Google Contacts : Migrate users to new version

What’s new: In the next few months, Google will completely replace the old Google Contact app and replace it with a new version of Google Contacts (also known as Contact preview).

Google launched Contacts in 2015 to provide a modern, smart, and fast contact management experience. Google has also added a lot of features since then, and with the recently released version, the application has many more advanced features.

And here, the new Contact version will replace the older version and it will become the only version of Google Contacts after February 12, 2019. The replacement process will be divided into three phases.

Stage 1: Default management rights for admin and options for users

On 11/28/2018, Google changed the settings of the Admin Console to manage the new Contact instance. Now, you will see a checkbox to enable the new version of Contact for the user. After activation, users will be migrated to the new version but still have the option to return to the old version. This setting has changed to officially define the default Contact instance for your business. Current settings will determine the impact of this change:

• If you enable preview in a new version of Contact, it will become the default and will not change anything for the user. Users will continue to use the new version of Contact with the option to revert to the old version at any time. However, if they previously chose not to use the preview feature of the new version, they will continue to use the old version until snag phase 2 (see below).
• If you don't currently have preview enabled in the new version, the system will default to the old Contact version, but users still have an option to try the new version. The system will not automatically switch any users to the new version, but all users will be included in the new version if they choose to agree.

You can find and change the settings in the Admin console at  Apps > G Suite > Directory > Sharing settings > Contacts Preview.

Stage 2: All users will be switched to the new Contact version, still having the option to revert to the old version

On January 15, 2019, the new version of Google Contacts will automatically become the default app in your business and Google will leave the settings in the Admin console. When this happens, all users who are using the old version of Contacts will be migrated to the new version. You won't be able to change this setting in the enterprise, but individual users will still have the option to roll back to the old Contact instance if they want to wait until stage 3 (see below).

Stage 3: All users will be uploaded to the new Contact version, the old version will be killed

On February 12, 2019, the old version of Google Contacts will be completely closed, and the remaining users will be migrated to the new version. And this time there will be no option to go back to the old version.

Updated: Gimasys