After fighting with teeth and nails keep access to older, free G Suite tools instead of moving to a paid version Google Workspace plan after announcement in january 2022, some google users got scared recently.
G Suite was Google’s free version of Workspace collaboration softwareoffering for free e-mail hosting, and most importantly, custom domains, from 2006 to 2012. Accounts created during this period are now “acquired” in the service, meaning that their owners do not have to pay any additional fees while retaining all benefits.
After Google backed out of forcing users to pay for Workspace in 2022, G Suite users had to promise Google that they weren’t going to use their account for business purposes, and then the matter seemed to be settled.
Older or no G Suite versions
However, in February 2023, a notification began appearing to users that “the transition to Google Workspace has begun”, suggesting that the tech giant has started to backtrack from its path.
Users were confused at firstbut luckily it looks like a mistake. A Google spokesperson said in a statement to Ars Technica (opens in a new tab) that the issue is a bug and that “people who have previously opted for personal use should not take any further action.”
However, the click-through notification refers to the new “Google Workspace for personal use” service, which does not exist.
The same Google spokesperson also confirmed that users inadvertently saw the branding in the beta with the intention of scrapping older G Suite accounts last year, so the whole setback seems to be chasing wild goosebumps – until the idea pops into their heads, probably.