Tag Archives: Google Calendar

FINRA Compliance for Google Workspace: Google Drive and Calendar Updates

What’s changing 

Today, we announced Google Workspace support for FINRA compliance, continuing our commitment to meet the unique needs of heavily regulated industry. This includes the preservation of records in a non-rewritable, non-erasable (WORM) format, including support for SEC Rule 17a-4, SEC Rule 18a-6, and CFTC §1.31. 

We’re pleased to announce FINRA-compliant solutions for Google Drive and Calendar (complementing our existing FINRA-compliant features for Gmail, Chat, and Meet) that address the critical supervisory, documentation, and surveillance requirements that underpin financial regulations: 

For Google Drive, super admins can now use Google Workspace’s Data Export tool and AODocs to create a FINRA-compliant archive of their Google Drive data in a Google Cloud Storage (GCS) bucket. This data can be from specific organizational units (OUs), groups, or users, and filtered by Drive labels.

When you’re using the Data Export tool, select “FINRA” as your export type

For Calendar, super admins and admins with third-party archiving privileges can enable third-party archiving on an OU or group level and specify the email address to which Calendar archives should be sent. The following events will be captured: 
  • On the monitored user’s calendar: all events and their updates, including events modified by another user with the appropriate access to the monitored user's calendar 
  • On other calendars that the monitored user can make changes to: all actions performed by the monitored user 
When these actions are performed, an email is sent to the journaling address specified by the admin with the event data, user who performed the action, and time stamp. providing access via SMTP for a third-party service provider to archive and produce the records on demand.
Third-party archiving can be enabled in the Admin console by going to Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Calendar > Third-party Archiving Settings

Who’s impacted 

Admins 

Why it’s important 

These updates are critical for Google Workspace customers operating in the financial services industry on a global scale. For Calendar, archival journaling functionality supports compliance news by ensuring electronic communications are captured and preserved, meeting essential record-keeping standards. For Drive, admins can manage and securely store critical documents at scale. These solutions add to our existing FINRA-compliant features for Gmail, Chat, and Meet (when certain settings are enabled and disabled), providing global communication solutions and cutting edge productivity tools that meet the regulatory needs of customers in the financial services sector. 

Additionally, we are proud to announce partnerships with several industry-leading Digital Communications Governance and Archiving (DCGA) vendors: AODocs, Mimecast, Smarsh, and Global Relay. These partners provide vital connectors for our customers, ensuring the compliant flow of Google Workspace data into their trusted archiving solutions. For more information on these partnerships and FINRA compliance for Google Workspace, visit the Workspace blog.

Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 


Resources

Configure Calendar interoperability with Microsoft Office 365 using the Microsoft Graph API

What’s changing 

Beginning today, Admins can use the Microsoft Graph API to enable Calendar interoperability with Microsoft Office 365. The Graph API will replace the existing Exchange Web Services (EWS) API, which will no longer be supported by Microsoft beginning October 1, 2026 – we recommend that admins update their interop configuration to Graph API as soon as possible. 

Admins can configure interoperability via the Graph API in the Admin console by going to Apps > Google Workspace > Calendar > Calendar Interop Management > Exchange availability in Calendar > Allow Google Calendar to display Exchange user availability. The user interface has also been streamlined and admins can easily select an endpoint from a drop down list, and enter other details like the specific Microsoft domain that should be connected to Calendar, and specify role accounts for user availability and resource booking.

Quickly select your endpoint type from the new drop down list


Enter additional details, like the Microsoft domain you want to connect to and role accounts.




We’ve also made additional updates to improve the overall admin experience, including additional user interface updates and troubleshooting — keep reading for more information.


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

These updates will ensure calendar interoperability continues after support for EWS ends and improve the overall experience for configuring and managing interoperability for admins. Additionally, the Graph API allows admins to grant access to Exchange calendar data only, ensuring access isn’t too broadly scoped. 


