Tag Archives: Google Calendar

Manage all Calendar interop settings from the Admin console

What’s changing

Previously, the interoperability settings that allow Calendar users to see availability of colleagues using Outlook and vice-versa were split between two separate locations: in the Admin console and from https://calendar.google.com/Exchange/tools. Going forward, all interoperability settings will be housed in the Admin console at Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Calendar > Calendar Interop management. This will make it easier for admins to view and manage their interop setups.



Getting started


Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available for Google Workspace customers except Google Workspace Essentials and Workspace Individual Subscribers 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – August 9, 2024

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.


Appointment slots booking pages are no longer available in Google Calendar 
Earlier this year, we announced that the appointment slots feature will be replaced by appointment schedules in Google Calendar. Starting this week, appointment slots booking pages will no longer be available and all new appointments will need to be booked through appointment schedules. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is scheduled to complete by the end of August 2024. |  Appointment schedules are available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, Google Workspace Individual, Google One Premium users and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center for detailed information about appointment schedules. 

Dark mode now available in Google Classroom on mobile 
Similar to the recent announcement of dark mode in Google Drive, users will now be able to change the color theme of Google Classroom on their mobile device. This new setting aims to provide users with a more comfortable, customizable viewing experience and also reduces battery usage. | Available to Google Workspace Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade customers. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Dark Mode in Classroom.
Dark mode in Classroom

New automation event for AppSheet databases is now generally available 
We’re excited to announce the general availability of AppSheet database automation events, allowing users to kick off automation workflows based on changes made directly in their AppSheet database. | Available to AppSheet Free, AppSheet Core and AppSheet Enterprise Plus. Google Workspace editions that include AppSheet Core can be viewed here. |  Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Visit the AppSheet community to learn more about this feature and check out the Help Center to get instructions for building your first automation using an AppSheet database.

New automation event for AppSheet databases

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.


Available in open beta: configure third-party apps by select API scopes 
We’re giving admins another layer of granular control for third-party apps. Specifically, you can now configure apps to be limited by selected OAuth 2.0 Scopes for Google APIs, such as Drive or Gmail scopes. | Learn more about the beta to configure third-party apps by select API scopes. 

Providing student engagement signals for Google Drive file attachments in Google Classroom 
We’re introducing a new feature that surfaces richer student engagement data on assignments with Google Drive attachments in Google Classroom. With this update, teachers will have easily accessible visibility into whether students have made progress on assignments with Drive attachments through pre-existing workflows in Classroom. | Learn more about Drive file attachments in Classroom.

“Take notes for me” in Google Meet is rolling out soon; pre-configure access with a new admin setting
“Take notes for me,” an AI-powered feature in Google Meet that automatically takes notes during your meetings, will be rolling out soon. Prior to end user availability, admins can now configure whether their users can use this Google AI note-taking feature with a new Admin console setting. | Learn more about the admin setting for “Take notes for me.”

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: 
Scheduled Release Domains: 
Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 


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



    Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – July 19, 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.


    All new appointments need to be booked through appointment schedules in Google Calendar 
    Earlier this year, we announced that the appointment slots feature will be replaced by appointment schedules in Google Calendar. Starting this week, only appointment schedules can be created. In a couple of weeks, the appointment slots booking pages will no longer be available. At that time, all new appointments will need to be booked through appointment schedules. | Appointment schedules are available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, Google Workspace Individual customers and Google One Premium users. | Visit the Help Center for detailed information about appointment schedules. 

    Available in beta: migrate sensitive files to Google Drive with client-side encryption 
    We are making it easier to programmatically import sensitive files to Google Drive with client-side encryption by providing code samples on Github. Eligible admins can apply for beta access to this Drive API feature using this form. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus.


    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.


    Google Classroom now supports exporting grades and importing rosters and grade settings with PowerSchool SIS 
    Google Classroom teachers can now export and import select information via the new integration with PowerSchool SIS. | Learn more about the integration with Classroom and PowerSchool SIS. 

    Teachers will soon be able to create a new class in Google Classroom using Student Information System (SIS) data 
    In the coming weeks, we will be introducing a new feature that allows teachers to set up a Google Classroom class using information directly imported from an SIS, including co-teachers, student rosters and class lists, grading categories and grading periods. Please note this feature is only available with our current SIS partners. | Learn more about creating new classes in Classroom using SIS data. 

