Update these Google apps now before they stop working

July 1, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than ever are working from home. And one of the most popular sets of business productivity tools is Google’s G Suite.

Because of the demand, Google has been busy updating those apps, including its video conferencing service, Google Meet. Tap or click here to find out about a recent feature that’s been added to Google Meet to make your work video calls even easier.

But there’s something else you should know if you’re a regular mobile G Suite user: You need to update several of your apps soon, or take the risk that they stop working.

Update these apps now

According to a recent blog from Google, several G Suite apps, including Google Docs and Google Drive, will need to be updated to continue working. G Suite customers and Google mobile app users with personal Google accounts are the primary people who will be affected. Here’s why:

“In 2018, we began making changes to our API and service infrastructure to improve performance and security. As a result of these changes, some older versions of G Suite desktop and mobile apps may stop working on August 12, 2020. In particular, versions released prior to December 2018 may be impacted,” the blog states.

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According to Google, these changes were supposed to roll out in March, but Google realized a “few highly impacted customers might not have received the earlier notification” and pushed the update deadline further back.

“As a result, we are extending the deprecation timeline to August 12, 2020, when we will discontinue support for both these features,” Google stated in a recent developer blog.

How to update to the latest versions

To ensure your workflow is not disrupted, you should update the following Google apps to the latest versions as soon as possible:

Google Classroom for iOS
Google Docs for Android and iOS apps
Google Drive Android and iOS apps
Google Drive File Stream desktop app
Gmail iOS app
Google Sheets Android and iOS apps
Google Slides Android and iOS apps

Google Classroom for iOS

If you regularly use Google Classroom on an iPad or iPhone, you need to make sure you update the app before August 12 if you want to continue using it.

To update the app:

On your device, tap App Store.
Find and install the Google Classroom app.

Google Docs for Android and iOS apps

If you regularly use Google Docs on an Android or iOS device, you need to make sure you update the app or you’ll be unable to access your documents on mobile after the deadline.

To update the app on Android:

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Play app .
Find the Google Docs app .
Tap Install.

To update the app on iOS:

On your iPhone or iPad, open the App Store.
Find the Google Docs app .
Install the app.

Google Drive Android and iOS apps

Google Drive users on both Android and iOS need to make sure to update the app or it won’t work after the deadline.

To update the app on Android:

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Play app .
Find the Google Drive app.
Tap Install.

To update the app on iOS:

On your iPhone or iPad, open the App Store.
Find the Google Drive app.
Install the app.

Google Drive File Stream desktop app

Google Drive File Stream desktop app users also need to update their apps before the deadline or they’ll be locked out of the app.

To update the app on Windows:

Download GoogleDriveFSSetup.exe.
Run the installer in silent mode:
GoogleDriveFSSetup --silent --desktop_shortcut
The desktop_shortcut flag for Drive File Stream is optional. Users can also find Drive File Stream in the Windows Task Bar.
Drive File Stream includes desktop shortcuts to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides by default. You can turn the Docs editors shortcuts off by adding the
--gsuite_shortcuts=false parameter to the installer.
(Recommended) Uninstall Backup and Sync in your organization.
(Optional) Delete the Google Drive folder at Users%USER%Google Drive. Use caution deleting this folder, as it may contain content that has not yet been saved or synced.

To update the app on Mac:

Download GoogleDriveFileStream.dmg.
Run the installer in silent mode:
hdiutil mount GoogleDriveFileStream.dmg; sudo installer -pkg /Volumes/Install Google Drive File Stream/GoogleDriveFileStream.pkg -target "/Volumes/Macintosh HD"; hdiutil unmount /Volumes/Install Google Drive File Stream/
(Recommended) Delete the Backup and Sync applications.
(Optional) Delete the Google Drive folder at ~/Google Drive. Note: Use caution deleting this folder, as it may contain content that has not yet been saved or synced.

Gmail iOS app

Do you check your Gmail on your iPhone or iPad? Well, you’ll need to make sure you update your app before the deadline or you’ll be stuck using your browser for email access.

To update the app: