Google Apps Update Roundup

Welcome to the May Edition of the Google Apps Update Roundup. The latest Google Apps deliver diversity and creativity to the workplace, regardless of its location. The top feature is mobile apps for Docs and Sheets, followed by Photos picker in Gmail Compose and Hangout links in Android Calendar app event views. Read on to find out how these features make tasks easier to control.

Google Docs and Sheets: Mobile apps let you work offline and on the go

It is convenient to pull a chair up to the computer at the office or home and create or redesign a document. Telecommuting and remote assignments give management, staff, and employees the flexibility to work on the go. It only makes sense to have an app to support the practice of taking business outdoors. Android technology introduces stand alone apps for documents and spreadsheets to download from either Google Play or the App Store. An app for slides is in the works.

The more technology offers, the more people use their Android-based devices to create, edit, and view content for school, work, and play. Users previously relied on finding their content in the Drive app. This is still a go-to source for organizing documents, presentations, photos, and more. The process has been streamlined to the stand alone applications. Excel documents can be found under the Sheets app and standard documents under the Docs app. PowerPoint presentations will be available under the Slides application.

Apps opened from Android devices list the most recently used documents in a list of recent files used. You save time by not having to scroll and search through all the documents. Syncing folders from your desktop to your android is easier using the To Go Premium Key. Cloud based storage is a valuable storage and transfer tool. Additionally, these apps support an offline mode, thus deleting the requirement for an internet connection to create and do. Simply create your document and save for upload or live publishing at a later time.

Spreadsheets, documents, and presentations supported by the To Go applications must be at least Word/Excel/PowerPoint 97 version or higher. Do you need to work on a document that does not meet this requirement? First open the file from your desktop and save it in a compatible format.

It is important to remember that not all formulas, functions, and macros are transferable to the To Go formatting restrictions. You may have to do some manual manipulation to get the results you want. Overall, the slight inconvenience is insignificant compared to how these mobile apps will increase productivity.

Gmail Compose and the Photos Picker

Insert an image from Google Photos, insert a URL link, or upload from your files. The recent launch in Gmail Compose lets the user use the “insert image” button to put images where you want them. Include a picture with the body of the text or add it as an attachment.

Hangout Links in Android Calendar App Views

Conveniently join a meeting by way of the Hangouts. Simply click a link to be instantly connected to the conversation. The updated Calendar app on Android mobile devices views pending meeting events and has the Hangouts link ready. If a Hangouts Video call has been added to the calendar, just click “Join Hangout” link. These “Hangout” calls will display the same as your non-named calls, as Hangout names are not visible in the link.