Tag Archives: Admin Console

New enhancements in the Space Management Tool For admins: add multiple members or groups, review settings and details

What’s changing 

We’re introducing several updates for the Space Management Tool in the Admin console, including an improved user interface and additional management capabilities. We’ve introduced several more ways to manage a single space, including: 
  • Adding multiple members and groups to a space at once 
  • Review detailed space settings 
  • Review invited members

Space Management Tool for Admins provide visibility into all spaces in an organization




Groups are now included in the list of Space members


Admins can now see detailed information regarding space settings, including those defined by space managers, who can access the space, post new messages, and more.



Admins can now see detailed setting information


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

Spaces in Google Chat are an essential part of collaboration and community building across organizations of all sizes. As such, it’s important for admins to easily view and manage their spaces to keep them productive and safe. This update makes it easier for admins to execute space management tasks and view more information about spaces.


Finally, you’ll notice that we’ve aligned the look-and-feel of the interface and workflows for individual space management across Google Chat on the web and the Admin console for a more consistent experience.


Getting started

Important note: Both Super admins and Delegated admins must have Google Chat turned on for their account in the Google Chat service settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning on Google Chat.







Set client-side encryption as the default mode for new emails, events, and files on mobile

What’s changing 

Admins can now set client-side encryption (CSE) to be on by default on Android and iOS for: 
  • Newly drafted Gmail messages and replies 
  • Newly created Google Calendar events 
  • Newly uploaded Google Drive files

Client-side encryption in Gmail


Admins can now set client-side encryption as the default mode for users on both web and mobile that regularly handle sensitive data. This allows organizations the flexibility to meet their compliance and regulatory requirements and reduce the burden on change management programs. Each new email, event and uploaded file on mobile is automatically client-side encrypted with customer managed keys meaning the user is compliant with their org’s policy from the outset. For organizations with strict regulatory or sovereignty requirements, this can help them close compliance gaps by defaulting users to the preferred mode for handling sensitive data while on the go. 

For more information, check out our original announcement.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Google Workspace Assured Controls is available as an add-on to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus customers only. For more information, contact your Google account representative.

Resources


Conduct direct 1:1 calls with people outside your video calling network on Google Meet mobile

What’s changing

Earlier this year, we introduced cloud-encrypted 1:1 video calls between users in the same domain using the Meet mobile app. In the coming weeks, users from outside of your domain will be able to initiate 1:1 video calls with your users and vice versa. Admins will be able to pre-configure this functionality as on or off for their users with a new admin control. The timeline for this update is as follows:

  • Admin control for restricting external calls placed directly to a user via their email: Admins will begin seeing the new control beginning today. 
  • End user availability: The external calling feature will begin rolling out to end users beginning in April.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users



Why it matters

1:1 cloud-encrypted video calling in the Meet mobile app makes it easier to connect with others by significantly reducing the need to create meeting links ahead of time. We’re expanding these 1:1 cloud-encrypted calls to allow users outside of your domain to initiate 1:1 calls, making it easier to connect with your external partners and stakeholders. However, to ensure external contact is appropriate, admins can turn this functionality on or off for their users.


Getting started

    • By default, users can receive calls only from contacts and other users in the organization. You can use the new admin switch to enable calls from outside your domain at the OU level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about restricting who can call users in your organization with Google Meet.
      • Note: This setting affects only Google Meet calling, not legacy services (formerly known as Duo) or calling in Google Chat. This also does not affect the ability to join meetings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Meet legacy calling on or off for your users. Note that If you have legacy calling enabled for your users, they will have access to features previously found in Duo (group calls, messages, moments, family mode, etc.) if they have not upgraded to the new Meet app. 

  • End users: 



Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers

Available in open beta: the Groups Admin role can now be provisioned for specific group types

What’s changing

The Groups Admin role can now be assigned for security groups or non-security groups. Previously, those with the Groups Admin role had access to all groups within an organization. This change gives administrators more granular delegation of group admin responsibilities, helping limit access to the most sensitive groups to only those who absolutely need it. 

This feature is available in open beta, which means no additional sign-up is required to use the feature.

Getting started

Assign mobile device management admin privileges based on organizational unit

What’s changing

We’re giving admins more granular control over how mobile device management privileges are delegated. Specifically, admins can be assigned privileges for specific organizational units (OUs). This adds yet another layer of security by ensuring that access is scoped to the necessary OUs only. This feature is available as an open beta, which means you can use it without enrolling in a specific beta program.


Creating a custom role, which is assignable at the OU level.

Assigning permissions at the OU level




Example experience for an admin with OU level permissions





Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources


Assign mobile device management admin privileges based on organizational unit

What’s changing

We’re giving admins more granular control over how mobile device management privileges are delegated. Specifically, admins can be assigned privileges for specific organizational units (OUs). This adds yet another layer of security by ensuring that access is scoped to the necessary OUs only. This feature is available as an open beta, which means you can use it without enrolling in a specific beta program.


Creating a custom role, which is assignable at the OU level.

Assigning permissions at the OU level




Example experience for an admin with OU level permissions





Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources


Local data storage exports your organization’s Workspace data into the geographic location of your choice, launching in beta

What’s changing 

Today, we’re introducing Google Workspace’s new feature, local data storage. This feature allows admins to export their organization’s Workspace data into the geographic location or locations of their choice. These are the available options for this feature: 
  • User data: Specify users, groups, organizational units or your entire organization 
  • Export frequency: Opt for continuous or one-time exports 
  • Storage settings: Specify the geographic location of the Google Cloud storage bucket that the data is exported to, who can access the data, and more settings within the Google Cloud storage bucket.

When creating a new export, you can choose to export your data continuously into your own storage bucket



Who’s impacted

Admins


Why you’d use it

This update allows admins to export their organization's Workspace data into their own Google Cloud Storage (GCS) bucket located in a geographic location of their choice to meet their data sovereignty, compliance, and data archival needs. 

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus customers with Assured Controls add-on
    • If you don’t currently have the Assured Controls add-on, please contact us or reach out to your sales rep for more information.

Resources


For Google Meet Hardware, ‘Auto-Update Expiration (AUE)’ will now be referred to as ‘end of Meet support’

What’s changing

We’re making changes to the terminology that refers to  when a Meet hardware device is no longer supported:

  • ‘End of Meet support date’ replaces Auto-Update Expiration (AUE) in the Meet hardware Help Center.
  • The Admin console will show ‘end of Meet support’ instead of ‘EOL (end of life)’ in both device information and fleet overview pages.
  • The field name for “end of life” in Admin console’s CSV downloads will change from “eolDate” to “endOfMeetSupportDate”
End of Meet support as indicated in the device information page


End of Meet support as indicated in the Google Meet hardware fleet overview


Additional details

The end of Meet support date for Intel 10th generation devices have been extended from June 2028 to June 2029 to reflect their continued availability.


Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • This update impacts all Google Workspace customers with Meet hardware devices. 


Resources


Manage reported Google Chat content from the new moderation tool in the Admin console

What’s changing

We’re introducing a centralized location for reviewing and taking action on reported Google Chat content in the Admin console under Apps > Google Workspace > Moderation, alongside the email quarantine tool for Gmail. Here can be found an overarching view of active and resolved reports, as well as additional information and context about reported messages, allowing for more informed decisions to be made.

Super admins will have access to the moderation tool and can also assign users the new “Moderate Chat content report” privilege. The new privilege can be assigned to users in your organization who are best suited to review Chat content, helping to reduce the burden on super admins.


Who’s impacted

Admins and designated moderators 


Why it’s important

Google Chat is key to accelerating productivity and collaboration — content reporting and moderation helps ensure that information exchanged across Chat is safe and appropriate.  When a report is submitted by users, the moderation tool can be used to:

  • See all reports associated with the message (including those resolved in the past).
    • Note that resolved reports will be removed from the Moderation tool after 180 days.
  • Review the edit history of a message and conversation transcript, including up to five messages posted before the reported message.
  • Conversation details provide information about the type of conversation (direct messages, group direct messages, or Spaces) with number of participants, space managers, guidelines, etc.


Using this information, combined with organization policies, admins and moderators can choose the best course of action, whether that be deleting a specific message or deleting an entire space before resolving the report. Additionally, moderators can add comments to the report for prosperity should the content require further auditing in the future.

The moderation tool can be accessed in the Admin console by selecting Apps > Google Workspace > Moderation.

Upon selecting a reported message, you’ll see a variety of information including conversation details and other reports for the message.

You can select “Show more” from the “Reported message” section to view up to five messages sent prior to the reported message.



Additional details

As part of this change, the moderation tool will also include a tab for managing quarantined Gmail messages. Visit our Help Center for more information regarding setting up email quarantine and the admin privileges required to manage quarantined messages. The Gmail tab is available to all Google Workspace customers.


Getting started



Rollout pace


Availability

  • Google Chat content reporting and moderation is available to Google Workspace Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus customers

Resources

Updates for managed iOS devices with the release of Chrome 120

What’s changing

In the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing several improvements to Chrome-on-iOS that will help admins more seamlessly apply policies and preferences across their users’ managed devices. This launch will align with the planned release of Chrome 120. Specifically, these improvements are: 
  • Cross-device policy application: Whether it’s a company-owned or personal device, Chrome User Policies can be applied when a user signs into the Chrome browser with their managed account. This ensures a consistent and secure browsing experience across all devices.
  • Management notice for end-users: Managed end-users will begin seeing a management notice, informing them that their organization manages the account they are signing into. This transparency not only fosters trust but also keeps users informed about the security measures in place to protect their data. 
  • Admin console integration: Admins can easily activate this functionality through the Admin console under the "Chrome on iOS" Browser setting. This centralized control allows admins to tailor policies to meet the specific needs of their organization, ensuring a customized and secure browsing environment for all users.

Getting started

 
We’ll remind you that your account is managed upon login and when you’re logged in.


Rollout pace

End user notifications

Admin console integration

Availability

  • Available to all Chrome Browser Cloud Management and Google Workspace customers

Resources