    Google Workspace extensions for Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs are now available in open beta for Gemini (gemini.google.com) 
    We’re pleased to announce Google Workspace extensions for Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs are available for Gemini (gemini.google.com). When enabled, Gemini will be able to cross reference these apps as data sources to better inform its responses. | Learn more about the beta for Gemini (gemini.google.com). 

    Import and export Markdown in Google Docs 
    We’re introducing highly-requested features that enhance Docs' interoperability with other Markdown supporting tools. | Learn more about markdown in Docs. 

    Clearer re-enrollment for Google Meet hardware devices 
    We're updating the way Google Meet hardware devices are re-enrolled to provide a more intuitive experience for administrators. | Learn more about re-enrollment for Meet hardware devices. 

    Available in beta: Policy Visualization across Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive 
    Users who are interacting with policy-protected content, such as those with data loss prevention (DLP) rules or trust rules, will now be proactively informed about what actions are prevented by those policies. | Learn more about policy visualization.


    Completed rollouts

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

    Enhancing the Google Calendar appointment scheduling experience with additional features

    What’s changing

    Following our recent announcement of the appointment slots feature in Google Calendar being replaced by appointment schedules in July 2024, we’re updating appointment schedules by adding new features to enhance the overall experience. 

    First, we’re adding the option to designate a custom weekly recurrence when creating an appointment schedule in Calendar. This will allow users to make the schedule repeat on more flexible recurrences, such as bi-weekly. 

    option to designate a custom weekly recurrence when creating an appointment schedule in Calendar

    Second, bookers (and co-hosts) can now add other guests or rooms to booked events. This feature is only available if the user creating the appointment schedule selects the “Guests can invite others” option during setup or edit of the schedule. 

    bookers (and co-hosts) can now add other guests or rooms to booked events.
    Lastly, the appointment schedule creator can now add Google Groups as co-hosts during the setup process so users can more easily host appointments with others. 

    the appointment schedule creator can now add Google Groups as co-hosts during the setup

    Getting started 


    Rollout pace 


    Availability 

    The custom recurrence option & allowing guests to invite others on Appointment Schedules are available for Google Workspace: 
    • Business Starter, Standard, Plus 
    • Enterprise Standard, Plus 
    • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade 
    • Nonprofits 
    • Workspace Individual Subscribers 
    • Google One Premium users 
    • Users with personal Google accounts 

    Adding groups as co-hosts on Appointment Schedules is available for Google Workspace: 
    • Business Standard, Plus 
    • Enterprise Standard, Plus 
    • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade 
    • Nonprofits 

    Resources 

    Enhancing the Google Calendar appointment scheduling experience with additional features

    What’s changing

    Following our recent announcement of the appointment slots feature in Google Calendar being replaced by appointment schedules in July 2024, we’re updating appointment schedules by adding new features to enhance the overall experience. 

    First, we’re adding the option to designate a custom weekly recurrence when creating an appointment schedule in Calendar. This will allow users to make the schedule repeat on more flexible recurrences, such as bi-weekly. 

    option to designate a custom weekly recurrence when creating an appointment schedule in Calendar

    Second, bookers (and co-hosts) can now add other guests or rooms to booked events. This feature is only available if the user creating the appointment schedule selects the “Guests can invite others” option during setup or edit of the schedule. 

    bookers (and co-hosts) can now add other guests or rooms to booked events.
    Lastly, the appointment schedule creator can now add Google Groups as co-hosts during the setup process so users can more easily host appointments with others. 

    the appointment schedule creator can now add Google Groups as co-hosts during the setup

    Getting started 


    Rollout pace 


    Availability 

    The custom recurrence option & allowing guests to invite others on Appointment Schedules are available for Google Workspace: 
    • Business Starter, Standard, Plus 
    • Enterprise Standard, Plus 
    • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade 
    • Nonprofits 
    • Workspace Individual Subscribers 
    • Google One Premium users 
    • Users with personal Google accounts 

    Adding groups as co-hosts on Appointment Schedules is available for Google Workspace: 
    • Business Standard, Plus 
    • Enterprise Standard, Plus 
    • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade 
    • Nonprofits 

    Resources 

    Improved syncing experience between Google Calendar and third-party calendars

    What’s changing

    We’re pleased to introduce an improved email notification experience for those who are using third-party calendar services—like Outlook—to collaborate with Google Calendar users. Specifically, this update improves the accuracy of Google Calendar event syncing across calendar services, while helping cut down on the amount of email noise caused by calendar sync notifications. 

