In 2022 we transitioned known business accounts to Google Workspace, and we made clear that G Suite legacy free edition is only available for personal non-commercial use.
Google may occasionally review domains that have G Suite legacy free edition subscriptions. If we suspect these domains are being used for commercial purposes, we may:
- Contact account administrators and direct them to switch to a paid Google Workspace plan.
- Suspend accounts that continue to use G Suite legacy free edition subscriptions for commercial purposes.
Important: Google does not use private customer data for policy enforcement.
Accounts that are using G Suite legacy free edition for commercial purposes must transition to a paid Google Workspace subscription.
Note: If you feel that your account has been incorrectly identified as a business account, you can file an appeal.
Upgrade to Google Workspace
When you upgrade in the Admin console, you immediately switch to a paid Google Workspace subscription.
Upgrade to a paid Google Workspace subscription to unlock 24/7 support and access to premium collaboration, additional storage, and the best of Google AI.
Not sure which subscription to choose? Go to Choose your Google Workspace subscription.
Upgrade to a paid subscription of Google Workspace
Upgrade to a paid subscription of Google Workspace
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Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.
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Go to Menu
Billing > Get more services.
Requires having the Billing Management administrator privilege.
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Next to the edition that you want to switch, click Upgrade, Downgrade, or Switch.
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Review the impact that this change will have, then click Next.
- Select a payment plan:
- Flexible Plan—No long-term commitment, pay for the users you have each month, and add or remove users as needed.
- Annual Plan (Monthly Payment)—Requires a 1-year contract, pay monthly for users committed upfront, and add users as needed. You can increase the number of users in the users needed field. If you select this plan, billing starts immediately.
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Click Checkout.
- Enter your billing information
click Place Order.
G Suite legacy free edition transition questions
Below are some common questions about transitioning from G Suite legacy free edition.
General
Why should I upgrade to Google Workspace?
- access to the best of Google AI, along with Google Vids and NotebookLM
- 24/7 support
- flexible pooled storage per user that is shared across the organization
The primary account admin should check their email for a message with the following subject:
Upgrade to a paid Google Workspace subscription
This email includes the transition timeline as well as details about how to file an appeal with Google. Note that we can only review appeals from the account's primary admin.
If you want to continue using Google Workspace, you need to set up Google Workspace billing; otherwise your subscription will be suspended and then canceled after 60 days. Read more about suspended accounts below.
In the first 60 days of suspension, your admin can still access the Admin console and set up billing to lift the suspension or export your data. You won't be able to access your Google Workspace core services and data, including Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Meet. Additional Google services, such as YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Photos, will continue to be available.
When you try to sign in to your Google Workspace core services, you'll get one of these messages:
- "We are sorry, but you do not have access to <service>. Please contact your Organization Administrator for access."
- "Your organization's Google Workspace account has been suspended. Please contact your Google Workspace Organization Administrator to re-activate your organization."
To restore your suspended account, your administrator needs to set up Google Workspace billing. If your administrator is not available, go to If the administrator is not available, can a user become an admin?
After 60 days of suspension, your subscription will be canceled. Learn about the Cancel Google Workspace process. To restore your account, complete this account recovery form.
More
Why can’t I access support?As we previously communicated, G Suite legacy free edition doesn't include support. When you upgrade to a paid Workspace subscription, you gain access to 24/7 support.
Yes. Current users can ask to become an administrator on the account by completing the Account Recovery Form. For detailed instructions, go to If you're a user and can't contact your administrator.
If the domain registration verification is successful and none of the existing administrators object, the user will be promoted to the super administrator role.
Who is my administrator? Your administrator is the person who originally signed you up for the G Suite legacy free edition account.
If you want to move your data, your administrator can export your organization’s data and cancel your legacy subscription. If you want to retrieve data from additional Google services, you can export your data (including Google Workspace and additional Google services) with Google Takeout at takeout.google.com. The administrator will need to have Google Takeout enabled.
- If you completed your upgrade to Google Workspace—Your account was moved from per-user storage to pooled storage.
- If you’re on G Suite legacy free edition for personal use—Starting May 1, 2025, your account will be moved from per-user storage to pooled storage. The total amount of storage you currently have will not be reduced as part of this change.
If you’re using Google Voice, your existing configuration settings and linked phone numbers will stay the same and your users won’t lose any existing Voice data. After you transition to Google Workspace, you need to set up Voice with Google Workspace for your organization before users can sign up for new Voice accounts. For details, go to Set up Voice for your organization.
If you stopped getting your Discover feed after you updated to Google Workspace, your administrator needs to follow the instructions in Turn Search and Assistant on or off for users.
If your mobile device is managed by your organization, your administrator also needs to take these steps:
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Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.
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Go to Menu
Devices > Mobile & endpoints > Settings > Universal.
Requires having the Mobile Device Management administrator privilege.
- Click Data Access
Google Assistant.
- Check the box for Allow Google Assistant for iOS and Android.