UW-Madison Google Workspace - UW-Madison Google Workspace Accounts vs. Personal Google Accounts

What is a UW-Madison Google Workspace account?

A UW-Madison Google Workspace account is a free Google account that provides access to applications such as:

  • Google Drive
  • Google Docs
  • Google Sheets
  • Google Groups
  • and more.

Eligible UW-Madison faculty, staff, students, and recent alumni have access to this service for free.

Additional features include:

Please note, the availability of applications and features is subject to change without notice.

How does a personal Google account differ from a UW-Madison Google Workspace account?

Some differences for individuals using a personal Google account include:

  • 15 GB of free storage, need to pay for more storage.
  • Cannot create a Shared drive.
  • Data is not protected by the UW-Madison Google Workspace Terms of Service.
  • Difficult to receive technical support from Google.
  • UW-Madison cannot assure users where their data is stored.
  • Users will be subject to the jurisdiction in the courts of California in any legal proceedings.
  • Representation by UW-Madison Legal Services cannot be assumed.

How can I tell which account I am logged into?

Below are quick tips on how to recognize which account you're logged into.

 Distinguishing feature  Personal Google account (@gmail.com)  UW-Madison Google Workspace account (@wisc.edu)
 Logo No UW-Madison logo
 
personal google no logo
UW-Madison logo

 Google Workspace logo
 Storage quota 15 GB storage limit 

personal storage usage
25 GB storage limit - Read more

Google Workspace storage usage
 Shared drive option The New button is grayed out and unavailable when Shared drive is selected.

personal shared drive
The New button is available to create new Shared drives.

Google Workspace shared drive
 Priority feature option Priority feature is not listed

personal priority feature
 
Priority feature is listed


Google Workspace priority

How can I keep my personal Google account separate from my UW-Madison Google Workspace account?

Below are quick tips on how to keep your personal Google account separate from your UW-Madison Google Workspace account.

    • (Highly recommend) Create separate browser profiles using Google Chrome.
      No, do not add another Google account. Yes, create a separate Chrome profile.
       dont add acct gsuite add profile 
    • Use separate browsers for each account.
      • For example, you can use FireFox for your personal Google account and Google Chrome for your UW-Madison Google Workspace account.