Additional details

  • Also included in this update are the following improvements:
  • Admins can use the same role accounts for user availability and resource booking when configuring their Graph API interop setup.
  • We’re making it easier for admins to troubleshoot errors encountered while setting up interoperability. Admins can now see detailed information each step of the way which will help them work through potential issues in the setup configuration.
  • The overall Admin user interface has been streamlined as well. Admins can define which domains are supported by which endpoint, and this information is neatly listed in a table. This makes it easily scannable and actionable, and helps avoid unnecessary queries trying to get the availability of users who are not part of a domain covered by the interop setup.
Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Calendar > Calendar Interop management

  • If admins select EWS, or have existing endpoints set up using EWS, they will see a reminder banner that EWS will no longer be supported by Microsoft and to use the Graph API instead.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

Available for Google Workspace:
  • Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus
  • Frontline and Frontline Plus
  • Nonprofits

Resources





Ask Gemini in Gmail on mobile to perform Google Calendar related actions

What’s changing

We've recently introduced new web features that bring Gemini into Gmail to perform calendar related actions, such as adding an event to your calendar directly from your inbox. Today, we're excited to announce that we're bringing similar capabilities to Android and iOS devices. You can now: 

  • Ask Gemini to create, delete or edit an event on your calendar. Tapping the pencil icon on the created event lets you easily update the event information. If you click on the event directly, it will open the event view in the Calendar app. 
  • Ask Gemini about your daily schedule. 

Who’s impacted 

End users 

Why you’d use it

This update expands access to Calendar features using Gemini in Gmail to mobile devices, making it easier to create or interact with events on your calendar, regardless of your device. 

Getting started 

Rollout pace 


Availability

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Starter, Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus 
  • Google One AI Premium 
  • Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on 
Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* 
  • Gemini Enterprise* 
*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details.

Resources 

Google Workspace apps for Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Calendar, Keep, and Tasks are now generally available for the Gemini app

What’s changing

Earlier this year, we launched Google Workspace apps (formerly known as "extensions") in Gemini in open beta. When enabled, Gemini can reference and incorporate data from these apps to generate even more informed and relevant responses, bringing Gemini’s capabilities more seamlessly into your daily workflows, helping enhance productivity. Workspace apps are available for:

  • Calendar
  • Docs
  • Drive
  • Gmail
  • Keep
  • Tasks

Beginning today, we’re pleased to announce that extensions for these apps are now generally available.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use them

When enabled, Gemini can interact with other Google apps and services to provide more contextual and relevant responses to your prompts and take certain actions across apps. For example, you can:

  • Gmail: ask what dates were proposed in the email about the team offsite.
  • Drive: find the document about the website clean-up project and summarize the proposal in a few bullet points.
  • Docs: reference a Doc that outlines your target audiences while performing customer research in parallel. 
  • Calendar: create an event based on specific details or based on the conversation with the Gemini app, find events for a specific day or date range, modify events in Calendar.
  • Tasks: add reminders and tasks, including those based on your conversations with Gemini, or view and update a list of your tasks.
  • Keep: create notes and lists, add items to an existing list, find content from your notes and lists, and reference your notes and lists in conversion with Gemini.

Additional details

  • Context aware access support:
    • Like all Google apps, context-access aware policies can be applied to the Gemini app. Note that at the moment, CAA policies can only be applied to Gemini on the web, they cannot be applied on mobile.
    • If these policies are not met, users will not be allowed to access Gemini.
    • If a user meets the Gemini app specific CAA policies, they can interact with Gemini. If a prompt requires access to Workspace data, CAA policies will determine if a user has access to the requested data. For example, if a user asks Gemini "What are my unread emails?", they will see the requested content if they have access or they’ll receive an error message.

  • If your prompt includes multiple actions that require separate apps or services, but one or more of the required services are not enabled, neither of the actions will be completed. For example, if you prompt Gemini to create an event on your calendar and a reminder for that event but the Tasks extension is not enabled, the event will not be added to your calendar and you will not get a reminder.

  • Google Workspace extensions are not available to Google Workspace users accessing Gemini as an additional Google service.

  • Google Workspace extensions are only available to users 13+.

  • All prompts, responses, or content the Gemini app gets via apps (fka extensions), is not reviewed by anyone to improve AI models, not used to train AI models, and not shared with other users or institutions.

Getting started

  • Admins: Access to Workspace apps is controlled by the new “Allow access to Workspace apps after Beta (upcoming general availability)” setting. Access is ON by default unless you previously took action on the setting leading into general availability. Visit the Help Center for more information on turning Workspace apps in Gemini on or off.

  • End users: If enabled by your admin, connecting Google Workspace allows users to summarize, get quick answers, and find information from Calendar, Keep and Tasks in addition to Gmail, Docs, and Drive directly in Gemini. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Google Workspace extensions.

Rollout pace



Availability

Available for Google Workspace:
  • Business Starter, Standard, Plus
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, Plus
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus
  • Frontline Starter and Standard
  • Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus
  • Nonprofits

Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons:
  • Gemini Business*
  • Gemini Enterprise*
  • Gemini Education
  • Gemini Education Premium
*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details.

