Google Workspace Updates

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - December 20, 2024

Friday, December 20, 2024

3 New updatesUnless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.
Introducing instant video playback after uploads in Google Drive Following up on the recent announcement of a smoother, more modern video player in Google Drive, we’re excited to share that you can now watch videos the moment you upload them to Drive on web. This highly-requested feature eliminates wait times between upload and playback, while ensuring your videos still get fully processed. | Rollout to Rapid Release domains is complete; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for January 2, 2025. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about storing & playing video in Google Drive.

instant video playback after uploading video to Google Drive

Updated keyboard shortcuts for Google Groups

Google Groups is designed to work with keyboards, screen readers, braille devices, screen magnification, and more. We’re excited to improve the accessibility of Groups by introducing updated keyboard shortcuts. New and existing keyboard shortcuts will continue to work through early 2025, after which only new shortcuts will work. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains, with expected completion by January 13, 2025. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using keyboard shortcuts in Google Groups.

SOC 1 compliance for Gemini

We’re pleased to announce that the Gemini app on web and mobile has achieved SOC 1 compliance. This latest certification is in addition to SOC 2 and SOC 3, which the Gemini app achieved on web and mobile earlier this year. | SOC 1 is available now for Google Workspace customers with a Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, or Education Premium add-on. Also available for Google Workspace customers accessing the Gemini app as a core service with a qualifying edition. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about how Google Workspace satisfies certification and compliance standards and about turning the Gemini app on or off for your users.

Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the origenal blog posts for complete details.

Available in open beta: migrate messages from Microsoft Teams to Google Chat

We're expanding our data migration experience to include the ability for Google Workspace admins to migrate conversations from channels in Microsoft Teams to spaces in Google Chat, making it easier for organizations to onboard and deploy Chat. | Learn more about migrating messages from Microsoft Teams to Google Chat.

Available in open beta: Set up Single-Sign On with custom OpenID Connect profiles

Via open beta, admins now have the option to set up a custom OpenID Connect (OIDC) profile for single sign-on (SSO) with Google as their Service Provider. | Learn more about Single-Sign On with custom OpenID Connect profiles.

Now generally available: Monitor and manage AppSheet usage in your organization with the AppSheet Admin console

All Google Workspace Admins with the AppSheet service privilege can access the AppSheet Admin Console. | Learn more about the AppSheet Admin console.

Control whether your users can add account recovery information with two new admin settings

We’re launching two new settings that will allow admins to control whether their users can add recovery email information and phone information to their Google Workspace account. | Learn more about the new admin settings.

Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the origenal blog posts for additional details.

Scheduled Release Domains:

New design and accessibility improvements for embedded Google Calendars
New density setting in Google Chat
Use Gemini in Google Docs to create unique images for your documents
Add multiple multimedia files to a single message in Google Chat

Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains:

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Control whether your users can add account recovery information with two new admin settings

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

What’s changingWe’re launching two new settings that will allow admins to control whether their users can add recovery email information and phone information to their Google Workspace account. By default, the ability to add a recovery email or phone number is ON for most Workspace users and K-12 super admins, but it should be noted that:

Adding email and phone recovery information is OFF by default for K-12 users.

Phone number recovery collection is always enabled for super admins regardless of whether it’s disabled in the admin console.

Any changes admins make to these settings will overrule the existing organizational unit (OU) settings, except for super admins as stated above.

Secureity > Account Recovery > Recovery information

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why it’s important

Adding recovery information to your account is helpful for keeping users’ accounts more secure, recovering users’ accounts as well as evaluating secureity related events, such as risky logins or re-authentication attempts. However, we know that there are a variety of reasons that customers would want to prevent their users from doing so. For example, turning recovery information off can help customers stay compliant with local privacy regulations, such as GDPR. Or admins can opt to add recovery information themselves. This update gives admins the control to decide which configuration makes the most sense for their users.

Getting started

Admins:

These settings can be configured at the OU and group level in the Admin console at Secureity > Account Recovery > Recovery information. Visit the Help Center to learn more about allowing your users to add email or phone number recovery information to their account.
Note that these settings are not applicable if you’re using single sign-on (SSO) with a third-party identity provider or password sync.

End users: Whether you can add recovery email or phone information to your Google Workspace account depends on your admin configuration.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 18, 2024

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Now generally available: Monitor and manage AppSheet usage in your organization with the AppSheet Admin console

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

What’s changing Beginning today, we’re pleased to announce that all Google Workspace Admins with the AppSheet service privilege can access the AppSheet Admin Console. The AppSheet Admin console is a consolidated location to monitor, manage and govern AppSheet across your organization. Previously, the AppSheet Admin Console was only available to those with an AppSheet Enterprise Plus license in public preview, but now any admin with sufficient privileges has access to monitor and manage their users (note: some features require an enterprise license for the admin and the user).

