What is happening to Google Apps for Teams?

Google Apps for Teams allowed those with a verified business or school email address to use Google Apps and collaborate on Google Drive files, Google Calendar, and Google Talk without needing to go through their IT department or domain administrator for support.

We’re announcing that we will be officially shutting down Google Apps for Teams beginning on September 4, 2012.

What happens to my Google Apps for Teams account once Google Apps for Teams is shut down?

After the shutdown, all Google Apps for Teams accounts will become personal Google Accounts. If there is a conflict with an existing Google account, the username will change to user%domain.com@te.gtempaccount.com. Whether their usernames change or not, users will need to log in with the regular Google sign-in pages such as drive.google.com and sites.google.com, instead of the /a/domain.com URLs they had previously been using.

We'll let the users know by email when their Google Apps for Teams accounts become personal Google Accounts and if further action is required (for example, to copy your Google Sites pages).

After the transition, users must change their usernames by either upgrading to Gmail or changing their primary address to a non-gmail address. We recommend logging out of any other Google Accounts users may have open before changing their usernames.

What will happen to my Google Apps for Teams account product data like Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides?

If you don't have a conflicting account:

You can still use your email address with your existing Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Talk information that you previously used with Google Apps for Teams, but now, you can also take advantage of everything Google has to offer, including popular products like Picasa, Blogger, and many more Google products with your Google Account. Note: If you use Google Sites, please see the section below for more information.

If you have a conflicting account:

Previously, you had a Google Apps for Teams account with the same name as a personal Google Account. Since Google Apps for Teams is ending, we are transitioning the former Google Apps for Teams account to also become a personal Google Account with access to all Google services. Because two Google Accounts cannot have the same name, your former Google Apps for Teams account has been renamed to user%domain.com@te.gtempaccount.com.

Your personal Google Account that you may have used with products like YouTube, Blogger, Picasa, AdWords, and Checkout, will not be changed and will keep the username and password.

Don't worry, your data on both accounts is still safe. If you'd like to move data between accounts, please see the data migration article. Also, you will be given the option to rename your former Google Apps for Teams account from this temporary address once you sign in at //www.google.com/accounts/ with user%domain@te.gtempaccount.com and your original Google Apps for Teams account password. Note: If you use Google Sites, please see the section below for more information.

What steps do I need to take to keep my Google Apps for Teams account’s Sites information?

If you want to keep the Google Sites you have created in your Google Apps for Teams account, you will need to take the following steps to copy your site(s) to another Google Account by October 15, 2012. Note that your Google Site name will need to change when Google Apps for Teams ends:

1. Visit the Google Site you own and wish to make a copy of. You can see a list of your Google Apps for Teams sites by signing in to the Google Apps for Teams Sites URL you used previously: //sites.google.com/a/domain.com.
2. Click More at the top of your Site and select Sharing and Permissions.
3. In the Add people section, enter the email address of the Google Account you wish to share the Site(s) with. This should be an email address you already own. You will need to make this account an owner of the site(s), so that you can access the site to copy it. You can do so by clicking the Can edit text on the right and selecting Is owner.
4. Select Share & Save.
5. Sign in to Google Sites at //sites.google.com/ with the account you shared the Site(s) with and made an owner in step 3.
6. Click More at the top of your Site and select Manage site.
7. Make sure you’re on the General page in the Site settings section.
8. Click the Copy this Site button.
9. Enter the site name, and click Copy site. Note that copying sites can take a few minutes. Please be patient while Sites are copied.

Make sure to follow the instructions above to copy your sites before October 15, 2012. If you do not copy your sites before October 15, 2012, you will lose access to all data in your sites. Once you have copied your sites, you can delete the original Google Apps for Teams sites.

What will happen with my shared Google Documents?

If you shared Google Documents with your whole domain, and not with individual users, you'll need to share those documents with the individual members of your domain if you want them to retain access after the shut down. Any documents shared with individual users will continue to be shared as expected.

What will happen if I shared my primary calendar with my Google Apps for Teams domain?

If you shared your primary Google Calendar with your whole domain, and not with individual users, you’ll need to share your primary calendar with those individuals or set up a Google Group and make sure everyone you want to share your primary calendar with is in this group. Your primary calendar is the first calendar listed in your ‘My calendars’ section and is the default calendar displayed when you first signed in to Google Calendar. Any primary calendars shared with individual users will continue to be shared as expected.

Can I upgrade from Google Apps for Teams to Google Apps for Business or Google Apps for Education?

If you own the domain that you have been using for Google Apps for Teams, you can upgrade to Google Apps for Business. If you are interested in Google Apps for Education, please see our common questions about Google Apps for Education.

What if I no longer need my Google Apps for Teams account?

Once Google Apps for Teams ends and your account becomes a consumer Google Account, you can delete your account if you’re sure you don’t need any data in it anymore.

To delete your Google Account, follow these steps:

1. Sign in on the Google Accounts homepage.
2. Click Close account and delete all services and info associated with it to delete your account. If you don't see this link near the bottom of the page, your account was likely created through an organization or company. To delete your account, talk to your domain administrator.
3. Confirm your account deletion. To do so, you'll need to select these two options: "Yes, I want to delete my account," and "Yes, I acknowledge that I am still responsible for any charges incurred due to any pending financial transactions." (You can safely select the latter option if you haven't used any of Google's paid products, such as AdWords and Google Checkout, or if you have no pending financial transactions related to these products.)

You can read more about deleting your Google Account.