Availability

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – April 25, 2025

5 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.


New look for the Gmail mobile app on iOS devices 
Starting this week, you’ll notice a refreshed look and feel for the Gmail mobile app on iOS devices that is in line with Google Material Design 3. This matches the experience on web and Android devices. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about the Gmail app.


Introducing easier editing for objects and audio tracks in Google Vids
Following the recently introduced looping animations feature in Google Vids, we’re excited to announce an additional update that improves the editing experience in Vids. Users can now control the height of the timeline, which helps a user easily view more objects when working on timing for individual scenes. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to Business Standard and Plus; Enterprise Standard and Plus; Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Education Plus; customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on, and anyone who previously purchased a Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-on. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about controlling audio timing & transitions with audio tracks.

editing for objects and audio tracks in Google Vids

Create birthdays in Google Calendar using iOS devices 
Last year, we introduced the ability to create and modify birthday events in Google Calendar on Android devices. This week, we’re excited to announce these capabilities are now available on iOS devices as well. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing birthdays on your calendar. 

Create birthdays in Google Calendar using iOS devices

Generate and use images with Gemini in the side panel of Gmail on Android and iOS devices
Building upon the ability to generate images using Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps on web, we’re excited to announce you can now generate images in Gmail on your mobile device. Once you select the image, you can then save it, copy it, or insert it into a compose draft. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains on Android and iOS devices. | Available to Business Starter, Standard and Plus; Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus; Google One AI Premium; customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on, and anyone who previously purchased a Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-on. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about Gemini in Gmail.


Introducing draggable dividers on large screen Android devices
When using the Gmail or Google Chat app on your large screen Android device, such as a tablet or foldable, you can now drag the divider that divides the list view and conversation view in the existing two pane layout. Draggable dividers enable you to pick between a one pane or two pane experience and allow you to control the width of each pane when in two pane mode. | 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.

draggable dividers on large screen Android devices

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.


Adding new capabilities to student groups in Google Classroom 
We’ve introduced improvements to student groups that enable teachers to email groups, sort by groups when grading on the Student work page and edit student groups when creating an assignment. | Learn more about student groups in Classroom. 

Introducing even more high-quality Google Slides templates to elevate your presentations 
We’ve introduced a second wave of templates that cater to a wide range of use cases such as business proposals, product pitches, marketing plans, quarterly reviews, team intros or celebrations, and more. | Learn more about templates in Slides. 

Data classifications labels for Gmail are now generally available 
Data classification labels are generally available, giving admins yet another way to enhance their security posture. | Learn more about Data classifications labels. 

Introducing Frontline Plus: Enhanced Security and AI features for Frontline Workers
We’re expanding Google Workspace Frontline to include a new edition: Frontline Plus. | Learn more about Frontline Plus.


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.


Scheduled Release Domains: 
Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 


Rollout updates 

We have changed the rollout timelines for this feature. Please refer to the original blog post for complete details.

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


Reference your Google Calendar using Gemini in the side panel of Gmail in additional languages

What’s changing

Last year, we added Google Calendar to the list of apps that Gemini in Gmail connects with. As a result, users can ask Gemini in Gmail to perform select calendar related actions or answer questions about their calendars such as: 
  • When is my [first event] next week? 
  • Create a [30 min] calendar event for my weekly [yoga class] every [Monday and Wednesday] at [9 AM]. 
  • Create a [1h] event for [lunch] [tomorrow] at [noon]. 
Today, we’re excited to announce this feature is available in more than 20 additional languages: 
  • Arabic 
  • Catalan 
  • Chinese 
  • Czech 
  • Danish 
  • Dutch 
  • Finnish 
  • French 
  • German 
  • Greek 
  • Hebrew 
  • Hungarian 
  • Indonesian 
  • Italian 
  • Japanese 
  • Korean 
  • Malay 
  • Norwegian 
  • Polish 
  • Portuguese 
  • Romanian 
  • Russian 
  • Spanish 
  • Swedish 
  • Thai 
  • Turkish 
  • Ukrainian 
  • Vietnamese 
Check out our original announcements for using Gemini in the side panel of Gmail to reference your Google Calendar for even more information. 


Why you’d use it 

Gemini in Gmail can help you: 
  • Create calendar events. 
  • Learn additional details about the existing events in your Calendar. 

Additional details 

At this time, Gemini in Gmail cannot: 
  • Add or remove guests from events. 
  • Pull up attachments or RSVPs related to a meeting. 
  • Find the best time to meet with other people or find time slots when you’re available to meet. 
  • Create tasks, an out of office, focus times or set working locations. 
  • Add or manage meeting rooms. 

