New Features in Google Groups
May 16, 2012 Leave a comment
A new version of Google Groups is now available in Google Apps at Boise State. If you’d like to check it out, log in to Google Apps, then click on Groups on the Google Apps menu bar at the top of the screen.
If you’re still using the older version of Google Groups, you’ll see the following link at the top of your browser window:
Click Switch to the new Google Groups to activate the new features.
What’s New
The new Google Groups interface is divided into four screens:
- The Home screen (the first screen you see)
- The My groups screen (lists all of the groups for which you are a participant or administrator)
- The Topics screen (lists all of the topics within a group)
- The Topic screen (lists all of the posts for a specific topic)
The most obvious change is Google Groups now looks very similar to Google Docs (Google Drive), with navigation appearing on the left side of the page:
Clicking on My groups will present you with a list of all the groups you manage or are a member of. Accessing any of your Groups will show you all topics within a Group, as well as give you access to Group functions at the top of the screen:
If you want quick access to your favorite Groups rather than having to scroll through your entire list of Groups, click the star icon next to a Group name, and that group will appear on the left side of your screen under Favorites:
Group management, including moderating topics, controlling types of discussions, email delivery options, and web view customizations are now found by clicking on the Gear icon at upper-right, then clicking Manage group. The “Settings” menu will appear if you’re a Group owner, and you can click the Advanced tab of the Settings menu to access Group administration options:
Take a visual tour on Google’s website to learn where things have moved, and how to access Groups features.
If you’re a Group owner, read more about configuring settings and moderating discussions.
If you’re a Group participant, learn more about joining and participating in Google Groups.
Known Issues, and Changing Back to the Previous Version
Google should have let the new version of Groups bake a bit longer in the oven; if you have a need to export Group members to a CSV file, you’ll need to switch back tot the old version to do so.
Also, there is a problem with namespace conflicts with new Group names, so if you want to create a new Google Group, we recommend you revert back to the previous version of Google Groups to do so until Google resolves this issue.
To revert back to the previous version of Google Groups, click the Gear icon at upper-right and choose Revert to the old Google Groups:
Of course, you can always contact the OIT Help Desk for assistance with Google Groups. Call 426-HELP, or email helpdesk@boisestate.edu.


