    • Email notifications that are purely intended to sync information will now be marked as such in the body of the email and sent from a distinct, identifiable email address. The body of the email includes instructions for end users on how to implement inbox filters to avoid this type of email cluttering their inbox. 
    • At scale, Outlook system administrators can use Microsoft’s Powershell to implement an email filter rule for these messages for all users. 
    Google Workspace customers can use this form to sign-up for the beta. 


    Who’s impacted 

    Admins and end users 


    Why it matters

    We’ve heard from our customers that the syncing experience from Google Calendar to third-party calendars was not consistently reliable. Additionally, users lacked an effective way to filter out Calendar emails which cluttered their inbox. This update will help improve the overall experience for users collaborating with Google Calendar users. 


    Getting started 


    Rollout pace 

    • Beta sign-ups are available now using this form until July 10, 2024. We will be accepting beta applications and allowlisting customers over the next several weeks. 

    Availability 

    • Sign-up for this beta is available for all Google Workspace customers 

    Resources 

    The Calendar API now distinguishes events created from Gmail

    What’s changing

    Starting May 30, 2024, the Calendar API will distinguish events created from Gmail. New and existing events from Gmail that are scheduled for a future date will:

    In Google Calendar clients events from email may be rendered slightly differently to regular events and show a link back to the original email:



    Google Calendar limits edits for events from email:



    Additional details

    If you’re using the Calendar API, we recommend the following to help avoid any disruptions in your applications:
    • Ensure that your code does not apply restricted updates to events with the type “fromGmail”.
      • Temporarily, updates on events with the type “fromGmail” are restricted to the properties reminders, colorId, visibility, status, and extendedProperties. Stay tuned to the Workspace updates blog for more information.
      • Review your code if it filters by eventType for Events.list or Events.watch. Filtering by eventType “default” will no longer return events extracted from emails.

    Getting started


    Rollout pace

    Filter, sort, and display your Google Meet hardware devices by product service status

    What’s changing 

    You can currently filter, sort, and display your Google Meet hardware devices by whether they are online, offline, or experiencing an application load-failure. Today, we’re expanding these parameters to include whether the Calendar and Jamboard services are turned OFF. 


    The connection between your Meet hardware devices and these two Google products are critical for connecting and collaborating. Allowing admins to filter for devices that match this criteria will help them identify potential gaps in hardware devices and product configurations, which they can quickly rectify. 


    For example, if Calendar is turned off on a Google Meet hardware device, it will no longer show the upcoming meeting list when booked for a meeting. Having the Jamboard* service turned off means that the Desk 27 and Board 65 devices will no longer be able to launch Jamboard directly on the device. These services may have been previously turned off in error, and this new capability allows admins to correct it, making the services available again to their users. Note that Jamboard 55-inch devices are not impacted.

    You can filter your devices by going to Menu > Devices > Google Meet hardware > Devices > “Device status” and then select the criteria to filter by.

    Getting started


    Rollout pace


    Availability

    • Available to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet hardware devices

    Resources

    *Jamboard will no longer be on these devices starting October 1, 2024. Learn more about whiteboarding in Workspace here.


    The current appointment slots feature in Google Calendar will be replaced by appointment schedules in July 2024

    What’s changing

    Currently, we offer two tools with similar functionality for users in Google Calendar: appointment slots and appointment schedules. In the last several years, appointment schedules have become the more advanced tool, offering a smoother booking experience and more powerful features. 


    To create a cohesive user experience in Calendar, as of July 18, 2024, the appointment slots feature will be replaced by appointment schedules. 


    Between now and July 18, 2024, we encourage users to explore and familiarize themselves with appointment schedules. All existing appointment slots will remain active until July 18, 2024, however we recommend creating new appointments using appointment schedules moving forward. Starting on July 18, 2024, the appointment slots booking pages will no longer be available, and all new appointments will need to be booked through appointment schedules. Visit this comprehensive Help Center resource for detailed information about appointment schedules. 

    Who’s impacted 

    Admins and end users 


    Why it matters ​​

    The current appointment slots feature in Google Calendar will be replaced by appointment schedules, a feature-rich appointment booking system that offers a smoother booking experience and more powerful features. 


    Additional details

    In conjunction with this transition, Google Workspace Business Starter customers now have access to appointment scheduling, allowing each user to create one booking page. 


    The ability to create multiple schedules, and use additional premium features are available to the following editions: Google Workspace Individual, Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits and Google One Premium. 



    Getting started 

    • Admins: We have shared the current usage of appointment slots for each organization with admins. We strongly encourage you to review the usage in your organization and help users transition to appointment schedules. Existing appointment slots will not be automatically migrated, so users need to recreate their setup with appointment schedules. 
    • End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating an appointment schedule and customizing your appointment availability. Users that are organizers or editors of appointment slots will soon see in-product banners guiding them to transition to use appointment schedules. 

    Rollout pace 

    • Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) beginning July 18, 2024 

    Availability 

    • Appointment schedules are available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, Google Workspace Individual customers and Google One Premium users 

    Resources 

    Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – March 8, 2024

    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.


    Hovercards for group messages and spaces are now available in Google Chat 
    When hovering over a space or group chat within the left navigation in Google Chat, you will now see a hovercard that displays an abridged list of members and their avatars. This is especially useful when you need to distinguish one chat from another. In addition, you can include space hovercards across Chat apps using the shared hovercard library. | Available now to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. 
    hovercards in Chat


    New Google Calendar lock screen widgets on iOS mobile devices 
    We’re excited to announce the launch of Google Calendar lock screen widgets on iOS mobile devices (iOS16+) and iPads (iOS17). These will surface an upcoming event or task, giving you a quick glance right from your lock screen. 
    | Available now to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Learn more about how to add widgets to your Lock Screen. 

    widgets


    Remove the background from your images in Google Slides 
    You can now easily remove the background from images added to your Google Slides presentations. To do so, simply select an image on your slide > right-click and select "Remove background" or select the “Remove background” button in the toolbar. | Available now to Gemini Enterprise and Gemini Business add-ons, and to users on personal accounts through Google One AI Premium. | Learn more about removing an image background.
    Remove the background from your images in Google Slides



    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.



    Smooth scrolling in Google Sheets now available on desktop 
    With smooth scrolling, you can scroll to a specific part of a row or column and stop wherever you’d like within the spreadsheet. | Learn more about scrolling in Sheets. 


    New enhancements in the Space Management Tool For admins: add multiple members or groups, review settings and details 
    We’re introducing several updates for the Space Management Tool in the Admin console, including an improved user interface and additional management capabilities. | Learn more about Space Management Tool For admins. 


    Migrate email data from one Google Workspace account to another, available in open beta 
    Beginning today, a new data migration experience is available: you can migrate your users’ email data from one Google Workspace account to another in a more reliable and efficient manner. You can configure your data migration for up to 100 users at a time and also run delta migrations, which smartly brings over any newly generated data from the source without duplicating previously migrated content. | Available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, and Business Plus; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Education Plus; Essentials Starter, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus, and Nonprofits customers only. | Learn more about migrating email data. 


    Set up dropdown chips more easily in Google Sheets 
    Instead of manually creating values for your dropdown chips, you can now insert preset dropdown chips that are configured for common use cases like priority or review statuses. | Learn more about preset dropdown chips. 


    Google Meet co-host support added for client-side encrypted meetings 
    Client-side encrypted meetings are now getting support for using the co-hosts feature. This means that an organizer can plan and book client-side encrypted video meetings on behalf of other users and assign those as co-hosts to allow them to join and open the meetings independently from the organizer. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Education Standard customers only. | Learn more about client-side encrypted meetings. 


    User enrollment for managed iOS devices is now generally available 
    In late 2023, we introduced user enrollment in beta, an additional option for iOS mobile management. User enrollment separates work and personal data on iOS devices, giving admins control over Workspace data on the device while users retain privacy over their personal data. Beginning today, user enrollment is now generally available. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Frontline Standard, Frontline Starter, Business Plus, Cloud Identity Premium, Education Standard, Education Plus and Nonprofits customers only. | Learn more about user enrollment.


    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: 
    Scheduled Release Domains: 
    Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

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