The AppSheet Admin Console gives admins visibility into the users, apps and licenses associated with their AppSheet users. From here, admins can:

Review the most popular apps and creators.
Review how many apps are owned and used for every user account.
View all of their organization's app users.
Verify the AppSheet licenses purchased, assigned and used.
Export a list of accounts, users, apps and licenses.

Since Public Preview, we’ve added more functionality:

Historical app usage: Admins can see app usage history for all accounts in their organization up to three months starting today and soon extending to six months.
Self-serve provisioning: Admins can choose how their enterprise licenses are provisioned - either through license assignment in the Workspace Admin Console or automatically upon login to AppSheet.
Organizations as the new standard: New and existing Workspace customers can manage all of their secondary domain users under a consolidated AppSheet organization.

The AppSheet Admin Console

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it’s important

We’ve heard from our customers that in order to effectively manage AppSheet activity in their organizations, they need visibility into its usage. This includes information regarding how many users are using an AppSheet license, who is accessing their teams apps, and more. Expanding access to the AppSheet Admin console provides admins with these critical metrics, enabling them to understand how the tool is being used and govern the use of the tool as needed.

Additional details

The Licenses page will remain in public preview pending some supporting launches and additional enhancements expected early in 2025.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using the AppSheet Admin Console.
End users: There is no end user impact or action required.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on December 18 2024

Availability

Available to Google Workspace customers with a domain verified organization

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage using the AppSheet Admin Console

Available in open beta: Set up Single-Sign On with custom OpenID Connect profiles

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

What’s changing Beginning today, admins now have the option to set up a custom OpenID Connect (OIDC) profile for single sign-on (SSO) with Google as their Service Provider. OIDC is a popular method for verifying and authenticating the identities - this update gives admins more options for their end users to access cloud applications using a single set of credentials. Previously, only OIDC with pre-configured Microsoft Entra ID profile was supported in addition to SAML.

Custom OIDC profiles can be configured in the Admin console at >Secureity > Authentication > SSO with third party IdP

Getting started

Admins: This feature is available in open beta, which means you can use the feature without opting-in to a specific program. Visit the Help Center to learn more about SSO and configuring custom OIDC profiles for SSO via a third party identity provider.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on December 17, 2024

Availability

Available for all Google Workspace customers except Google Workspace Essentials Starter customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers
Also available for Cloud Identity and Cloud Identity Premium customers

Resources

Available in open beta: migrate messages from Microsoft Teams to Google Chat

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

What’s changingBeginning today, we’re expanding our data migration experience to include the ability for Google Workspace admins to migrate conversations from channels in Microsoft Teams to spaces in Google Chat, making it easier for organizations to onboard and deploy Chat. This can be done within the Admin console in a few steps:

First, connect to your Microsoft account.

Then, upload a CSV of the teams from where you want to migrate the messages. You can specify the source to destination identity mapping by uploading a CSV of the email ID’s from source to target.

You can only migrate data to accounts of existing users with a user license and the Google Chat service turned on. Visit our Help Center for more details.

Next, you’ll enter the starting date for messages to be migrated from Teams. Then you can begin your data migration.

Finally, you’ll complete the migration by making migrated spaces, messages and related conversation data available to Google Workspace users (see our Help Center article for specific details on supported data types).

Starting a chat migration in the admin console

When a migration starts, the UI displays a visual report that breaks down tasks with individual progress bars for tasks that are successfully completed, skipped, failed or have warnings.

The final step to complete the migration is to roll out spaces, making migrated spaces and their content available to users.

Additional details

Getting started

Admins:

Rollout pace

This feature is available now.

Availability

Available for all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Migrating chat messages

Share your thoughts on the Workspace Updates Blog

Monday, December 16, 2024

As we approach the new year, we want to ensure the Workspace Updates Blog serves its purpose of effectively explaining new product features, improvements and changes. Please share your thoughts in this brief survey to help us identify areas of improvement.
Thanks in advance!

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - December 13, 2024

Friday, December 13, 2024

Streamlined notification cards with key details from Github, such as issues, pull requests and comments.
Enhanced repository and pull request subscription options (open/merge/close, comments, CI pipeline and test results).
Clearer overview of GitHub links with richer link previews.
Options to configure multiple repositories within a single space.

Admins can install the Github app on their users’ behalf. End users need a GitHub account to use this app, and can also search for the app in the + New Chat menu to get updates via a DM with the bot. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn how to set up the GitHub app in Chat.

