Google is constantly updating its products, and we thought it would be helpful to update you on the comings and goings related to some of the Google products we use on a day-to-day basis here at Miami.

Global settings change coming soon to Miami Google Calendars

Beginning Monday, November 24, there will be a global settings change implemented to Miami’s Google Calendar. This change will affect how your calendar accepts invitations. Currently, by default, the Add invitations to my calendar setting is set to “From Everyone”. That default will be changed to: “Only if the sender is known”.

Please note that if you have changed this setting yourself at any point, the change on November 24 will not affect you. Your current setting will stay the same as it is currently.

For further clarification, the “Only if the sender is known” will allow calendar invitations to automatically show up on your calendar if the sender is:

• Someone with a MiamiOH.edu email address
• Someone you have added calendar entries from in the past
• Someone in your Contacts list

For more information about this change, and for instructions on how to manually change this setting, please visit the IT Services News article.

Set sharing expirations on files and folders in shared drives

Google previously introduced the option to set expirations on files that reside in shared drives using the Google Drive API. Now, they are bringing the ability to set expiring access for files and folders in shared drives directly from the sharing dialog for temporary collaborators, ensuring access is automatically revoked and eliminating the need for manual cleanup. This feature brings the ease and security of My Drive access controls into your collaborative shared drives.

For shared drive folders, you can now apply an expiration date specifically to the Viewer role. This setting is easily accessible in the folder's sharing dialog, helping you automatically remove read-only access when a collaborator's temporary need is finished.

Please note that these changes are only available to Miami faculty and staff. Also, you can only set sharing expirations on Web and Android phones. Expirations cannot be set on iOS devices in My Drive or shared drives.

For more information about these changes, please visit the Google Help Center to learn more about how to manage expiring access in shared drives.

Your Google Workspace questions, asked and answered

In addition to the new features and changes coming down the pike from Google, our Miami teams have also been busy working on our own online resources. 

The newly redesigned Google Workspace website is a resource for information about your Google account at Miami. No matter your primary role (e.g., faculty, staff, student, emeriti, retiree, etc.), you will find important details about how much data you can store in Drive, when your account will go away after you are no longer affiliated with Miami, and more. 

Check it out!

Scripts using Google Forms APIs need to be updated

Google will soon be making a change to Google Forms APIs that will affect how some users create and share forms with APIs. Forms created via API will require publishing before sharing after March 31, 2026. After that date, forms created using any API will be in an unpublished state, mirroring forms created by UI. Users will need to explicitly publish them before they can accept responses.

Basically, Google is bringing the same granular control capabilities of who can respond to their forms for forms created and shared with APIs as they gave to general Forms creators In December 2024.