This release is live on Alpha and Beta v8.4. Click here if you’d like to subscribe to either channel.

8.4 is our latest and greatest version of Shift. For v7 users, there are some great new improvements and changes to features you’ve grown to love. This article answers some of the most frequently asked questions concerning this latest update.

 

1. Will my v7 Workspaces transfer over? 

Yes! When you update to v8.4 from v7, you will get prompted to import your existing Workspaces from v7 to v8.4. It’s important to note that if you skip this step in the download process, you will permanently lose your v7 Workspaces. 

 

2. Are Workspaces still shareable?

No. Workspaces are no longer shareable. 

 

3. What’s different about the v8.4 Workspaces? 

Your Workspaces can now be linked to an email account. In one centralized hub, you can have an email along with its corresponding apps and bookmarks. You’ll be able to edit these Workspaces to customize a space that’s suitable for the focus you want. You can also create stand-alone Workspaces that work just the same without the need to connect an email. Learn more about the new version of Workspaces, here.

 

4. What happened to Unified Search? 

Unified Search has been updated to Epic Search. Epic Search allows you to search across your Shift setup. Using filters, you can cater your search to what you need most. It will provide you with results based on your browsing history, bookmarks, recently opened documents, and more. The more you browse within Shift, the more powerful Epic Search becomes. Learn more about how to use Epic Search, here.

 

5. Can I see all my calendars in one place? 

Yes! With v8.4 we now offer a Unified Calendar. Unified Calendar pulls all your added Google/Microsoft calendars into one daily view. Events are color-coded according to the respective email account and event links (e.g. Zoom) can be clicked on directly within the event. Learn more about the Unified Calendar, here.

 

6. Can I create more than one Bookmark Bar?

Yes, the ability to create multiple bookmark bars is available in v8.4. You’ll have a global “Home Bar” which contains bookmarks you can access from whatever app or workspace you’re operating from. Additionally, you can create new bookmark bars to fit your needs for a specific Workspace or project. This means that now you can access bookmarks from outside of a Workspace and change what bookmark bar you’re viewing at any time. Learn more about the new bookmark bar system, here.

 

7. Can I have the same apps appear in all (or just some) of my Workspaces? 

App Shortcuts allow for easy navigation among your most used applications across different Workspaces. With this feature, when adding an app, you are able to immediately assign it to the Workspaces you will be using it in rather than manually adding it to each space, saving you time! Shortcuts also provide the ability to make all your Workspaces the same. Learn more about App Shortcuts, here.

 

8. Can links open up in their respective apps? 

Yes. With Smart Link-handling, Shift will automatically detect when you are trying to open a link that is related to an app that you’ve added to your setup or that is in the App Library. Shift will prompt you for the option to open the link in a new tab or within the app! You can choose to turn this setting off entirely. Learn more about Smart Link-handling, here.

 

9. What Chrome extensions can I use in v8.4?

In v8.4, you can use any Chrome extension! If you can find it in the Chrome Extension Store you can use it. In v8.4, the way Shift handles the cookie profiles is slightly different than in v7. In v7, you could log into different accounts of the same extension. However, with this update, extensions are global which means you can only log into a single account for an extension.

 

This also means that extensions tied to a single email account will only work within your Primary Shift email account (the very top email in your sidebar). These extensions tend to be CRMs or email trackers (e.g. Boomerang, Copper, HubSpot, Mixmax, Streak, etc.). If you want to use your extension in a different email from your current Primary email, we recommend changing your Primary (contact support to do this). To read more about Chrome extensions in Shift, check out this article here. 

 

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What's next?

Need more help? Get in touch with the Support team anytime!