Category Archives: Apps Feed Blog

The feed from the Google Apps team

Promote space members to space managers using the Google Chat API

What’s changing 

Last year, we announced the ability to create spaces, memberships, group chats, and more using the Google Chat API. 

Today, we’re excited to introduce enhanced membership management using the Chat API. Specifically, you can now use the Chat API to promote space members to space managers. 
Promote space members to space managers using the Google Chat API


Getting started 


Rollout pace 

  • This feature is available now. 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources 

Available in beta: automatically log Google Voice calls made to Salesforce contacts

What’s changing 

Launching in beta, we’re introducing an integration between Google Voice and Salesforce that makes it easier to track details of calls made in Voice. When enabled: 

  • Salesforce contacts will be displayed in Google Voice. 
  • Google Voice calls will now be logged to any matching Salesforce contact.

Salesforce contacts are denoted with the Salesforce logo. 




Who’s impacted


Admins and end users


Why you’d use it


This integration helps improve visibility across the various stakeholders that rely on Salesforce as a key tool in their workflow. When enabled, Google Voice calls will be automatically logged in Salesforce, ensuring that there is a record of that interaction for all to see. Additionally, you can jump from Google Voice to the Salesforce call log to add notes and more context. This helps eliminate the need for users to switch between multiple applications and manual record keeping, and make it easier for other team members to see the latest activity in Salesforce.

Getting started



To turn on the Google Voice and Salesforce integration, navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Google Voice > Policies > Salesforce integration


You’ll then be directed to the Google Voice and Salesforce connection page to complete the set-up.


  • End users: You’ll see banners in Google Voice on web and mobile when this integration is enabled by your admin. 
Banners inside the Voice app will indicate when Salesforce has been integrated.






After you make a Voice Call to a Salesforce contact from either our web or mobile app, you will be notified that the call is logged to Salesforce in the call log.

You’ll see when a call has been logged to Salesforce — you can click on this notification to open Salesforce.

Logged calls within the Salesforce UI.


To make the most out of the integration, we recommend that you install the Google Voice Chrome Extension.

Rollout pace

  • We will be accepting beta applications for this feature over the next several weeks. You can expect to hear back on the status of your beta application in about 2-3 business days.

Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace customers with Voice Standard or Premier and Salesforce Enterprise, Unlimited, or Lightning versions

Resources






Use annotations to enhance your presentations in Google Meet

What’s changing 

We’re excited to introduce annotation tools in Google Meet. Presenters and their appointed co-annotators can use these tools to highlight content or make other notations over presented content. Annotations will be on by default when you begin presenting — you can open the annotations menu to access various tools such as a pen, disappearing ink, sticker, text box, and more. 


To assign a co-annotator, from the people panel or by hovering over a user’s video tile, select more options (three-dot icon) > add as co-annotator. For more information about who can co-annotators, see the “Additional details” section below. 


Annotating and co-annotating are available for select Google Workspace editions (see availability section below). Anyone can view annotated content during a meeting.


Selecting various annotation tools


Using the pen tool to highlight a specific section of presented content




Who’s impacted

End users


Why you’d use it

Annotation tools can help you better showcase content and engage with your audience while presenting content in Google Meet. They can be useful in a variety of situations, including:

  • Guiding large groups of users through content, such as a new software training
  • Capturing information in real time, like jotting down brainstorming ideas
  • Building on concepts in the classroom, like creating a sentence structure or highlighting key information to help students think through a problem
  • Demonstrating steps to solve a math equation


Additional details

At the time of launch, please note that:
  • Android users can use annotations when they present their screen and select the Entire Screen option. Android co-annotation will follow in a future release.
  • iOS users cannot use annotations when presenting. They can use annotations if they are appointed a co-annotator by a web user.
We’ll provide more information here on the Workspace Updates blog as functionality for mobile devices expands.


Meet hardware availability
Annotations will be available on Series Desk 27 and Board 65 devices during a future release. When support is added, you’ll be able to add these boards as a co-annotator.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: This feature will be available when you initiate a presentation in Google Meet. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using annotations in Google Meet.

Rollout pace


Availability

Available for Google Workspace:
  • Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Frontline Starter and Standard
  • Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus
  • Education Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade
  • Workspace Individual subscribers


Resources


Launch the FigJam whiteboard app directly from Google Meet Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 devices

What’s changing 

Since September 2023, Workspace users have enjoyed the convenience of launching FigJam, Figma’s free online whiteboard, directly in Google Meet. We’re excited to announce that you can now launch FigJam both in and out of an active Meet call from the Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 devices.




Who’s impacted

Admins and end users


Why you’d use it

Prior to this update, these rich collaborative tools were only available within a Meet call — now you can launch them from Board 65 and Desk 27 devices outside of a call for on-demand collaboration and problem solving. Existing Jamboard customers can find more resources related to the FigJam and Google Meet integration here.


Additional details

Migrating your Jamboard files to Figma
Figma’s integration allows users to easily migrate their existing Jamboards to FigJam files through the FigJam importer. 


Device support for additional apps
This enhancement is part of the next phase of digital whiteboarding for Google Workspace. We’ll continue to keep you updated as we add support for launching additional applications directly from Board 65 and Desk 27 devices. 


Getting started

Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet Board 65 and Desk 27 devices

Resources


Dark mode now available in Google Drive web

What’s changing

Today, we’re introducing a highly requested feature: Dark mode in Drive on web. This new setting aims to provide you with a more comfortable, customizable viewing experience for Drive. 
Dark mode now available in Google Drive web


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: To use Dark Mode, go to Drive > Settings > Appearance > Dark. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Dark theme in Google Drive.

Rollout pace 

Availability 

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

Resources 

Build a Dialogflow CX Google Chat app that understands and responds with natural language

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 changing

Earlier this year, we introduced the integration between Google Chat and Dialogflow CX through the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. 


Dialogflow helps developers build and host Chat bots that understand natural language with minimal coding effort. The enhanced Dialogflow CX version, now generally available, provides a new way of designing virtual agents by taking a state machine approach to agent design. Now, developers have clear and explicit control over a conversation, enjoy a better end-user experience, and gain access to an improved development workflow. 


The Dialogflow CX integration with Google Chat allows developers to easily create Google Chat apps that are useful in all kinds of interactions, especially those that require natural human speech. For example, consider a Chat app that helps people rent cars. A user might write, "I'd like to rent a car". The Chat app might respond with a question like "Where would you like to pick up the vehicle?" which starts a human-like conversation with the user in which the Chat app both understands and responds with human speech while booking the car rental. 
Build a Dialogflow CX Google Chat app that understands and responds with natural language

Who’s impacted 

Developers 


Why it’s important 

Dialogflow CX enables developers to create Chat apps with virtual agents that are more conversational and capable of performing specific tasks. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – April 12, 2024

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.


Address access permissions for Google Drive embeds in Google Sites 
When adding embedded content from Google Drive into a Google Site, such as a PDF, document or presentation, site editors will now be prompted to address potential access permissions. The notification will also appear when site editors are publishing the site or sharing it with other site collaborators and viewers. This will ensure other site collaborators or viewers have permission to edit or view embedded Drive content when collaborating on a site. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for April 25, 2024. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Learn more about adding Google files, videos, website content, & more.
Address access permissions for Google Drive embeds in Google Sites

Track usage for Gemini for Workspace users in the Admin console
We recently announced the Gemini Business add-on which provides a subset of generative AI features, subject to monthly usage limits. Gemini Business customers can now check a user’s Gemini limit status in the admin console. For Gemini Enterprise and Gemini Business customers, admins can check their user’s last Gemini usage date as well. | Gemini usage and limit status reports are now available. | Learn more about Usage limits in Gemini for Google Workspace.




Previous announcements

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


Introducing the AI Meetings and Messaging for Google Workspace add-on 
As we continue to expand our Gemini for Google Workspace offerings, we're excited to introduce the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on, which will help you have richer meetings and foster more meaningful collaboration. | Learn more about the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on. 

Introducing a new AI Security add-on for Google Workspace  
The AI Security add-on will give customers access to the AI Classification capability in Google Drive. AI Classification allows IT teams to automatically and continuously identify, classify, and label sensitive files across the organization. | Learn more about the AI Security add-on. 

Control your users’ access to new Gemini for Google Workspace features before general availability
We’re introducing a new setting in the Admin console which will give Gemini customers the ability to test Gemini for Google Workspace alpha features before they become generally available. Specifically, admins will be able to turn on alpha features for all Gemini provisioned Workspace users or for a subset of Gemini users in a particular Organizational Unit (OU) or Group. | Learn more about accessing Gemini for Google Workspace features. 

Protect sensitive admin actions with multi-party approvals 
To protect our customers from malicious actors taking sensitive admin actions, we’re launching multi-party approvals where one admin must approve certain sensitive actions initiated by another. | Learn more about multi-party approvals.

Changes to displaying the “deprovisioned” status for Google Meet hardware devices 
We are removing the “deprovisioned” state from the Admin console. You’ll no longer see devices in this state from the device status page (Devices > Google Meet Hardware > Devices), nor will you be able to filter for those labels. | Learn more about statuses for Google Meet hardware devices.



