Tag Archives: Gmail

Introducing an updated and more inclusive emoji picker in Gmail

What’s changing

Starting today, you can access a more complete emoji selection and set emoji skin tone and gender preferences with the modernized emoji picker in the web version of Gmail. 
updated and more inclusive emoji picker in Gmail

Who’s impacted

End users 


Why it matters 

This update enables users to express themselves more authentically using emoji variations in Gmail. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature will be ON by default and cannot be disabled by the user. To select your emoji preference, click the emoji icon in the bottom toolbar of your email draft > select the arrow in the bottom right corner of an emoji > choose your skin tone or gender preference for that specific emoji. These individual selections will be saved until updated by you. 
updated emojis

Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – October 20, 2023

4 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.


Multi-task using new split screen feature in the Gmail app on large screen Android devices 
Last year, we announced numerous improvements to the Google Workspace experience on large screen Android devices, which included multi-instance support on Drive, Docs, Sheets & Slides. We’re excited to introduce a similar feature for the Gmail app on Android tablets & foldables. With this update, you can now open links & attachments directly beside your email content when your device is in landscape orientation. 
  • Upon tapping a link (or attachment) in your email, the link (or attachment) will open on the right half of the screen and the email will move to the left half. 
  • You can control the width of each half or make one the full screen by dragging on the divider handle. 
This feature is now available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts. | Learn more about 7 productivity apps for Android tablets and foldable phones
Multi-task using new split screen feature in the Gmail app on large screen Android devices

Add Google Groups to spaces in Google Chat 
Last month, we rolled out the admin controls for a new feature that enables space managers and users with the permission to manage members to add Google Groups to a space. Starting this week, end users can utilize this option and add Groups to spaces in Chat. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for November 1, 2023. | Available to all domain-verified Google Workspace customers. | Learn more about adding a Google Group to a space. 


Add emoji reactions to comments in Google Slides 
Last week, we announced the ability to add emoji reactions to comments in Google Sheets. We’re excited to announce this is now available for comments in Google Slides, increasing collaboration by enabling you to quickly and creatively express your opinions about presentation content. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for October 31, 2023. | Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts. | Learn more about using comments, action items, & emoji reactions
Add emoji reactions to comments in Google Slides

Respond to access requests for Google Workspace files more efficiently on Android devices 
Earlier this year, we introduced a new file access experience to make it easier for file approvers to respond to pending access requests across Google Workspace. We’re happy to announce that this update is now available on Android devices. Within a file (Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, etc.), click the Share button > select the Review button in the new banner to view the access request(s) > respond to the request(s). | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts. | Learn more about sharing files from Google Drive. 





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.



Upcoming changes to third-party cookie requirements in Google Drive
Google Chrome and other browsers have begun phasing out third-party cookies in order to better protect user privacy. Starting January 2, 2024, Drive will start serving downloads without requiring third-party cookies that are embedded on third-party websites. | Learn more about third-party cookie requirements in Google Drive. 


Understand the impact of Context-Aware Access policies with Monitor Mode 
Admins can now use Monitor Mode to understand the implications of a Context-Aware Access (CAA) policy before deploying it to their end users. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus, and Cloud Identity Premium customers only. | Learn more about Context-Aware Access policies with Monitor Mode. 


Use the space management tool to bulk delete Google Chat spaces 
Using the space management tool, admins can now delete multiple spaces within their organization at once. Over time, as more spaces are created, the list of spaces for an organization can become cluttered with abandoned and inactive spaces. | Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Frontline, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Teaching & Learning upgrade, Education Plus customers only. | Learn more about bulk deleting Google Chat spaces. 


Subtly enhance your appearance with portrait touch-up when using Google Meet on mobile devices 
We’re introducing portrait touch-up in Meet, a new feature on mobile that enables you to lightly touch up your appearance from the green room before joining or during the meeting. | Available to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, Teaching & Learning Upgrade, Google One and Google Workspace Individuals only. | Learn more about portrait touch-up in Meet. 


