One of the great things about Google Apps for Education is that you never have to install an update — they update automatically. But this can be frustrating. Just when you thought you were familiar with the interface, Google changes it.
A lot of such changes have happened over the past year. Not only did Google redesign its brand logo for the first time in its history, but the landing pages of Docs, Sheets, and Slides were changed, and the entire interfaces of Forms and Google+ were revamped.
Right now, going to Google Forms or Google Plus will prompt you to try the new version:
Part of this change is to align the tools more closely with their corresponding mobile apps. Just a few years ago, it wasn’t possible to edit a Google Doc on a smartphone, but now the functionality is quite robust. This thrust toward mobile is a large part of the two most recent updates to Google Forms and Google Plus. Google Forms is perhaps the most starkly different:
Old form creation screen:
New form creation screen:
Forms has suddenly become very purple. It functions very differently as well. The same options are available but most are now hidden under a separate set of icons (on the right). And some functionality has actually been lost. Add-ons, extra programs that add functionality to Forms, are no longer available in the new interface. This is a dealbreaker for some, which is why Google still lets you escape back to the old interface if you don’t like the new one.
If you dislike the new interface, find the escaping person on the bottom left of the form edit screen. If you click that, it will take you back to the old interface. I did this within a minute of trying the new forms.