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Starter, Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus 
  • Google One AI Premium 
  • Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on 
Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* 
  • Gemini Enterprise* 
*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details.

Resources 

Quickly add events to Google Calendar based on your emails with Gemini in Gmail

What’s changing

In addition to asking Gemini in Gmail to perform calendar related actions or answer questions about your calendar, you can now add an event to your calendar directly from an email. 

With this update, Gemini will automatically detect calendar related content in your email and an “Add to calendar” button will appear. Upon clicking this option, the side panel in Gmail will open to confirm the event has been added to your calendar. 

"Add to Calendar" button in Gmail



Getting started

  • Admins: To access Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps, users need to have smart features and personalization turned on. Admins can turn on default personalization setting for their users in the Admin console. 
  • End users: 
    • This feature is only available in English and on web at this time. 
    •  The "Add to calendar" button will not appear for emails with already extracted events (like restaurants, flights, etc.). 
    • A calendar event created via the “Add to calendar” button will not include other guests. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about collaborating with Gemini in Gmail. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Starter, Standard, and Plus 
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus 
  • Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on 
  • Google One AI Premium 
Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* 
  • Gemini Enterprise* 

*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details.

Resources 

Improving Google Calendar’s interoperability with Microsoft Outlook

What’s changing

We recently announced an improved syncing experience from Google Calendar to third-party calendars, like Microsoft Outlook, that allows event guests to enjoy a more reliable syncing experience with less calendar emails in their inbox. 


Building upon this, we’re excited to announce that Calendar now reliably processes calendaring emails sent using the Microsoft-specific format for rich text emails called Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format (TNEF). As a result, Calendar users and organizations that routinely collaborate with internal and external Outlook users will now benefit from a more reliable experience when receiving invitations and RSVPs from Outlook users. 


Getting started 

  • Admins and end users: There is no admin controls or end user setting for this feature. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources 

Know who an event is shared with when using shared Google Calendars

What’s changing 

Users can have one of the following access permissions for shared Google Calendars: 
  • “See only free/busy (hide details)” 
  • “See all event details” 
  • “Make changes to events” 
  • “Make changes and manage sharing” 
The “Make changes to events” permission enables users to create events on shared calendars, but when those events are created, the user does not know which other users the event is shared with. 

To improve upon experience and ensure users are aware of who they are sharing content with, users with the ability to “Make changes to events” can now see the members of the shared calendar, i.e. who their events are shared with. 

users with the ability to “Make changes to events” can now see the members of the shared calendar, i.e. who their events are shared with.

Getting started 

  • Admins: As an admin, you can control how much calendar information people in your organization can share with users external to your organization. You can also set the default level of sharing for users within your organization. Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting Calendar sharing options. 
  • End users: On Calendars with “make changes to events” access permission, you will now see the members of calendars. You can control the access permission of other users for your Calendars only on Calendars with “make changes and manage sharing” access permissions. Visit the Help Center to learn more about sharing your calendar with someone. 
  • Developers: For Calendars where a user has “make changes to events” (aka “writer”) permissions, the Acl.list and Acl.get method will newly return the members of the shared calendar and Acl.watch will notify about changes to members. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources 

Know who an event is shared with when using shared Google Calendars

What’s changing 

Users can have one of the following access permissions for shared Google Calendars: 
  • “See only free/busy (hide details)” 
  • “See all event details” 
  • “Make changes to events” 
  • “Make changes and manage sharing” 
The “Make changes to events” permission enables users to create events on shared calendars, but when those events are created, the user does not know which other users the event is shared with. 

To improve upon experience and ensure users are aware of who they are sharing content with, users with the ability to “Make changes to events” can now see the members of the shared calendar, i.e. who their events are shared with. 

users with the ability to “Make changes to events” can now see the members of the shared calendar, i.e. who their events are shared with.

Getting started 

  • Admins: As an admin, you can control how much calendar information people in your organization can share with users external to your organization. You can also set the default level of sharing for users within your organization. Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting Calendar sharing options. 
  • End users: On Calendars with “make changes to events” access permission, you will now see the members of calendars. You can control the access permission of other users for your Calendars only on Calendars with “make changes and manage sharing” access permissions. Visit the Help Center to learn more about sharing your calendar with someone. 
  • Developers: For Calendars where a user has “make changes to events” (aka “writer”) permissions, the Acl.list and Acl.get method will newly return the members of the shared calendar and Acl.watch will notify about changes to members. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources