Google Changes - Current Students

What is changing?

• From 1st October 2023 the storage space you have allocated in your University Google Drive (including Google Photos) is 1GB to allow sufficient space to collaborate on key files created in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
• Your University Google Drive and its contents will be removed when you leave the University - there is no ongoing access to Google Drive, Google Photos, Docs, Sites, Sheets, Slides etc.
• You must remove all your Google Photos before you leave if you want to keep your @aucklanduni account. If you don't remove all your content in Google Photos then we will need to delete your entire account to recover the storage, email, drive and photos. We obviously do not want to do this.

What is not changing?

• You will continue to have your Microsoft OneDrive while you are enrolled at the University or affiliated
• You will continue to have your @aucklanduni.ac.nz student email address, including when you leave the University (as long as you delete all your photos when you leave the University).

What do I need to do?

1.  Check how much space you are using. You just need to look at the Google Drive and Google Photos figures (ignore Gmail) and check they add up to less than 1GB. If it says MB then you are under 1GB and will be unaffected by these changes. If it says TB then you are using a very large amount of storage.
2.  If you are above 1GB in Google Drive and Photos combined, or close to it, then you will need to tidy up your Google Drive 
3. If you still have more than 1GB after a tidy up then you will need to transfer off any files (including Google Photos, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides) to reduce your storage to 1GB.  Move from the University Google Drive.

When do I need to have this done by?

You will need to have reduced your used space in Google Drive and Photos to 1GB before 1st October 2023. If you are using more than 1GB at 1st November 2023 then your drive will be restricted so you cannot create new files or photos. If you still have more than 1GB at 1st December 2023 then all access to your drive, photos, forms and shared drives will be removed. All content will be permanently deleted on 1st February 2024.

How do I see how much storage I am using?

Click this link for your own Google Storage information. Note that the 1GB limit will be applied to Google Drive and Google Photos. We will communicate to large users of Google Mail, but unless we communicate directly with you there will be no change needed to your use of Google Mail. If it shows "of 15GB" then you're looking at a personal Google account, not your University one. 

How do I do transfer my files?

Move from the University Google Drive

Can't I just pay the University for Google storage for my personal files and photos?

Unfortunately there is no way to do this through the University. You can however subscribe directly to a Google One plan from Google and then perform a simple transfer which Google does on their back end servers. Check this information on how to move to personal Google Drive.

Will I still have access to my University Google Drive files when I leave?

We will restrict the ability for you to add content to Google Drive files and Google Photos once you have left the University.  Your files will be removed automatically at least 1 month afterwards. You will receive emails with your deadlines.

Will I keep my @aucklanduni email address and mailbox when I leave?

If you remove all your content from Google Photos before you leave the University then you will be able to retain your mailbox and @aucklanduni.ac.nz email address. This may change in future if Google changes the service it offers to the University. If you don't delete all your content in Google Photos then the University is forced to delete your entire account, including email to recover the storage you are using. We don't want to do that so you must delete all your content in Google Photos.

Will I still have access to my University Microsoft OneDrive when I leave?

No. You lose access to all University storage services, including Microsoft 365 and the University-provided OneDrive once you leave the University.

What happens if I come back to the University?

You will get a new blank 1GB Google Drive and empty OneDrive. You will have lost the contents of both storage services in the meantime, so it's important that you have transferred any files off both services before you leave.

FAQs

Check the Google Changes FAQ page