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Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

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Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#61

I'm a G Suite legacy user that is affected by this change, primarily using it for personal email. Extremely, extremely annoyed that Android app purchases will be lost. Since I also have Apple devices I'm considering moving over to iCloud+ since they now support 3 email boxes and 5 domain names per account: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212514 Other options I'm researching include Outlook Premium and Zohomail. Wil…

The problem I have with iCloud+ isn't the product or price, it is how terrible Apple's web/cross-platform experience is.

Say what you will about Google/Gmail, but it has always worked extremely well just in a browser let alone all their app offers.

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#62
post #27
post #18

I've been meaning to migrate but am more than a little leery of the potential for gotchas and disruption. Any advice from those who have gone through this already? I understand you just lose all your Google Play purchases and need to re-purchase any apps or subscriptions you want to keep. I'm assuming this will basically require an Android phone factory reset and to be setup fresh with a "new" Google account for the…

Oof, this sucks. I'd forgotten about losing all Android purchases. That totally sucks. You still need to get out though, as it will only get worse. I personally migrated by downloading and uploading over imap.

IMO, this seems like a lawsuit territory. "Start paying us or we'll hold your purchases hostage".

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#63

I'm a G Suite legacy user that is affected by this change, primarily using it for personal email. Extremely, extremely annoyed that Android app purchases will be lost. Since I also have Apple devices I'm considering moving over to iCloud+ since they now support 3 email boxes and 5 domain names per account: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212514 Other options I'm researching include Outlook Premium and Zohomail. Wil…

Do you know how it would work on iCloud+ if you have more than 3 people in an iCloud family sharing group?

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#64

I'm a Google employee who just found out about this. I'm not annoyed that I have to pay, it's been ~13 years of free service and I don't think Google is obligated to continue providing this to me. The annoying part is that Google doesn't provide any migration tool, but there are migration tools for Google Edu accounts so that graduating students can migrate their data to personal Google accounts. The software is evid…

The problem is, I'm not a freeloader despite having my free account for almost 13 years.

I was a proud owner of Nexus phones, Google Fi subscriber, Google Music (YouTube Premium) subscriber, I've purchased apps and tv content on Google Play, and I also started paying for Google Drive storage after they removed the free unlimited photo backups. I had YouTube TV for a time. Having a powerful Gsuite service was a driving factor into the Google ecosystem for me.

I've been slowly pulling out of Google's services as they've been shutdown, renamed, etc. This will be the ultimate drive off of their services for me. By wanting an extra $6/month/user, they are now losing out on a lot more. I'm sure that my situation isn't unique.

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#65

I created a free account many years ago for my family. We've all been using it ever since for everything. So I have a lot of purchases and history in there. All of my YouTube stuff, all of my Android purchases. Everything to do with Google. And now they're going to start charging me $70 per family member or delete all of their purchases for the last decade or so. To say I'm aghast is putting it mildly.

Same here, and I'm running it for extended family so I'm not planning to take on the cost (and neither are they).

I need to find a nice alternative for email with my domain that's going to work for us and not cost me a fortune.

I'm not even massively concerned about Play Store purchases, I barely use any paid apps anymore anyway I can buy them again if I have to.

Since the domain was also bought through GSuite, how do I get that out?

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#66

I can't blame Google for this, but this is a pain. I'm likely a low-value customer and being intentionally churned out with this change (that's fine). Google really needs to figure out their customer support. I've always been hesitant to commit because I've feared I'd not be able to get support if I ran into an issue.

I can't blame Google for this

I can. Free forever means exactly that. They shouldn't have made the promise in the first place if they didn't have a plan on how to sustain it. Along with their other behavior these days they are just another lying corporation.

At least give folks a chance to migrate their purchases without forcing them to pay rent to keep what they ostensibly already own.

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#67

I'm a Google employee who just found out about this. I'm not annoyed that I have to pay, it's been ~13 years of free service and I don't think Google is obligated to continue providing this to me. The annoying part is that Google doesn't provide any migration tool, but there are migration tools for Google Edu accounts so that graduating students can migrate their data to personal Google accounts. The software is evid…

I was an early "GMail for domains" user, and have felt abandoned as there are services in Google Home I can't use as a "Workspace" account.

I would gladly transition to a @gmail.com account and just do an email forward, which is why I had originally signed up, IF ONLY GOOGLE WOULD HAVE A MIGRATION TOOL. They pushed my family into Workspace as they abandoned us, and give us NO OPTION to transfer 13+ years of history.

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"After 60 days in suspension, you will no longer have access to Google Workspace core services, such as Gmail, Calendar, and Meet" From https://support.google.com/a/answer/60217

Exactly, since Android and Youtube aren't "workspace core services" (the next sentence after the one you quoted explicitly mentions YT and Photos), your purchases are probably safe past the deadline.

However, now what do you sign into your Android device with? Google's products work... poorly... across multiple accounts. I needed to change my email address a number of years ago, which is impossible with Google's apparent use of email addresses as a primary key or something, and my Google account has had to live in a very messy state ever since... the old address has to be the core of the account for all services, even if I'm handing out and sending as a new address... and that account is an extra security vector into it... (Meanwhile, Microsoft just lets you add and remove email addresses from your Microsoft account, including changing and removing the primary.)

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#69

I have one simple rule. Never rely on Google for anything . Not email, not cloud storage, not infrastructure, *anything*. If you're going to use one of their products, cost-in the expense of moving everything out at a moments notice and keep constant backups of your data. My advice to anyone is to just avoid using Google for anything you expect to use long term.

A lot of us have been using it for more than a decade. I'm going to look around, but $6 / user / month doesn't seem outrageous to me.

I'm sure they are banking on people just ponying up the cash because they've been with them for so long. It's basically mafia protection payments. Pay us or we'll break your legs (delete all your data).

Re: Google requiring all ‘G Suite legacy free edition’ users to start paying

#70

I'm a G Suite legacy user that is affected by this change, primarily using it for personal email. Extremely, extremely annoyed that Android app purchases will be lost. Since I also have Apple devices I'm considering moving over to iCloud+ since they now support 3 email boxes and 5 domain names per account: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212514 Other options I'm researching include Outlook Premium and Zohomail. Wil…

Fastmail was my refuge from google services many years ago. Infinite aliases on a single personal email.
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