No cost option waiting list

[Sahin]

I have G Suite legacy free edition. Now Google changes the services. I got the message below. But I cannot find how to join this waiting list in the Admin console. Any support will be much appreciated. 

"If you want the no cost option, you need to join this waiting list in the Google Admin console before June 1, 2022, so your account is not automatically upgraded to Google Workspace. Those on the waiting list will remain on the G Suite legacy free edition until the no-cost option is available. Once the no-cost option is available, we’ll be in touch with more details on what will happen to your account. You will have 60 days to evaluate the no-cost option or choose Google Workspace before any changes are made to your account."

[MZett]

For those worried loosing data or alike or just wanna put their data into a personal account:

I did have a chat with a Google support engineer. If and only if you choose the no cost option, you can close that one down after the accounts are converted into the no cost option. When closing down the no cost option "subscription", you can opt to let Google convert all accounts into personal Google Accounts without @gmail.com address. Same like if you now register a personal Google account with user@example.org as login.

After that you could even add a @gmail.com address to the accounts if you want to.

For you emails I'd suggest stay away from MS 365 family. It has nothing in common with company MS 365 and is strongly limited. Better go to a provider like Zoho. Zoho at least also offers a good toolkit for migrating your users emails.

[ajcumbo]

Hello

I have heard that google will not be offering gmail accounts, do we know if that is correct

[ADL]

My understanding is that if a user wants to continue using the @gmail.com domain for email services then there is no change, this will remain as is. however, the issue is with personal domains linked to google for hosting emails. For this Google is imposing a subscription fee per email address. Do comment if my understanding is not correct.

This is that challenge that we face since we have a domain linked to Google for hosting emails and I have 10 email IDs paying US$6 per user per month is an unforeseen and unexpected expense that I never planned for!

[FredBrooker]

you can use Cloudflare Email Routing (free) to route any domain related emails to multiple boxes, even use programmatic routing via Workers

[kim_nilsson]

If it's for personal use, you can now stay with Legacy.

https://admin.google.com/?action_id=SE_SELF_TRANSITION

[MZett]

This is correct as in you can't continue using your user@example.com Account with Google for receiving emails with the no cost option. What will be possible is to cancel the no cost option and convert to personal accounts with a custom email login. This does not include Gmail with that custom email address. You can do same already since years when creating a Google account. Just go to google.com, go to login, and there to "create account" and choose "Use my current email address instead.

If you have such a personal account or did convert your users to such, the individual users can click on gmail and then they have to option to add gmail. But not with the custom email address, but with a new @gmail.com address. If they want to, they can opt for that, but they don't have to. They can continue using every Google service like any normal personal account out there except for gmail.

You even have an extra benefit compared with any workplace account including the no cost option. You can use services like the family library or Google One if you want to.

The only drawback and that was hard for me to swallow as well, is that you have to search for a new mail hosting, if you wanna continue the same email address.

One extra hint: If you migrate your emails now and of course don't delete your Gsuite legacy, like me, you can disable Gmail in your admin panel and the next time your users try to access gmail on their android devices the gsuite legacy mail will disappear there. At least that was my experience. That helps preventing to confuse your users (in my case expecially my mum).

[davidtaubmann]

If you are talking about loosing the Mail service app (gMail) inside the Google Workspace Legacy accounts that stay in the no-cost option, I totally agree with that saying.

Reading all the information, and checking the options (like opening a new Google account with personalized domain having email service somewhere else), it's almost obvious we (no-cost subscribers) will be converted into such Google Accounts having 15GB for docs and access to almost all apps, except for the Mail service (gMail).

And as long as I've tested, that's exactly what happens to the accounts when activating "Cloud Identity Free"  on a migrated panel, and removing them the GW licence.

So, again, if you are talking about loosing the email app (gMail), that's seems to be for sure.

[dawnfantasy]

that's great, if google is able to convert existing domain accounts into google accounts without @gmail.com. Save us from registering again and retains data while using other google products (map, calendar, contacts, Youtube, login via Google, etc)

[MZett]

I hope you understood it right, they won't convert your users from Gsuite legacy directly to personal accounts, nur will they do that with your accounts if you upgrade to workplace. It will only be possible from the no cost option.

Google support told me it'll only work with subscriptions wich do not include Gmail. Means :

• Gsuite legacy: No
• Google workplace: No
• Google workplace essentials: Yes
• The infamous "no cost option", which probably is a conversion to "workplace essentials starter" anyways: Yes

[dawnfantasy]

Yes, you made that clear. Thx.

