Tag Archives: Google Calendar

Updating video conferencing policies for delegated and transferred Google Calendar events

Quick launch summary 

We’re making some changes that will affect the Google Meet video conferencing policies applied to a Google Calendar event that is organized by a delegate or when a meeting is transferred. In both cases, Google Meet video conferencing policies will now be based on the person who owns the calendar event, not the delegate or original event owner. 

Initially, these changes will only apply to new meetings created after the launch. Over the next several weeks, we’ll apply the changes to existing events as well. Also note that these changes will only apply to primary calendars. For events created on shared calendars or new calendars you create, the policies will be applied based on the user that adds the Google Meet link. 

Some specific examples of the potential impact of this change are below. 

Impact on meetings set up by delegates 
  • Previously, any Meet video settings would be applied based on the delegate’s settings. Now settings will be applied based on the calendar owner’s settings and so will be consistent with events the owner organizes themselves. 
  • Previously, if the delegate left an organization, the Google Meet video conferencing link in the meeting would stop working. Now, it will continue to work. 

Impact on meetings with transferred ownership 
  • Previously, if an event was transferred between users in different organizations or to users with different access policies, any Meet video settings would be applied based on the original owner’s settings. Now, settings will be applied based on the new event owner’s settings. 
  • Previously, if the original owner of a transferred event left an organization, the Meet video conferencing link would stop working. Now, it will continue to work. 
  • Previously, users in the new organization may have had to request access to the meeting if the event was transferred between users at different organizations. Now, users should have the expected automatic access, and users in the original owner’s organization will have to request access unless they’re specifically invited to the meeting. 



Getting started 

Rollout pace 

For new events created after launch: 
For existing events: 

Availability 

  • Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal accounts. 

Resources 

Set the default meeting length for Google Calendar events in your domain

What’s changing

We’re adding a new setting in the Admin console where you can define the default Calendar meeting length for users in your domain. Previously, the default of 60 minutes could only be changed from a user's individual Calendar settings. Now, admins can set a new default length for all of their users.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

You can make your organization more efficient by selecting the default meeting length that makes the most sense for your employees’ time and room usage.

How to get started

Admins: This new setting’s default value will remain at the standard 60 minutes unless admins take action to change it. Default meeting lengths can be customized at the organizational unit (OU) or domain level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting the default duration for events in your organization.


End users: If an admin changes the default meeting value, it will apply to end users who haven’t changed the "Default Meeting Length" setting in their individual Calendar settings and to all new users in a domain. End users will be able to overwrite the admin’s setting from their individual Calendar settings.


Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education and G Suite for Education customers
  • Not available to G Suite Essentials, G Suite Enterprise Essentials, G Suite Basic and G Suite for Nonprofits customers

Resources

Automatically see shared calendars associated with a Google Group when you join it

Quick launch summary

When a user joins a Google Group, they’ll now receive an email listing the shared calendars they can access as a result of their group membership—typically within an hour of joining. This will make it much easier for new team members and employees to discover relevant calendars and eliminate the need for existing group members to share those calendars manually.

Example of new shared calendar notification email


Users will also be able to add these shared calendars to their calendar list with just one click.

Note, if a group has more than 100 shared calendars, new members will not receive an email.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: This email will be sent by default whenever you join a new Google Group that has associated shared calendars. Visit the Help Center to learn more about sharing your calendar.

Rollout pace

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 20, 2020
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 3, 2020

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources

Full color support and more updates to printing on Google Calendar

Quick launch summary

We’ve added a few enhancements to how you can print your agenda on Google Calendar. Now, there is a new option to print your calendar in full color, so you can keep track of different event types more easily.

Using the new “View” option, you can also print one day or one week per sheet.



With this updated print layout, you can fit up to 24 hours of events per day to clearly follow even particularly long days.

Events 25 minutes and shorter are displayed at the true height of the event duration and show location when space is available.

Example printout with new full color support

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: These new features are added by default. Current default print settings will not change.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources

Improved Google Calendar event creation on the web

Quick launch summary

Last year, we announced improvements to the event creation flow in Google Calendar on the web. We’re now adding even more editable event fields directly into the pop-up dialog, including:

  • Guest permissions: Grant guests permission to see the guest list, invite others, or edit an event.
  • Attachments: Add attachments directly alongside the event’s description.
  • Calendar preview: Choose an event color, customize notifications, set free/busy, and change an event’s visibility.



