Apps
I really wish Google had chosen a different term for this category. Naturally, when we hear the term "app," we all think of the programs we install on our smartphones and tablets. They get an icon on the screen, we click on it, and the program opens. That's an app. Well, not exactly when we're in the world of Google Apps for Education.
Not to muddy the waters even more, but there are actually three kinds of apps in Google's world. I know, I know, I wasn't invited to the naming meeting, so don't blame me.
Not to muddy the waters even more, but there are actually three kinds of apps in Google's world. I know, I know, I wasn't invited to the naming meeting, so don't blame me.
Drive Apps
First, there are Drive apps. These are third-party, standalone products that are integrated with Drive. In many cases, using a Drive app will open a new tab, and the app will run in the new tab. When you have a finished product, you will have the opportunity to save the product in your Drive account, or insert it in another Drive file, like a document. As with add-ons, most of these are free, but there are also some that are freemium. Again, don't let that deter you from getting in there and trying some out. You can always just stick with the free version, or uninstall them if they don't work out.
Disconnecting (think of it like uninstalling) Drive apps is easy. Just follow these steps:
Google Apps
Now, the second type of app is really more of a standalone Google service. Google calls each of its services apps, like Docs, Sheets, Sites, Calendar, those are all apps. That's why it's called Google Apps for Education. These Google apps are found in the "waffle," the 3x3 icon you'll see on Google pages.
You can also get to them by just typing the address in the omnibox (the address bar, plus much more, in Chrome). All Google apps follow the same address pattern: drive.google.com, classroom.google.com, calendar.google.com, mail.google.com, sites.google.com, and so on.
Chrome Apps
Finally, the third category are apps designed for the Chrome browser. Many of these apps simply require the Chrome browser to work, but some will actually only work on a Chromebook or Chromebox, which use a form of Chrome as their operating system.
These apps are are found in the Chrome Web Store.
These apps are are found in the Chrome Web Store.
Once you have apps installed, there are a couple of ways to access them. On a Windows PC, Google will want to add the App Launcher to your task bar once you start adding apps to Chrome.
You can also access your apps from within Chrome.