UW Google

About UW Google

UW Google is UW-IT’s implementation of the Google productivity, collaboration, and email platform known as Google Workspace for Education, formerly known as Google G Suite and Google Apps. The UW Google service offering is similar to Google’s consumer apps, but is free of advertising and has greater privacy protections.

Log in to UW Gmail

Click here to log in to UW Gmail

How To Guides

• Activate your UW Google account (step-by-step instructions)
• Using UW Groups with Google

UW Google helps you to

• Send and receive email
• Share and view calendars to easily schedule meetings
• Store unlimited data
• Create web sites

Note: Additional Google Services are also available, but are not FERPA-compatible.

Data Retention Policy

A single data retention policy does not apply to the UW Google service due to the broad scope of administrative, academic, and personal information created and stored via this service. Consequently, users of this service are responsible for managing and deleting their UW Google documents in accordance with University of Washington retention guidelines. For more information, please refer to the UW Records Management Services Web site.

Known Issues

Certain UW Google features are not activated in order to maintain student privacy. This includes features like Gmail Labs, and many of the Additional Apps found in the Google Marketplace.

Learn more about Google from vendor’s Help Center

• Using Google at Work or School
• Google Learning Center
• Gmail Help Center
• Google Calendar Help
• Google Sites Help
• Google Drive Help Center
• The Official Gmail Blog
• Google Service Status
• Subscribe to Google updates
• Google Sending Limits

On This Page

• Activating UW Google
• Using UW Google
• Setting Up UW Gmail to Work with Your Favorite Email Program
• Transferring Your UW Email to Your UW Gmail Account
• Using UW Groups to Manage Permissions in UW Google
• Getting Help

Activating UW Google

Before you can use UW Google, you must activate your account. You may activate your account without changing your current UW email forwarding to send new mail to UW Google.

To activate your UW Google account, follow these steps:

1. StepsActions
1. Go to the Manage UW Google page to activate the service and set your UW Google password. Once activated, your Google login is your_uwnetid@uw.edu (where your_uwnetid is your actual UW NetID).
2. If you want to forward your email to UW Gmail, use the UW NetID manage page and select “Forward to UW Google”. If you want to use Google without using Google’s email service, you can skip this step. Note to UW Medicine workforce members: You are prohibited from forwarding email to UW Google, as it is not HIPAA compatible. For more information on this policy, please contact comply@uw.edu.

Using UW Google

You can access UW Gmail and all other UW Google apps from your Gmail page.

To access UW Gmail

• Click the following URL and log in with your UW NetID: http://gmail.uw.edu

To access other UW G Google apps from your UW Gmail page

• In the upper right corner of the page, click the apps launcher (waffle) icon:

Setting Up UW Gmail to Work with Your Favorite Email Program

You can set up UW Gmail to work with most email programs and mobile devices using instructions provided by Google.

If you use a desktop email program or mobile device to read your UW Gmail, you need to set a separate password through the Manage UW Google webpage. When using a desktop email program or mobile device, use @uw.edu with your UW Google password to log in.

Using UW Groups to Manage Permissions in UW Google

You can use UW Groups to manage permissions in UW Google. For more information, see UW Google Group Sharing.

Getting Help

• If you have any problems activating UW Google or logging in, contact UW-IT at help@uw.edu or 206-221-5000.
• To learn more, read the Frequently Asked Questions.

On This Page

• UW Google Core Services
• Google Consumer Services and Third-Party Services

UW Google Core Services

The following UW Google Core Services are covered by the UW Google enterprise agreement for use with your UWNetID@uw.edu Google account and are considered FERPA-aligned.

• Calendar
• Drive and Docs (Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, Drawings, and Classic Sites)
• Gmail
• Google Classic Hangouts
• Google Chrome Sync
• Google Meet
• Groups for Business (Created via UW Groups Service)
• Keep
• Tasks

All other services are Google consumer or third-party services.  See below for a partial list.

Google Consumer Services and Third-Party Services

These consumer services and third-party services are not subject to the same agreements we have in place for the core services and, most importantly, are not considered compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  Click to read more about FERPA for UW students and FERPA for UW faculty and staff.

Google Consumer Services

Picasa	Organize, edit, and share your photos. Learn more.
Groups	Create and participate in online forums and email-based groups with a rich experience for community conversations. Learn more.
Contacts	Sync your contacts to all your devices. Learn more.
Maps	Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions. Learn more.
YouTube	Talk to Google to get answers, find stuff nearby, and get things done. Learn more.
News	Read comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world. Learn more.
Translate	Instantly translate text and web pages. Learn more.
Wallet	Shop in stores with all your loyalty, offers, and gift cards in one place. Learn more.
Blogger	Publish blogs and share text, photos, and video. Learn more.
Code	Find all Google developer documentation, resources, events, and products. Learn more.