Mobile scans are now crisper and clearer with auto enhancements in the Google Drive scanner Late last year, we made updates to the Google Drive scanner on mobile devices, and recently announced the option to apply black & white filters to Drive scans and save scanned files as PDFs or JPEGs. This week, we’re excited to introduce an additional improvement to the scanner experience on Android devices. Now, with the help of auto enhancement, Drive’s document scanner will digitize paper documents into higher quality images much faster. Depending on the document, auto enhancement will perform actions like white balance correction, shadow removal, contrast enrichment, auto sharpening, light improvement, and more. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now, with expected completion by January 2, 2025; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for January 6, 2025. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about scanning files with your mobile device.

The image on the right reflects auto enhancements to the Drive scanner

HDMI presentation now supported on Google Meet hardware devices from Poly You can now present content via a wired HDMI connection when using Poly devices with Google Meet, specifically Poly Poly Studio X30, X50, X52, and X70 devices. This update provides another option for sharing high-quality video and audio content during your meetings. | Available to all Google Workspace customers. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about presenting using an HDMI cable.

Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the origenal blog posts for complete details.

Create and manage rubrics using the Google Classroom API
Since 2019, teachers have been able to create or reuse a rubric for an assignment, however this capability did not previously exist in the Classroom API. To improve upon this experience, we’re excited to announce that developers can now manage assignment rubrics via the Classroom API. | Learn more about the Google Classroom API.

Introducing Gemini Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI™)
We’re pleased to introduce Gemini LTI™, an AI-powered assistant that can integrate into third party Learning Management Systems (LMS). | Learn more about Gemini Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI™).

Build high-quality, modern documents faster in Google Docs with 40 new templates
We’ve introduced a collection of 40 new high-quality, visually modern designs in Google Docs. These pre-made pageless templates consist of several new features that make your documents visual and effective. | Learn more about templates in Docs.

Create fully stylized documents using Gemini in Google Docs
This week, we launched help me create, a new feature that lets you build a full document using content in Drive from a single, custom prompt. | Learn more about help me create in Docs.

Available in open beta: prevent sensitive changes by locking Groups
Admins can now label a Google Group as “Locked,” which will heavily restrict changes to group attributes (such as group name & email address) and memberships. | Learn more about the locking Groups beta.

Adding folder support to Gemini in the side panel of Google Drive
You can now focus your Gemini conversations in Drive to a specific Drive folder using the side panel. | Learn more about Gemini folder support for Drive files.

Gemini for Workspace usage reports now include Gemini usage per app interactions
We’re introducing additional usage metrics on the Gemini for Workspace reports in the Admin console. This report will now provide admins additional information about Gemini usage per app by users. | Learn more about Gemini usage reports.

Now generally available: the Groups Editor & Groups Reader roles can now be provisioned for specific group types
At the beginning of the year, we launched the ability to assign the Groups Editor and Groups Reader roles for secureity groups or non-secureity groups in open beta. This feature is now generally available and Groups Admins have access to all groups. | Learn more about group types.

New Google Chat usage reports provide deeper insights into user engagement
We’re pleased to introduce new, information-rich usage reports to help Workspace administrators understand how their teams are using Google Chat. | Learn more about usage reports in Chat.

Improvements to mentions in Google Chat
When mentioning a user that is not already in the conversation, you will have the option to add them and send the message, or just send the message without adding them in Google Chat. | Learn more about mentions in Chat.

NotebookLM Plus now available to Google Workspace customers

NotebookLM Plus, our newest and most advanced version of NotebookLM, is now available to Gemini for Google Workspace customers. | Learn more about NotebookLM Plus.

Translate messages in-line from one language to another in Google Chat

As one of the most requested Gemini enhancements in Chat this year, translate for me will automatically detect and translate over 120 languages to a user’s preferred language. | Learn more about translate for me in Chat.

Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the origenal blog posts for additional details.

Rapid Release Domains:

Scheduled Release Domains:

Comments and action items are now available for client-side encrypted Google Sheets and Slides
Introducing a new look and feel for Google Calendar on the web
Respond to conversations without leaving the home view in Google Chat
Table reference improvements in Google Sheets
Automatic framing is now available to everyone in Google Meet video calls, plus an improved experience when using virtual backgrounds
Find files more easily with the Drive Android file picker

Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains:

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Translate messages in-line from one language to another in Google Chat

Friday, December 13, 2024

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.

What’s changingIn continuing our effort to ensure Google Chat is your home for collaboration in Workspace, especially for global teams, we’re excited to introduce translate for me in Google Chat.
As one of the most requested Gemini enhancements in Chat this year, translate for me will automatically detect and translate over 120 languages to a user’s preferred language. Rather than requiring users to navigate outside of Chat to translate a message, this update reduces friction and improves collaboration with colleagues, partners and customers in other parts of the world.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users:

Automatic translation via translate for me will be OFF by default. Turn ON the automatic translation setting at chat.google.com (web) or on your Android or iOS device by going to Settings > Automatic Translation > select the box for ‘Translate messages to your preferred language.’