Map and sync system attributes of users from External Directory into Google Workspace 
Using Directory Sync, admins can map all the system or default user attributes, including custom attributes, from Microsoft Active Directory or Microsoft Azure Active Directory to Google Directory user attributes and synchronize them. | Learn more about Directory Sync. 


Completed rollouts

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

Rapid Release Domains:


Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – September 29, 2023

3 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.

Improved paste values experience in Google Sheets 
Previously, when pasting a number in Google Sheets using Paste special > Values only, the content pasted was only the text from the original range of cells. For example, for the date 9/21/2023, paste values only would paste the date serial number of 45190. To improve upon this feature, the default for paste values for numbers will include values and the number format, meaning all of your numbers will retain their formatting as you are working in Sheets. | Available now to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts. 
Improved paste values experience in Google Sheets
Different certificates for signing and encrypting messages in Gmail 
If your organization uses different certificates for signing and encrypting messages, you can now use the Gmail CSE API to upload different encryption and signature public certificates for each user. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for October 9, 2023. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Education Standard customers. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using the Gmail CSE API to manage user certificates


Allow certificate mismatches for client-side encrypted messages 
In some cases, the email address associated with a user’s certificate might be different from their primary email address — this is known as a certificate mismatch. Admins can now opt to allow certificate mismatches, which means their end users will be able to decrypt and read messages with a mismatch. It should be noted that we recommend allowing certificate mismatches only when this feature is absolutely required for our organization. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for October 9, 2023. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Education Standard customers. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about allowing certificate mismatches for client-side encrypted messages in Gmail.


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.


Create, modify, and insert email templates within Groups messages 
When you’re using Groups to send messages, you can save a composed message as a template to reuse in the future. | Learn more about email templates within Groups messages

Additional space manager capabilities in Google Chat 
We’re adding two new controls to the list of space manager capabilities in Google Chat that were introduced earlier this year to ensure effective conversations take place in spaces. The new “Manage apps” and “Manage webhooks” options will allow space managers to control the ability of space members to add and remove apps and webhooks to a space. | Learn more about new space manager capabilities

Easily link to a specific message in Google Chat 
Building upon the recent updates in Google Chat, such as message views, in-line replies and larger spaces, we’re introducing message linking, an additional feature that helps teams collaborate more effectively. | Learn more about message linking

Easily add or remove groups of members to a space in Google Chat 
We’re introducing a new app for Google Chat called Bulk Member Manager that enables space managers and space members, who have permission to manage members, to easily add or remove members to or from a space in bulk. | Learn more about the Bulk Member Manager app

The next phase of digital whiteboarding for Google Workspace 
In late 2024, we will wind down the Jamboard whiteboarding app as well as continue with the previously planned end of support for Google Jamboard devices. | This update impacts all Google Workspace customers who use the Jamboard app or 55-inch Jamboard device. | Learn more about the winding down of the Jamboard whiteboarding app

Updates regarding the transition from spaces organized by topic to in-line threading in Google Chat 
In 2022, we introduced in-line threading for Google Chat and since March 2023, all newly created spaces in Google Chat are in-line threaded by default. On September 30, 2023, we will begin taking the next step toward a single, streamlined flow of conversation in Google Chat: all existing spaces organized by conversation topic will be upgraded to the in-line threaded experience. We’d like to share more information regarding the migration, what to expect, as well as what’s next for Google Chat. | Learn more about in-line threading in Google Chat

Client-side encryption in Gmail is now available on mobile devices 
We’re expanding client-side encryption in Gmail to Android and iOS devices, so you can read and write encrypted messages directly from your device. | Learn more about client-side encryption in Gmail on mobile devices.

Beginning September 30, 2024: third-party apps that use only a password to access Google Accounts and Google Sync will no longer be supported 
Google Workspace will no longer support the sign-in method for third-party apps or devices that require users to share their Google username and password. | Learn more about Access to Less Secure Apps (LSA).



Completed rollouts

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

Rapid Release Domains: