G Suite Legacy Free Shutdown: What should you do about it? What is Google doing about it?
THIS POST WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED AS THINGS UNFOLD - Currently a work in progress
Thank you to Cube Backup for sponsoring our continuing coverage of the G Suite Legacy saga!
I want to tell you about a really interesting tool that might help with Google Workspace legacy free account migrations as well as backing up paid accounts. They are a sponsor, but it’s actually a very helpful option so don’t jump ahead. CubeBackup backs up your Google Workspace accounts to your local or cloud storage such as a NAS, AWS S3 bucket, or Google Cloud Storage, and works on every Google Workspace edition including GSuite Legacy Free.
CubeBackup is even able to back up your Workspace account from one domain and migrate it to another domain. This can be a game-changer in mergers and for anyone with a Legacy Free domain and a different paid domain who wants to combine them.
It’s easy to use, affordable, and you are completely in control of your data since it runs on your server locally or in the cloud. CubeBackup is used by over 1000 companies in over 50 countries around the world, runs on Linux/Windows/ and Docker, are GDPR Compliant, and it is super easy to use.
UPDATE 5/16: It’s Official! We can keep using our GSuite Legacy Free Accounts as long as they are used for personal noncommercial use! 🎉
Google has just announced the no cost option. They skipped the waitlist and whatever they had planned surrounding that, and instead launched the no cost Legacy G Suite for personal use option. You can now opt out of the transition to Workspace, and select the personal use no cost Legacy G Suite option. Here is the direct link to do it: https://admin.google.com/?action_id=SE_SELF_TRANSITION
You will be able to continue using your custom domains, as well as Gmail, the Editors, Drive, Meet, Maps, Youtube, and maintain access to purchases on Google Play such as Movies, Music, etc. We don’t yet know what “personal use” means, but we are working on finding out. We do know that it will not include support.
FAQ:
Q. What if I already upgraded to Google Workspace?
A. Contact Support to get your account reset to the zero cost option.
Q. I am seeing “This offer is no longer available.” What does that mean?
A. I have seen that pop up if you have already upgraded, or could be due to a bug. Either way, get in touch with support.
What follows is our original article:
Google Workspace has made the decision to stop offering G Suite Legacy Free to the grandfathered in users who have been using it for many years now. This was likely an attempt by Google to recoup the lost money from businesses getting away with not paying for a decade, and bring them on to the updated Google Workspace paid plans. What they did not anticipate, was angering their most loyal customer base, us admins who have been using Google Apps from the very beginning.
We put together a panel of Workspace experts who have G Suite Legacy Free accounts to discuss the impact of this decision, Google's response and general surprise at the backlash, as well as a possible new offering for a Google Workspace Family Plan, and downgrade options. You can watch that discussion below.
Please bookmark this post and come back weekly for any updates on Google’s decision to kill our beloved G Suite Legacy Free!
UPDATE 4/5/22
After over a month of silence from Google, they have finally updated the help article once again with more information. Why they can’t be bothered to actually update us or the press is beyond me, but that’s a discussion for another time.
No Cost Option
There will be a no cost option launching in the coming weeks which will include access to Google Drive and Google Meet and additional services such as Search, Maps, and Youtube, as well as any paid content such as movies purchased in the Google Play Store.
To sign up for the no cost option you need to click on the banner in your Admin Console which will appear in the coming weeks to join the waiting list until the no cost option is available. In the meantime, once you have joined the waitlist before June 1, 2022, you will not be automatically upgraded and instead will remain on your current GSuite Legacy Free Edition until the no cost option is available.
Recommended Next Steps:
Keep checking your Admin Panel for the no cost option waitlist banner to show up. When it arrives, sign up to join the waitlist and continue waiting for Google to come to their senses and give us the family plan we are willing to pay for.
CONTENTS
What are my options for staying on Google Workspace?
What are my options to migrate off of Google Workspace?
How do I backup my data?
How do I move all my Google Drive files to another domain?
What is G Suite Legacy Free?
Back in 2006, Google began rolling out a new service called Gmail for your domain. This was a beta, and did not even have full capabilities of a gmail account, however at the time it was a major breath of fresh air to fans of Gmail who owned their own domains.
In 2012, Google made the decision to stop offering the free Google Apps version but assured us:
“Because you’re already a customer, this change has no impact on your service, and you can continue to use Google Apps for free”
Since then, Google Apps grew up and went through a bunch of name changes, finally becoming Google Workspace.
What is happening now?
In January 2022, Google announced that effective July 1, 2022, they will be discontinuing the G Suite Legacy Free accounts, forcing everyone to either upgrade to a full paid account or delete their accounts. This move was an attempt to upgrade the small to medium businesses that have been getting a free ride using a business service for over a decade.
However, many long-time users expressed frustration over the lack of support and communication from Google regarding this transition.
Each user scenario has similarities, including custom domains and a reluctance to pay business-level fees for personal use accounts. Many administrators are willing to pay reasonable fees for standard features.
What is Google’s response?
There has been significant backlash from users about the discontinuation. Google has issued a Google Form for users to provide feedback about their G Suite Legacy Free accounts.
They are also looking into providing an option for users to move their non-Google Workspace paid content to a no cost option.
What I would like to see happen:
A family/group version of Google Workspace with a custom domain, ad free email, and additional storage options would greatly benefit users who want to maintain their accounts without upgrading to business plans.
What are my options for staying on Google Workspace?
Users can keep everything the same by starting to pay for Google Workspace. Options vary based on storage needs and business requirements.
What if I don’t want to pay?
Google Workspace Essentials Starter is one option for maintaining a Google Workspace account without email but might not fit the needs of everyone.
How do I backup my data?
Using Google Takeout is a common method.
How do I move all my Google Drive files to another domain?
This can also be done using Google Shared Drives to move and transfer ownership of files between domains.
Q&A
Can I Port My Google Voice Number From Google Workspace to a Regular Gmail account?
Yes, you can.
If the current administrator left the company, how can I take over as admin?
If you can prove domain ownership, you can request to be upgraded to admin.
Is there going to be a downgrade option for those who upgraded earlier?
This situation continues to evolve as more users are seeking clarity on Google's policies.