[kim_nilsson]

If it's for personal use, you can now stay with Legacy..

https://admin.google.com/?action_id=SE_SELF_TRANSITION

[ern]

how did you manage to talk to Google support engineer ?

[MZett]

You can start a suppor session within the admin panel. Biggest problem is to get from 1st level support, which us basically useless to 2nd level. Took me a while.

[ern]

tried it but could not move away from the robot to human support.

The option must be very well hidden

[MZett]

Try this, that should be the way I used last time:

• click "Support" in your admin panel
• click "Contact Support"
• click "I'm interested in the no-cost option"
• click "How do I sign up for the no-cost option?"
• click "I need more help"
• Type your question and send it
• Scroll down
• click "This didn't help, continue to Support"

But a fair warning, you still have to get from what they called the "generalist departnemt" to the "specialist team". That might take some time. Getting there was rather frustrating. A lot of answers hat nothing to do with my questions or at least didn't answer them.

[longshaden]

if only the shibboleet was real

[NebojsaKrstic]

I am aware that MS365 family is not the same. I can't stand the IDEA of moving and doing all of what I have to do. But they are purposely doing this, they are not a small shop.

On the other hand from MS you do get:
- MX records for your domain
- 6 accounts
- MS Office applications you can download on your family PC's
- 1TB one drive per account
- other MS online apps. 
- and some game pass of sorts

Yes with aliases it is not Exchange, YES no Admin, YES not much customizing, Yes it is not the thing I got used to. 
But I did a test as a trial on one of my domains, I synced my email using YES manual old fashion work using outlook and it worked. MS infrastructure is BIG and the 365 is working fine, they only actual direct competitor. Does anyone else know any other company, Ill check out Zoho for sure as well.

The link is still not up ( I am somehow thinking this is on purpose) otherwise they would be idiots that do not care about people. Lets face id they are not stupid, it is about $$$. They want to force as many as possible to pay and for the remaining they will cook up some half-assed solution in order to say we did gave you something. They will 100% not let it be as is.

I do not have enough experience with Zoho services so I can't comment.
That is how I see stuff.

[MZett]

What you get with Zoho is very easy. Let's just focus on the Mail Lite package:

• Full E-Mail Accounts, not just an alias on an existing @outlook.com mail Address.
• A lot of options for configuring mails as an admin, way more than in legacy gsuite
• You can add as many domains as you want from what I did see and you don't have to let GoDaddy manage your domain (hell who would wanna go to GoDaddy anyways?)
• A good Webmail with calender, contacts, notes and Tasks
• IMAP, POP3, SMTP, CalDAV, CardDAV

You pay for example 0.90 € + VAT / user / month with yearly payment for 5 GB or 1.10 € + VAT for 10 GB. You can also add more storage in packges to single accounts and there are other plans available.

And for some people this might be important: You can use it also for your business or for self employed work, which is prohibited by Microsofts EULA for MS 365 Family.

//EDIT: Oh and they can migrate all users at once from your legacy Gsuite account (and others).

[NebojsaKrstic]

Yes it is ok but i have 9GB average of emails 😞

[MZett]

Well, then MS 365 Family might be cheaper, if all those tradeoffs are ok for you. I couldn't deal with it.

I need at least Domains, the rest I could in the worst cast alias from my relay MTA. But in the future it will be even one more. Also I really don't like GoDaddy and I would miss a lot of the fine tuning in the admin panel.

Oh not sure if it is interesting for you, but here are the prices for additional storage. You can add them to individual accounts, when neccessary. All excluding VAT:

[ADL]

AdiThorny posted about MXroute on 04-16-2022 02:01 PM Check that option out. I haven't checked it but have stared it for quick revisit and evaluation.

[misplaced-one]

Same here.

I found a solution for Calendar and Contacts (thankfully cPanel offers this through my hosted website now).  If I can transfer my legacy G-Suite account to gmail, I can retain my purchases.  

I also found a silver lining to this issue (you can add non-gmail accounts to Google Home and once the G-Suite accounts are removed, I think I may be able to add them to my google assistant accounts)

Good luck!

[kim_nilsson]

You don't have to transfer anything. You will be able to keep using your old accounts for all other services, for free. It's just Gmail that's going away.

[yaseen]

I assume G-Suite is to manage multiple accounts also going away as per their notification.

[kim_nilsson]

No, you can let all your users have the exact experience as you.

Workspace with only Cloud Identity Free licences is free.

No Gmail, no Calendar.

[ReturnOfTheMac]

I am also checking out the Zoho Workspace Free Forever plan....free for 5 users (I have 5 users) and 5gb mailbox per user.  Could be a nice option too...but waiting for clarity from Google on what their 'no cost option' is going to look like...
Zoho Workplace | Pricing - Get started for free!

[MZett]

Just a heads up on the Zoho free plan: No IMAP, no POP3, no SMTP and no way to migrate your or your users emails or appointments. Contacts can be imported from CSV, that should also work in the free plan I guess.

If you pay for Zoho you have all that including avery good tool for migrating all your users emails, calendars and contacts via Google APIs.

[ReturnOfTheMac]

Thanks for that - good to know!  OK well I think that probably rules out Zoho Workplace...back to Zoho Mail! (which actually looks quite nice, and the android app is pretty good too)

[kim_nilsson]

If it's for personal use, you can now stay with Legacy...

https://admin.google.com/?action_id=SE_SELF_TRANSITION

[ern]

I don't think the automatic convertion to a paid plan without a formal acceptation is legal, even in the US.

Is it ?

[Phlach]

I suspect it's legal, but not legally binding, if that makes sense.  They are free to convert your account to paid account, and you're free to not provide payment info (since you didn't ask for the service).  They are basically giving you a free or temporarily discounted subscription to their paid service, then they will cancel if you don't provide payment info.

[kim_nilsson]

Yes it is, because they have told you beforehand (it was always in the contract), and you have plenty of time to stop using the service. Also, you can keep using the account for free. You just can't use Gmail (and Calendar).

[rognales]

All we need is Gmail with custom domain + Google accounts (Youtube/Play Store) + user management (password reset and all). Please duplicate the non-profit plan to family plan. $10-$20/year for 10 users seems reasonable enough.

[MZett]

Even with let's say 5 users and 1 domain as part of Google One would be something. Wouldn't be enough for me because of legacy domains, but for most people I guess it would suffice.

[rognales]

Haha. Don't get me started on Google One. They should've a plan with YouTube Premium. Google and their decentralized decisions. Lel

[kim_nilsson]

If it's for personal use, you can now stay with Legacy....

https://admin.google.com/?action_id=SE_SELF_TRANSITION

[10SexyApples]

I too am extremely upset with Google for this move. As one of the earliest adopters, I encouraged untold very small business clients and helped to transition them away from Internet Hosts email client to Google believing the forever free claim. This was decades ago and now all of these small companies will be facing this nightmare and looking back at me and the services and encouragement I provided in a negative light not realizing that I too was duped. It's just a classic bait and switch and so very unprofessional. I have had a lot of forever free accounts over the last several decades as an IT admin and developer and never have I seen or been forced to experience such a blatant disregard for a promise. It's shameful. I also have my own accounts with decades of use ... one for my band ( yeah, that's a profession where it's affordable to pay for a business account *she said ironically ) ... one for my now retired global publication ( put out of business like most magazines by the internet and obviously not feasible for a paid account  *she said ironically again ) ... one for my family ... one for my developer work which is on hold and not an option for a paid account ... one for my future business venture ... the story repeats ... this is just an absolute nightmare that they have created. Trust, honor and honesty seem to be little more than bygone concepts these days in my opinion. Boo Google. I used to be on your side ... one of your biggest supporters and promoters ... fool me once ...

[chetstone]

I've moved my domain/email/contacts etc. to Zoho (which is great) but I' m wondering how I'm going to log into my Google Cloud account and all the other sites that I'm signed in with Google Oauth. 

June 1 is only 5 weeks away and they still are saying the "waiting list" will be available in the "coming weeks".

[dawnfantasy]

A Google account is just an account like a Github account. The only difference is google mail server handles email for your domain, so that you sign in Google to access mail.

If google keeps the account (most likely), you can use it to login to other sites.

If google deletes the account, you may sign up again with the same email address. 

[dallen13]

While this sucks, and I also kinda trusted Google when they said it would be free forever for beta testers, I'm kinda glad this is happening. I just got used to the fact that Google was scanning all my emails in order to bombard me with ads for things I don't need.

First step is using Google Takeout to ensure you have your own copy of all your Gmail/Cal data. For reference, it only took me about a day to migrate to protonmail which is much cheaper and privacy respecting. It felt like a weight was lifted.

Google, as a company, changed a lot since many of us first signed up for what I think was called "Google Apps" at the time. Remember they used to have a "don't be evil" slogan and everything? Now I'm happy to decouple, even if it was by force and with bad terms.

The fact that they probably won't let us on the waiting list until 11:50 PM before the deadline makes me even more sure I'm doing the right thing by ditching Gmail.