spam label in the left side of Gmail 

  • Hover over the Spam label, click the menu to the right side, choose “Show in label list” 

• When legitimate mail is filtered as Spam: 

  • Go to your Spam label, select the email and click the Not Spam icon at the top of the screen

  • Add the sender to your My Contacts

My inbox/label/trash is only displaying emails from the past few days. Where did the rest of my messages go?

To ensure fast loading speeds, Gmail only displays 50 emails at a time by default. To view the next 50 emails, you’ll need to click the “older” button located in the top-right corner of Gmail. 

Hint: you can increase your default page size to 100 messages by going to “Gear > See all settings > General > Maximum page size.”

The number of messages in my Gmail inbox on day 1 was fewer than in my Outlook inbox. Am I missing emails?

This discrepancy may be attributable to the “conversation view” setting in Gmail. By default, Gmail groups message replies together in “conversations.” Each conversation is tallied as one item for purposes of your inbox count in Gmail, even though a conversation may consist of many individual messages. Because Outlook displays each reply separately, the inbox count is typically higher in Outlook.

I don’t see my additional mailboxes in Gmail.  How do I access my shared mailbox(es)?

In Gmail, shared (i.e. team, department, property) mailboxes are not displayed on the left-hand side of your inbox. Instead, when opened, each additional mailbox will be displayed in a separate browser tab. To open a shared mailbox, click the “Account” button in the upper-right corner of Gmail (hint: this is the button with your profile picture or initial). Next, select the additional mailbox you wish to open from the menu.

Can I sync my Gmail account to a desktop email client (such as Outlook, Apple Mail, etc)?

No, you will need to access Gmail through the Chrome Browser on your computer.

Can I access Gmail on the native mail client on my mobile device?

No, you will need to access Gmail through the Gmail app on your mobile device. 

Does Gmail support categories and color coding like Outlook?

Gmail does not have a separate functionality for creating “categories” like Outlook. Instead, Gmail has labels that can be used as “categories” or “folders” depending on how they are configured. Labels can be assigned colors so that they stand out in your inbox in much the same way as categories in Outlook. Labels can also be applied to messages automatically based on predefined parameters called “filters.”  Your existing Outlook categories will be migrated to Gmail as labels, which can be associated with any filters you choose to create.

Does Gmail have a way to save email templates for reuse?

Yes, you can enable templates in Gmail by going to Gear > See all Settings > Advanced. Once the feature is enabled you can save a draft email as a template (or insert an existing template) by clicking the “three dots” menu at the bottom right corner of the draft window.

How do I create signatures in Gmail?

You can set up multiple signatures in the Gmail settings by going to Gear > See all Settings > General. Check out this user guide on how to create a signature. 

What will happen with our distribution lists (DL) in Outlook? 

Distribution lists will be migrated to Google as part of our Global Go-Live.  

For Early Adopters during the coexistence period, you can copy the members of the DL from Outlook and paste into the bcc field of the email you are composing in Gmail. 

Will I be able to use both my personal and work email? 

Yes, you’ll need to create separate Chrome profiles so you can toggle between your work and personal accounts. It helps to have a different account image for each profile, and you can even change the background color of the browser for a particular profile.

Will PSTs be migrated?

No, PST files in Outlook will not be migrated to Gmail.

Why is email going to Spam that isn’t spam? 

Gmail employs a number of AI-driven filters that determine what gets marked as spam. Google will also learn from your behavior -  if you receive an email in your spam folder that is not spam and move it to your inbox, Google will adjust its filtering process. You can learn more about Google’s spam filtering here.

How do I use threaded replies in Chat to more easily follow the conversation?

• Hover over the message you want to reply to.

• On the right, click the chat icon next to the emoji icon.

• The thread panel will then appear to the right of the space. Enter your message in the message in the thread panel.

Will I be able to Chat with users outside the organization?

Yes, you will be able to chat with third-party user accounts that also use Google Chat.

Does Calendar have event reminders?

Yes, you can choose how (pop-up message, email, or both) and when to be notified. To change your notification settings:

1. On your Google Calendar page, click the gear icon in the top right and select Settings

2. In the left side panel (under "Settings for my calendars"), click on your Calendar

3. Scroll to the Event notifications section

4. Choose how and when you want to be notified about different events and updates

Can I see who accepted my invitation?

Yes, open the event details to check guest attendance.

1. In Calendar, open your event

2. Under Guests, you can see the responses from your guests:

• If someone accepted your invitation, you’ll see a green check mark next to their name

• If someone responded Maybe to your invitation, you’ll see ? next to their name

• If someone declined your invite, you'll see a red X next to their name

Can I propose a new time for a meeting?

Yes. You can propose an alternative time for an event invitation by sending your new proposed date/time to the event organizer:

1. In Calendar, click once on the event

2. In the "Going" section at the bottom, click on the down-arrow next to YES, NO and MAYBE

3. Choose "Propose a new time"

4. In the left side of the new page, select the proposed Start and End date/time

5. Click SEND PROPOSAL

Will we be able to see everyone's availability in calendars like we can in Outlook?

Yes, by default the free/busy status (not meeting details) of all calendars will be available in Google Calendar. However, employees are able to change their preferences in Google Calendar to increase or decrease the visibility of their individual calendars as necessary.

How can I view additional calendars that have been shared with me in Google Calendar?

If you have access to additional calendars in Google Calendar, you can toggle them on/off using the check boxes located in the left-hand sidebar. If multiple calendars are selected, they will all be displayed simultaneously. However, if you change your calendar view to “Day,” the calendars will be displayed in parallel columns. Each calendar is assigned a unique color to help differentiate between them when viewing multiple calendars.

Why am I not seeing calendar notifications? 

If you set calendar notifications in Google Calendar (from the gear icon top right > notification settings) and are still not receiving desktop notifications, you’ll want to check your workstation and Chrome notification settings to ensure Calendar notifications are not being snoozed/blocked. Please follow the steps here.

Is there a way to share your calendar to organize external meetings? 

Yes! You can create an appointment schedule. See the following support article for more information to learn how. 

Will my Team Calendars be migrated?

Yes.  If the original owner of the team calendar is also migrating (i.e. still with the organization), the owner of the Team Calendar will be given access in Google.  If the original owner is not migrating (because they have left the organization, etc), you will need to export the calendar from Outlook and import it into Google. Click here for instructions.

Can I get the chat history from my meeting?

The creator of the Meet has the ability to go to Meet settings and toggle on "attendance tracking". If the Meet is then recorded, the attendance report, meeting recording, and chat history will automatically be saved to the host's Google Drive in a folder called meeting recordings. The meeting creator can access the attendance tracking setting by clicking the gear icon to the right of the blue meet button in the calendar event.

Can I paste images into the chat window within Google Meet? 

No, while you can’t paste an image into the chat within Meet, try the alternative ways to share content with the attendees of the call:

• • Use a chat space with the attendees of the Meet where you can share images

  • Share a browser tab or view of an application in the meeting

How can I add a custom background to Google Meet?

When you are in the Meet, on the bottom right of your self view, click the icon for 'Apply visual effects'. From here you can select a pre-uploaded background or upload your own image for your background. Check out the full steps here.

How do I access Google Drive?

You can access Google Drive from your Chrome Browser by going to drive.google.com.

What is the difference between My Drive and Shared Drive?

My Drive is similar to OneDrive.  We encourage you to use this space to store all materials that only you need to access (i.e. HR forms, internal notes, expense reports, etc).  Shared Drive is similar to Sharepoint.  We will use these Shared Drive spaces to collaborate with teams and departments.  All files stored in a Shared Drive space will give automatic access to whoever else is added to the space. 

How can I find files or folders in Google Drive?

You can always search for the file or folder you're looking for using the search bar found at the top of your screen. Google has a powerful search engine, so it can be pretty easy to find what you are looking for. Narrow down your search results even more using the Search Chips feature.

How can I keep Google Drive organized?

There are several options for keeping your Drive organized, including: starring, shortcuts, and sorting. 

• • Starring - For files and folders that you access frequently, we encourage using the star option. Simply right-click on that file/folder > Add to starred. You will now find all starred documents living in the "Starred" space in Google Drive.

  • Shortcuts - Have a file or folder that you want a shortcut added to another space? Simply right click > add shortcut > and move the shortcut to another place. This is NOT moving the file itself, but simply creating a hyperlinked shortcut.

  • Sorting - Use the sort option to sort your view by: Name, Last modified, Last modified by me, or Last opened.

Can I edit a Word / Excel / PowerPoint file in Google Drive? 

Yes, most Office 365 formats will allow you to access in Google Drive and edit the document without having to convert the file.  If you opened an Excel file and the existing pivot table or macros are not working as expected, download the file locally on your computer and open it with your Excel application.

Can password-protected Microsoft Office files be opened and/or edited in Google Workspace?

No, password-protected files will present an error when opening in Google Drive and cannot be previewed, edited, or converted to a Google editor format.  In order to work on protected files in Google Workspace, you will need to open them in Microsoft Office and remove the password protection prior to uploading to Drive.

Will track changes, redlining, and commenting in Word transfer to Google Docs?

Yes, track changes and redlining convert to suggestions in Docs; comments will convert to comments. 

Can I use a PowerPoint file in Google Slides?

Everything in PowerPoint should come over except GP standard font, charts, or complex tables. Charts in Slides are created from a Sheet, so any charts in PowerPoint will be an image. Any edits to a chart will need to be recreated in Slides first.

Please note: While our primary font has not changed, G-P Polysans is not accessible by Google. Please use DM Sans when using Google Slides or Google Docs. All other materials will continue to use G-P Polysans.

Can I use an Excel file in Google Sheets?

Yes, opening an Excel file in your Google Drive web view, you will be able to view and make edits to the document with the real time collaboration in Google Drive. 

There are a few features that do not convert properly including: Macros, advanced formulas (see list of advanced formulas here), links to other docs and any Excel file larger than 10 million cells, or if the file itself is larger than 10mb. If the following issues occur, they will need to be recreated in Google Sheets.

I am trying to open an Excel file in Google Drive but it says the file is too large. What should I do?

Although Google Sheets is compatible with most Excel files, there are occasional limitations within Sheets. For instance, Google Sheets has a file limit of 10 million cells or sheet sets larger than 10mb. Anything larger than that will need to be accessed from the native app.