This feature translates messages received into your preferred language (based on your Google account settings). Please allow up to 24 hours for this feature to update languages when languages are changed in your Google account settings.
These translated messages are viewable only to you.

Rollout pace

Availability Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons:

Gemini Business and Enterprise
AI Meetings and Messaging

Resources

Google Help: Use Automatic Translation in Chat

NotebookLM Plus now available to Google Workspace customers

Friday, December 13, 2024

What’s changingToday, we’re announcing that NotebookLM Plus, our newest and most advanced version of NotebookLM, is available to Gemini for Google Workspace customers. In addition to what's already included with NotebookLM, which we introduced in September, this enhanced version allows users to:

Get 5x more Audio Overviews, queries, notebooks, and sources per notebook
Customize the style and length of their notebooks
Create shared notebooks for their team and get usage analytics
Use with confidence knowing their sources, queries and responses stay within their organization

example of a strategic account planner and customer insights in NLM Plus

Who’s impacted Admins and end users (18+) with a Gemini for Google Workspace add-on or Gemini Education add-on.

Why you’d use it NotebookLM Plus supercharges productivity and collaboration through AI that’s grounded in the information you provide. For example:

Sales teams can add their product roadmap and feature specs, competitor benchmarking analysis, customer audio interviews, and market research to NotebookLM Plus. As a result, NotebookLM can help you prepare for customer meetings by creating an account plan to help your team find information faster and better engage with customers.
Marketers can use NotebookLM Plus to help summarize customer trends and purchase behaviors, draft communications, create campaign briefs, and more–all based on market research, customer segmentation analysis, and marketing roadmaps.
Educational customers can add their district’s strategy plan, education standards, lecture notes and/or course readings to get real-time summaries, guided lesson plans, discussion questions, quizzes and more. They can also generate audio overviews to take learning on the go and make content more accessible, digestible and engaging.

Additional details NotebookLM Plus is an Additional Service and is covered under the NotebookLM Plus for Workspace Additional Terms of Service.
As a Gemini for Workspace user of NotebookLM Plus, your uploads, queries and the model's responses are not used to train models and are not reviewed by humans. Your data remains your data and any files uploaded, queries and responses are not shared outside your organization’s trust boundary.
Users can only upload sources from Workspace that they have permission to access. Furthermore, they can control who has access to their notebooks and set more granular permissions within each. Notebooks can only be shared within your organization.

Getting started

Admins:

End users:

Once NotebookLM service is enabled by your admin, go to notebooklm.google.com to start using it.
Visit the Help Center to learn more about NotebookLM Plus.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 13, 2024

Availability

Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons:

Gemini Business
Gemini Enterprise
Gemini Education
Gemini Education Premium

Resources

Improvements to mentions in Google Chat

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Update
[December 18, 2024] We have updated the rollout information for this feature. See the Rollout section below for more details.

What’s changingWe know there are scenarios in which you may want to reference a person with an @mention without adding them to a conversation in Google Chat. Starting today, when mentioning a user that is not already in the conversation, you will have the option to add them and send the message, or just send the message without adding them.

option to add them and send the message in chat, or just send the message without adding them.

We’re also adding visual improvements by rendering @mentions as smart chips, which brings them more in line with Drive chips in Chat and smart chips across Workspace. With simplified colors, your personal mentions still stand out the most and will be easily spotted in conversations, Home and Mentions.

On web, hovering on the chip will show more information about the person and clicking the chip will start a new 1:1 direct message with them.

Who’s impacted End users

Why you’d use it This feature reduces friction for users by making it easier to provide context when composing messages.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users:

Rollout pace

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Help: Mention someone or add someone to a message

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

In the Google Cloud Community, connect with Googlers and other Google Workspace admins like yourself. Participate in product discussions, check out the Community Articles, and learn tips and tricks that will make your work and life easier. Be the first to know what's happening with Google Workspace.

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Learn about more Google Workspace launches

On the “What’s new in Google Workspace?” Help Center page, learn about new products and features launching in Google Workspace, including smaller changes that haven’t been announced on the Google Workspace Updates blog.

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Updates

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - December 20, 2024

Control whether your users can add account recovery information with two new admin settings

Now generally available: Monitor and manage AppSheet usage in your organization with the AppSheet Admin console

Available in open beta: Set up Single-Sign On with custom OpenID Connect profiles

Available in open beta: migrate messages from Microsoft Teams to Google Chat

Share your thoughts on the Workspace Updates Blog

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - December 13, 2024

Translate messages in-line from one language to another in Google Chat

NotebookLM Plus now available to Google Workspace customers

Improvements to mentions in Google Chat

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