We’re also improving the “Find a time” feature in this view, overlaying potential guests’ calendars to help you quickly pick the best time for everyone.



With these changes, you’ll now be able to add all of the necessary information to your Calendar event from one window, without having to click into “More options”—saving you even more time when scheduling an event.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. This new creation flow will automatically appear in Calendar on the web. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating an event in Calendar.

Rollout pace



Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources




Better visualize shorter meetings in Google Calendar

Quick launch summary

In Google Calendar, events fewer than 25 minutes will now better reflect the true duration of the event, occupying less space in your daily view. This change will also show in the printed version of your calendar.


Previously, these shorter events were displayed the same as 30-minute events. With this update, we hope to make your schedule easier to understand and manage.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: This feature is ON by default and can be disabled in your account settings under View options: “Display shorter events the same size as 30 minute events.” To maintain clear legibility of characters, this is OFF by default for accounts in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers

Update Calendar Interop authentication with OAuth 2.0 to continue Microsoft 365 interop

Quick launch summary 


We’re enabling OAuth 2.0 authentication support for Google Calendar Interop with Microsoft Exchange Online (Microsoft 365). Calendar Interop is a feature that lets you sync events and availability between Google Calendar and Exchange Online.

Currently, interoperability is available via Basic Authentication. Microsoft plans to stop supporting the use of Basic Authentication to access Exchange Online on October 13, 2020. This only impacts Microsoft Exchange Online (Microsoft 365), not on-premise Exchange implementations. If you use Exchange Online, you should update your authentication to use OAuth 2.0 by October 13 to ensure interoperability is not disrupted.

Getting started 


  • Admins: If you're currently using Basic Authentication, you must set up OAuth 2.0. You will not be transitioned automatically. You can set it up at Admin console > Apps > G Suite > Settings for Calendar > Calendar Interop Management. Use our Help Center to learn more about how to set up Calendar interop. 
  • End users: No change in end user functionality. 

Calendar OAuth 2.0 setup in the Admin console 

Rollout pace 



Availability 


  • Available to all G Suite customers 

Resources 


Edit Calendar events directly from Gmail and Docs

Quick launch summary

You can now edit Google Calendar events in the quick-access side panel in Gmail and Docs, without having to go to the full Calendar page in your browser. You can even use “Find a Time” to see others’ calendar availability when scheduling events.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Calendar in the side panel.

Rollout pace



Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources




Change to the format of secondary Calendar and resources

Quick launch summary

Starting June 3, 2020, the calendar IDs associated with newly created secondary calendars and resources will have a new format. In the new format, your G Suite account’s domain name will not be included in secondary or resource calendar IDs.

  • The existing email format for calendar resources is the following: {customer domain}_{random characters}@resource.calendar.google.com
  • The format for secondary calendars is the following: {customer domain}_{random characters}@group.calendar.google.com
  • The new format for newly created calendar resources will be the following: {random characters}@resource.calendar.google.com
  • The new format for newly created secondary calendars will be the following: {random characters}@group.calendar.google.com

This change is only cosmetic and no Google Calendar functionality is affected because of it. However, if you maintain a script that parses/extracts the domain name from Resource/Secondary Calendar IDs, please update your scripts to ensure they continue to work following this change.

Rollout pace



Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers


View out of office information in more places on Gmail for web

Quick launch summary 

Last year, we announced the ability to see when someone is out of office in Gmail, specifically when composing a new email or Hangouts Chat. Now, we’re expanding that functionality to more places in Gmail on web, like when you’re hovering over someone’s name in your inbox or in the “To” or “From” line in an email.


This feature gives visibility to your time out of office in more places across G Suite, making it clear to senders the appropriate time to message you.

Getting started 

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 

End users: These notices will automatically appear when anyone whose calendar you have access to has an out of office event scheduled. Use our Help Center to learn more about disabling the sharing of availability information to other G Suite apps. 

Rollout pace 



Availability 


  • Available to all G Suite customers 

Resources