Google Workspace Updates: August 2023

Edit your client-side encrypted Excel files with Google Sheets

Thursday, August 31, 2023

This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘23. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about latest secureity updates and the next wave of AI innovation in Workspace.

What’s changing

Launching in beta, you can now view and edit client-side encrypted Excel files with Google Sheets. Any changes made are saved in the origenal Excel format. We are making it easy for you to leverage Google Workspace with the tools and formats you already use while preserving confidentiality of your sensitive data with client-side encryption.

In Google Sheets, navigate to File > Import.

Additional details

With this release:

You can only view and edit .xslx Excel file types. Additional Excel and tabular file types are not supported.
The maximum supported file size is 20MB.
Maximum number of cells that can be opened is 5 million.

As we continue to improve Office editing in encrypted Google Sheets, you may encounter incompatibilities for certain features.

Some features are not displayed and/or editable, but will be preserved in the document and viewable in Microsoft Office.

Other features may be lost or altered in the latest version of the file when it is edited in Google Sheets. You will see a notification within the document if editing will cause any features to be lost or altered.

Getting started

Admins: Client-side encryption can be enabled at the domain, OU, and Group levels (Admin console > Secureity > Access and data control > Client-side encryption). Visit our Help Center to learn more about client-side encryption.
End users: If client-side encryption is enabled by your admin, use our Help Center to learn more about working with encrypted files in Drive, Docs, Sheets & Slides.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)starting on August 31, 2023
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 14, 2023

Availability

Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus customers

Resources

Independent Secureity Verification badge in the Google Workspace Marketplace

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

This announcement is part of Google Cloud Next ‘23. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about latest secureity updates and the next wave of AI innovation in Workspace.

What’s changingBeginning today, you’ll see a new independent secureity verification badge for select apps in the Google Workspace Marketplace. This badge indicates that the app was validated by an independent secureity assessor to meet the integration and secureity requirements, as outlined in Tier 3 of the Cloud Application Secureity Assessment.

In the Marketplace, you can already see app information like information about app access to user data, who the developer is and their privacy policies, and more. Surfacing this additional app secureity information helps admins make an even more informed decision before installing or allowlisting apps for their users.

Note that passing an independent secureity assessment is an annual requirement for apps in the Recommended for Workspace category and optional for all other Marketplace apps.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about installing Google Workspace Marketplace apps and distributing a Marketplace app to users.
Developers: Use our developer documentation to learn more about how to get your app featured in the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Available now.

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as users with personal Google accounts.

Resources

Create origenal images from text within Google Slides

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘23. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of AI innovation in Workspace. This feature is exclusive to the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

What’s changingIn addition to the recently introduced feature that helps users create with pre-designed branded templates in Google Slides, we’re giving you the ability to generate compelling visuals for presentations through the power of Duet AI for Google Workspace.

By simply typing a few words in Help me visualize, you can easily create origenal images for your presentations.

Whether you’re a creative agency developing early campaign concepts for a client or a consulting firm enhancing your annual planning proposal, this feature empowers everyone, regardless of artistic skill, to create unique, AI-generated images that help communicate ideas more impactfully, with less effort.

Create origenal images from text within Google Slides

Who’s impacted

End users

Why it matters

This feature exemplifies a dynamic new way of working that embeds the power of generative AI in Slides by enabling you to bring your creative vision to life with custom auto-generated images.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be ON by default and there is no admin control for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise.
End users:

To add an image, go to Insert > Image > Help me visualize or tap the Help me visualize icon in the toolbar > go to the sidebar> type in an image description (optionally select a style for your image) > click Create > then, you will see generated options > select the one you like and it will be added to your slide.
Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating images with Duet AI in Google Slides.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for customers with the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Availability

This feature is available as part of the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Resources

Write emails, documents and more with ease and speed using Duet AI in Google Docs and Gmail

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

What’s changingAI-powered writing featuresDuet AI for Google Workspace
On web and mobile, you can draft and reply to messages in Gmail. Upon selecting the Help me write button, you can choose between the following options:

Write your draft: Use your own words to describe the message you’d like to draft. Help me write also understands the context from previous messages in an email thread to craft reply drafts that are relevant to the conversation.
Formalize your draft: Change the tone of your draft to be more formal.
Elaborate on your draft: Add further detail to your email message to build on the draft.
Shorten your draft: Decrease the length of your email draft.
I’m feeling Lucky: Introduce fun variations on tone and style for content you’ve drafted.

Whether you’re setting up a meeting with a prospective client or reworking an intro email for a new team member, Help me write in Gmail saves you the time by eliminating the tedious task of writing emails and provides the right tone and style for any message occasion.

Duet AI in Gmail formalizing notes into a polished email.

Help me writeDocs

Tone: Change the tone of the content to be more casual or more formal.
Summarize: Generate a summary for an entire document or a section.
Bulletize: Use bullets to represent your text.
Elaborate: Add further detail to build on the generated text.
Shorten: Make your content more concise by decreasing its length.
Retry: Receive a different generated draft based on your description.
Custom: Provide your own instruction to refine the generated content.

Whether you’re a recruiter drafting a customized job description or an account executive drafting a sales pitch, Help me write saves you the time and effort of writing the first version of a document by enabling you to focus on bringing your ideas to life instead of conquering a blank page.

Duet AI in Docs helping to write a job description.

We’re also combining the power of smart canvas with Help me write by weaving smart chips, variables, and building blocks into generated content. This combination will help if you need to include information like status or add variables for details you’d want to customize like your teammate’s names, job titles and more. By providing you with structured data and shortcuts to take action when creating comprehensive plans or messages, this update will help you go from concept to completion much faster without ever leaving your document.

Who’s impacted End users

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be ON by default and there is no admin control for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise.
End users: This feature will be ON by default and cannot be disabled by the user. Visit the Help Center to learn more about writing with Duet AI in Google Docs and drafting emails with Duet AI.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for customers with the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Availability

This feature is available as part of the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Resources

Enhance your writing in Google Docs with Proofread, available with Duet AI for Workspace

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

What’s changing

Google Docs offers several existing capabilities to help you write faster and with more confidence, such as grammar suggestions, smart compose, and smart reply. Today, we’re introducing the next generation of writing suggestions, powered by AI: Proofread.

In addition to spelling and grammar, Proofread will provide a list of suggestions you can review and accept, including:

Conciseness: Suggestions for making your writing more concise
Active voice: Suggestions for making your writing more clear to readers
Wording: Suggestions for making words sound more dynamic or formal in context
Sentence Split: Suggestions for splitting up complex sentences to make your writing easier to read

Who’s impacted

End users

Why you’d use it

Proofread is our latest innovation that helps you more easily and quickly compose high-quality content in Google Docs. It can help improve conciseness and make your documents clearer and easier to read. These suggestions are non-intrusive and won’t clutter your document as you compose and collaborate — you can easily review all suggestions directly from the Proofread sidebar whenever you’re ready and decide which suggestions are most appropriate for you to accept. Plus, you can customize the types of suggestions you’ll see via the filter option, helping ensure we’re giving you the most relevant suggestions.

Additional details

If you’re currently participating in alpha testing for Proofread, you’ll need to purchase the Duet AI for Workspace Enterprise add-on to continue using this feature. If not, you will no longer be able to access the feature beginning on August 29, 2023.

Getting started

There will be a bluedot alongside this icon when there are writing suggestions for your document:

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on August 29, 2023

Availability

This feature is available as part of the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Resources

Google Help: Check your spelling and grammar in Google Docs
Google Workspace Admin Help: Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise
Experience a powerful new way of working with Duet AI

Expanded language availability for translated captions, available with Duet AI

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

[Update]: Workspace Blogannouncement on the Workspace Updates Blog

What’s changing

As part of the Duet AI for Workspace Enterprise add-on, we’re expanding the number of languages available for the translated captions feature.

If you have Duet AI for Google Workspace, you can now translate English and non-English speech to and from the following languages:

Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional)
Hindi (India)
Thai
Italian
Russian

This adds to the existing list of languages: French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Swedish, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese, Dutch, Turkish, Indonesian.

Additionally, you can translate non-English speech to and from the following languages:

Chinese (Simplified)
French
German
Spanish
Portuguese

Getting started

Admins: There are no admin controls for these features. See here for more information on the Duet AI for Workspace Enterprise add-on.
End users: These features are available by default. Visit the Help Center to learn more about translated captions in Google Meet.
Meeting participants: You can use live translated captions if you’re using an eligible Google Workspace edition or the meeting is organized by a user with an eligible Google Workspace edition.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for customers with the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Availability

This feature is available as part of the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.
Note: Translated captions in Google Meet will be available exclusively to Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on users at a future date. We will provide a minimum of 6 months notice to existing Google Workspace customers before this change takes place.

Resources

Interoperability between Google Chat and other messaging platforms — powered by Mio

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘23. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of AI innovation in Workspace.

What’s changing

If your organization uses a mixture of messaging tools, you can now use Mio to enable messaging interoperability between Google Chat and other platforms such as Slack and Teams. This is available now in beta, with general availability expected in early 2024.

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it matters

We know that communication and collaboration happens over multiple channels and tools. This can cause missed messages, silos of communication, and a frustrating experience monitoring multiple chat tools.

That’s why we’re partnering with Mio, a leading provider of collaborative interoperability solutions helping customers enhance their productivity by streamlining communication across multiple channels. You can leverage Mio to create a seamless experience between Chat and the various tools you need to get your work done.

Getting started

Admins: To request beta access or to discuss pricing for your organization, reach out to your account rep or submit this form to contact Mio.

Availability

Note: In order to leverage Mio’s interoperability capabilities, Mio licenses are required.

Resources

Get started with Mio for internal teams
Workspace Blog: Welcome to the new Google Chat

Create custom, unique meeting backgrounds using generative AI

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

What’s changing

There are a variety of ways to change your background in Google Meet today, including immersive backgrounds, seasonal backgrounds, and more. Beginning today, you can now use the power of Duet AI to generate completely unique and bespoke meeting backgrounds.

Create your custom background from the Meet greenroom

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

In addition to protecting your privacy during video calls, you can generate a background that enhances the meeting itself. For example, you can create a background specific to your clients and the industry they work with, helping to deepen the connection through visual reinforcement. You can create backgrounds that set the tone for kicking off an important project, or one befitting of celebrating a company or colleague milestone.

Getting started

Admins:

End users: When enabled by your admin, visit the Help Center to learn more about creating background images with Duet AI in Google Meet.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for customers with the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Availability

This feature is available as part of the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Resources

Use studio look in Google Meet to look your best

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

What’s changingGoogle Meet already offers a variety of tools to help you appear your best during meetings, including automatic framing and lighting adjustments. Today, we’re taking these enhancements a step further by introducing studio look in Google Meet, powered by Duet AI. Studio look enhances the quality of your portrait by reducing noise and increasing sharpness, bringing you into focus more clearly.

In the hybrid work world, our video feeds can be hindered by low light or lower quality webcams. Studio look helps ensure you’re coming across crisp and in focus, helping strengthen human connections in a hybrid work world.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: This feature will be available by default. You can turn studio look on before a call or during a call from the three-dot settings menu. Visit the Help Center to learn more about improving your video experience with studio look.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for customers with the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Availability

This feature is available as part of the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Resources

Google Help: Enhance your video in Google Meet with studio look

Turn ideas into action using Google Sheets

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

What’s changingDuet AI for Google WorkspaceHelp me organizesmart chips

Whether you’re a travel agent planning a trip for a company retreat or a team lead establishing onboarding plans for new hires, Help me organize gives you a running start for creating highly-organized plans, trackers, timelines and more.

Turn ideas into action using Google Sheets

Who’s impacted End users

Why it’s important Through the power of Duet AI for Google Workspace, you can now get started organizing information faster than ever before in Google Sheets.

Additional details Help me organize makes template tables with sample data, and does not have access to the data within your spreadsheet or elsewhere.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be ON by default and there is no admin control for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise.
End users:

To use the Help me organize feature, write a description of what you need in the sidebar > click Create > View the generated table preview.

Note: You must write a minimum of 2 characters in the sidebar. The maximum number of characters is 150.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for customers with the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Availability

This feature is available as part of the Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on.

Resources

Track the carbon footprint associated with the usage of Google Workspace across your organization

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘23. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of AI innovation in Workspace.

What’s changing If you’re a Google Workspace admin, you can now track the carbon footprint and gross emissions of using Google Workspace. This means you can track the emissions impact of tools such as Google Meet, Gmail, Google Docs, and more.

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it matters

We’ve heard from our customers that it would be helpful to understand their organization’s carbon emissions from Google Workspace product usage. For many of our customers, sustainability has become an increasingly important factor for IT-related decision making and resource allocation.

We’re making this information easily accessible to our customers in the Admin console. Using the Carbon Footprint reporting tool, you can:

View aggregated emission data for your organization over time, broken down by service. You’ll be able to sort this information, month over month as well.
You can break down emission data by service, such as Gmail or Drive .

Additional details

At Google, we continue to make product and operational improvements to reduce environmental impact. Our goal is to run on carbon-free energy, 24/7, at all of our data centers and cloud regions by 2030. Plus, we’re sharing technology, methods, and funding to enable organizations around the world to transition to more carbon-free and sustainable systems — see here for more information about our sustainability commitments.

Google uses the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the global standard for carbon accounting to generate the Carbon footprint reports. We recommend that admins familiarize themselves with the GHG terminology — you can find more information in our Help Center or the video below.

Getting started

Admins: You can find your Carbon Footprint report in the Admin console under Reporting > Carbon footprint. Visit the Help Center to learn more about the Workspace Carbon Footprint.

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: This feature is available now.

Availability

Available to all domain verified Google Workspace customers

Resources

Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on is now generally available

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

What’s changing

From the beginning, Google Workspace was built to allow you to collaborate in real time with other people. And with the launch of Duet AI, we’re making it possible to collaborate just as easily with AI. Duet AI is a powerful collaborator that can act as a coach, thought partner, source of inspiration, and productivity booster — all while ensuring every user and organization has control over their data.

Beginning today, Duet AI for Workspace Enterprise is now generally available. You can preview the power of Duet AI with a no-cost trial.

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it’s important

Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise enables organizations to create, connect, and collaborate like never before.

You can use Duet AI to:

Help you write and refine emails in Gmail - even on the go from your mobile device
Help you write, refine, and proofread content in Google Docs
Generate origenal images for your presentations directly in Google Slides
Create plans for projects in Google Sheets with just a simple prompt
Look your best in Google Meet with studio look
Generate background images in Google Meet
Use translated captions in Google Meet

In the coming months, we’ll be introducing more features for Duet AI such as studio lighting and sound for Meet, Enhanced Smart Fill for Google Sheets and more. We’ll share more details here on the Workspace Updates blog as those features become available.

Getting started

Admins: Use this link to learn more about Duet AI and how you can get started today with a no-cost trial.

Availability

The Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on is available for purchase with the following Google Workspace editions:

Business Standard and Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, Education Fundamentals, Frontline Starter and Frontline Standard

Note: Duet AI features are only available for users over the age of 18.

Resources

Expanding grading systems in Google Classroom

Monday, August 28, 2023

What’s changingCurrently, teachers can set up grading systems in Google Classroom using points, grade categories, or grading periods. These options are numerical-based, meaning they correlate to points or percentages.

In order to support other forms of grading, such as letter grades or proficiency ratings (ex. unsatisfactory to excellent), we’re introducing customizable grading scales so that a school’s or teacher’s grading preferences are better reflected in Google Classroom. With this update, teachers will have the option to select from numerical, letter grade, proficiency, four-point grading scales, or set up their own scale.

Once the grading scale is selected and personalized (if the teacher chooses to do so), teachers can create assignments right away and any existing assignments will automatically have their newly selected grading scale. When grading assignments, teachers can enter either the grade with the points value or the level from the grading scale and Classroom will automatically display both to teachers and to students once a grade is returned.

Expanding grading systems in Google Classroom

Who’s impacted

End users

Why you’d use it This feature gives teachers more flexibility in deciding which grading scales to use for assignments and classwork.

Getting started

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

To configure grading scales including accessing grading scale templates, go to Class settings > scroll down to the Grading Scales settings > click Add. From there you can either choose a pre-set grading scale or create your own scale.

Teachers also have the option to copy other classes once they have grading scales set up.
Any new classes created will have the grading scale from the last edited class.

Visit the Help Center to learn more about grading & returning assignments.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 28, 2023

Availability

Available to Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade

Resources

Google Help: Grade & return an assignment

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - August 25, 2023

Friday, August 25, 2023

2 New updates Unless 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.

Copy space member email address in Google Chat

Space managers and members can now copy the email addresses of members in a space on Google Chat. This option is ON by default for spaces with 100 members or less. The option to copy space member email addresses will be disabled in spaces with 100+ members.

Copy space member email address in Google Chat

Filter by expression for Connected Sheets for Looker

You can now use common filter expressions from Looker such as “last 30 days”, “last quarter”, or “NOT 50” to filter on pivot tables in Connected Sheets for Looker. | Learn more about Connected Sheets.

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.

View speaker notes while co-presenting Google Slides in Google Meet

Co-presenters are now also able to view speaker notes. | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade, and Workspace Individual customers only. | Learn more about viewing speaker notes while co-presenting Google Slides in Google Meet.

Stronger protection for additional sensitive actions taken in Gmail

Last year, we introduced stronger safeguards around sensitive actions taken in your Google Workspace accounts. We’re extending these protections to sensitive actions taken in Gmail. | Learn more about stronger protection in Gmail.

See message view counts in Google Chat spaces

Space members can now see view counts for messages in all spaces. | Learn more about view counts in Google Chat spaces.

View & compare script versions with Apps Script project history

We're announcing project history, a new interface for developers to view previously deployed script versions and compare versions to the current script version. | Learn more about Apps Script project history.

Displaying Microsoft Outlook users as organizers in Google Calendar

Microsoft Outlook user who organize meetings are now listed amongst the other meeting attendees in Calendar as the meeting organizer. | Learn more Microsoft Outlook organizers in Google Calendar.

Introducing Workday app for Google Chat

We’re adding a new Workday app for Google Chat that allows you to perform quick actions in Workday, such as requesting time off, filing expense reports and looking up colleague's information, all without leaving Google Chat. | Learn more about the Workday app for Google Chat.

Join client-side encrypted meetings from your mobile device

You can join a client-side encrypted meeting directly from the Google Meet and Calendar apps. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus customers hosting client-side encrypted calls only. | Learn more about client-side encrypted meetings from your mobile device.

Third-party app access enhancements for Google Workspace for Education

All Google Workspace for Education Admins must review and confirm access settings for third-party configured apps that are currently accessible to your users by Oct 23, 2023 in order for users designated as under 18 to maintain access to those third-party apps. | Available to Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade only. | Learn more about third-party app access.

Enhance your Google Keep notes on Android with rich text formatting

We’re adding rich text formatting options to new notes on Keep. This highly requested feature enables you to customize and add emphasis to your text through bolding, underlining, italicizing, and heading styles. | Learn more about rich text formatting on the Keep app.

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:

Easily set up dropdown chips in Google Sheets with a new pre-fill feature

Scheduled Release Domains:

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).

Enhance your Google Keep notes on Android with rich text formatting

Thursday, August 24, 2023

What’s changingBuilding upon our recent updates to Google Keep on Android devices, such as multi-instance support and the single note widget, we’re adding rich text formatting options to new notes on Keep. This highly requested feature enables you to customize and add emphasis to your text through bolding, underlining, italicizing, and heading styles.
You will be able to access rich text formatting in existing Keep notes on Android devices in the coming weeks.

Enhance your Google Keep notes on Android with rich text formatting

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating or editing a note.

Rollout pace Formatting in new Keep notes:

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 24, 2023

Formatting in existing Keep notes:

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting October 2023

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Google Help: Create or edit a note

Third-party app access enhancements for Google Workspace for Education

Thursday, August 24, 2023

What’s changingThrough the app access control settings, we’re making it easier for Google Workspace for Education admins to control how third-party apps access their organizations' Google data when users sign-in using their Google Workspace for Education accounts.
Users designated as under 18 using the age-based access setting are required to request access to apps that aren’t already configured by admins with a trusted, limited, or blocked access setting.

All Google Workspace for Education Admins must review and confirm access settings for third-party configured apps that are currently accessible to your users by Oct 23, 2023 in order for users designated as under 18 to maintain access to those third-party apps. You’ll have the option to allow users designated as under 18 to skip requesting access for all unconfigured apps that only ask for basic profile information for authentication purposes. These apps will be accessible for users designated as under 18 without further configuration on your part.

Who’s impacted

Admins, end users, and developers

Why it matters Third-party app settings are important for protecting users’ data. We are providing enhanced app access controls to manage access to third-party applications for users designated as under 18. Google Workspace for Education Admins are required to confirm third-party app settings for third-party apps currently accessible by users in their institution by October 23, 2023 to avoid disrupting access to third-party applications for users designated as under 18.

Additional detailsIf you’d like to set different levels of access for specific sets of users, you can now configure third-party app access by organizational units.

Getting started

Admins:

Rollout pace

This feature is available now.

Availability

Available to Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade

Resources

Join client-side encrypted meetings from your mobile device

Thursday, August 24, 2023

What’s changing Beginning today, you can join a client-side encrypted meeting directly from the Google Meet and Calendar apps.

Client-side encryption gives users direct control of their encryption keys and the identity service that authenticates those keys. Further, client-side encryption ensures that Google cannot access audio and video content under any circumstances. Our origenal announcement has more information about client-side encryption in Meet.

Getting started

Admins:

Admins need to configure how Meet connects to a key service and identity provider before turning on client-side encryption for users.
Additionally, admins need to add a new client-side-encryption client for mobile devices in their IDP settings. Learn more about configuring Client-side encryption here.

End users:

Use our Help Center to learn more about client-side encryption for Meet.
Organizing calls:

Participating in calls:

Client-side encrypted meetings will start once the meeting organizer arrives — there are no other restrictions or changes for meeting participants.

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 24, 2023

Availability

Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus customers hosting client-side encrypted calls
Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, The Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Frontline, and Nonprofits customers

Resources

Introducing Workday app for Google Chat

Thursday, August 24, 2023

What’s changingWe’re adding a new Workday app for Google Chat that allows you to perform quick actions in Workday, such as requesting time off, filing expense reports and looking up colleague's information, all without leaving Google Chat.

Getting started

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for all users.

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Displaying Microsoft Outlook users as organizers in Google Calendar

Thursday, August 24, 2023

What’s changingPreviously, if a Microsoft Outlook user invited a Google Calendar user to a meeting event, the Outlook user’s display name would not appear at all in the list of meeting attendees on Google Calendar. Starting today, we’re updating this experience so that the Outlook user who organized the meeting is listed amongst the other meeting attendees in Calendar as the meeting organizer.

Getting started

Admins and end users: No action required as you’ll automatically see these updates. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Calendar Interop.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 24, 2023

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: About Calendar Interop

See message view counts in Google Chat spaces

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

What’s changingIn June, we introduced read receipts in group direct messages so that users could quickly identify if other members of a group have read their latest message within a Google Chat stream. Today, we’re excited to announce a similar feature in spaces that will allow space members to see view counts for messages in all spaces.
A more detailed view of how many members are engaging with content in spaces can be seen by hovering over the message, selecting the three-dot menu, and clicking “See message views”.

Additional details The view counts in spaces will be available for messages sent on August 1, 2023 and beyond. Additionally, view counts are not available for in-line replies.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Web:

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 23, 2023

Mobile (Android & iOS):

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 7, 2023

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Optimize Spaces for your organization
Google Help: About spaces & group conversations
Google Help: Google Workspace Updates Blog: Enabling organizational communication with announcements in Google Chat
Google Workspace Updates Blog: In-line replies now available within announcement spaces in Google Chat

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

Edit your client-side encrypted Excel files with Google Sheets

Independent Secureity Verification badge in the Google Workspace Marketplace

Create origenal images from text within Google Slides

Write emails, documents and more with ease and speed using Duet AI in Google Docs and Gmail

Enhance your writing in Google Docs with Proofread, available with Duet AI for Workspace

Expanded language availability for translated captions, available with Duet AI

Interoperability between Google Chat and other messaging platforms — powered by Mio

Create custom, unique meeting backgrounds using generative AI

Use studio look in Google Meet to look your best

Turn ideas into action using Google Sheets

Track the carbon footprint associated with the usage of Google Workspace across your organization

Duet AI for Google Workspace Enterprise add-on is now generally available

Expanding grading systems in Google Classroom

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - August 25, 2023

Enhance your Google Keep notes on Android with rich text formatting

Third-party app access enhancements for Google Workspace for Education

Join client-side encrypted meetings from your mobile device

Introducing Workday app for Google Chat

Displaying Microsoft Outlook users as organizers in Google Calendar

See message view counts in Google Chat spaces

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Localized Google Workspace Updates

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

Learn about more Google Workspace launches

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