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




Changes to displaying the “deprovisioned” status for Google Meet hardware devices

What’s changing 

Back in 2021, we introduced the “enrollment privilege”, which restricts who in your organization can enroll or re-enroll Google Meet hardware devices. Prior to introducing this privilege, Admins had to put devices in a “deprovisioned” state to prevent end users from re-enrolling devices until they were moved to a “pending” state. 



Since the enrollment privilege makes those labels obsolete, we are removing the “deprovisioned” state from the Admin console. You’ll no longer see devices in this state from the device status page (Devices > Google Meet Hardware > Devices), nor will you be able to filter for those labels.


Getting started

  • Admins: 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about enrolling and re-enrolling  Google Meet hardware devices into your organization, as well as licensing FAQs.
    • To prevent unauthorized users from re-enrolling devices, opt in to Enrollment Privilege Enforcement: Menu > Google Meet hardware > Settings > Service Settings and toggle ‘Require enrollment privilege’ to ON.
  • End users: There is no end user impact or action required.

Rollout pace

  • Available now.

Availability


Protect sensitive admin actions with multi-party approvals

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 changing

To protect our customers from malicious actors taking sensitive admin actions, we’re launching multi-party approvals where one admin must approve certain sensitive actions initiated by another. Multi-party approvals will be required for the following settings:
  • 2-Step verification
  • Account recovery
  • Advanced Protection 
  • Google session control
  • Login Challenges
  • Passwordless (beta)
This feature is available for eligible Workspace customers with multiple super admin accounts — see the “Getting started” section below for more information.


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

Multi-party approvals adds an extra layer of security for sensitive actions taken in the Admin console by ensuring no sensitive action happens in a silo and, most importantly, helps prevent unauthorized or accidental changes from being made. This added layer of approval helps ensure actions are being taken appropriately and not too broadly or too often. Additionally, this is more convenient for admins because the action is executed automatically after approval and the requester doesn’t need to take additional action. Multi-party approvals makes super admins aware of what changes are being attempted and gives them the opportunity to accept or reject these sensitive actions.


Outlined below is an example of the feature in action, in this case there is an attempt to make a change to 2-step verification policies:

When 2-step verification changes are attempted, admins will be required to submit the change to a super admin for approval.

Super admins can review and take action on these requests in the Admin console by navigating to Security > Multi-party approval. Super admins will also receive email alerts when a 2-step verification change is requested or any other protected action is attempted.

Admins can open a specific approval request to view more information including who is impacted by the change, what the configuration was before the change and what it will be after the change.

Getting started

  • Admins: 
    • This feature is available for eligible Workspace customers with two or more super admin accounts. Multi-party approvals are OFF by default and can be turned on in the Admin console by going to Security > Multi-party approval settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about multi-party approvals for sensitive actions.


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus, and Cloud Identity Premium customers


Introducing the AI Meetings and Messaging for Google Workspace add-on

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 changing

As we continue to expand our Gemini for Google Workspace offerings, we're excited to introduce the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on, which will help you have richer meetings and foster more meaningful collaboration.


At launch, the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on will give customers access to Google Meet features such as studio look, studio lighting, studio sound, and take notes for me (coming soon in Alpha) allowing customers to have more effective and efficient meetings. In the future, AI Meetings and Messaging will also provide access to Gemini features in Google Chat features such as on-demand conversation summaries and automatic translation of messages.


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on, along with the new AI Security add-on also announced at Google Cloud Next ‘24, give our customers more ways to work with AI that best suits the needs of their organization. The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on can help enhance collaboration across Meet and Chat with a variety of features such as:

  • Generative backgrounds in Google Meet
  • Studio look, studio sound, and studio lighting in Google Meet
  • Real time translated captions in Google Meet
  • Take notes for me in Google Meet (coming soon in alpha) 
  • And upcoming features like:
    • Translate for me in Google Meet and Chat for automatic language detection and translation 
    • Adaptive audio in Google Meet for synchronized audio and no feedback when multiple users join a meeting from a room using only their laptops
    • Screenshare watermark in Google Meet to help discourage the copying and unauthorized distribution of shared content
    • On-demand conversation summaries in the home view of Google Chat to get you caught up quickly

Visit our Help Center for a complete list of features available for the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on. Keep an eye on the Workspace Updates blog for new feature launches in the future.


Additional details

Some announced Meet and Chat features for this add-on will be available later this year. More details on timing will be shared in the coming months here on the Workspace Updates blog. This announcement on the Workspace Updates blog has more information about how to enable alpha testing for your end users.


Getting started

Availability

The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on is available for the following Google Workspace Editions:
  • Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Frontline Starter and Standard
  • Enterprise Essentials, Essentials Plus
  • Nonprofits

Resources