Tag Archives: Google Chat

Set the Google Chat standalone app to run automatically at startup

Quick launch summary

You can now configure the Chat Progressive Web Application (PWA) to "Start app when you sign in" to your computer. This can be done on your Windows, MAC OS or Linux computer by going to chrome://apps, right clicking on Google Chat and then choosing "Start app when you sign in."

App starter window with right-click menu options on Google Chat app
Right click on the Chat app to select this new option


Please note, ​this feature is not supported on Chrome OS.

If you don't have the Chat PWA app already, you’ll first have to install the Chat PWA app.

Before this launch, you’d have to manually start the Chat PWA app by searching for and clicking on it every time you restart your computer. With the new feature, you can simply choose to launch the PWA app at system startup every time.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled by the user. Once turned on, the Chat PWA app will automatically start when the user logs into their computer.

Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now for all users.

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers

Resources

View corresponding Google Chat messages from the Tasks tab in a Chat room

Quick launch summary 

When viewing your tasks in the "tasks" tab in a Google Chat room, you can quickly navigate back to the Google Chat message where the task was created or the task creation was indicated. 

Simply hover over the task on the web or select the task on mobile and then select the Chat. We hope this feature makes it easier to surface context for your tasks, and re-engage your stakeholders with updates, questions or further collaboration. 



Select a task in the "Tasks" portion of a Google Chat room — you can select the chat icon to navigate to relevant messages.
The new "View in Chat" icon within the Tasks section of a Google Chat room.

When viewing tasks on mobile, the chat icon will be in the top right hand corner.
When viewing tasks on mobile, the chat icon will be in the top right hand corner.


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature will be available by default. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

View corresponding Google Chat messages from the Tasks tab in a Chat room

Quick launch summary 

When viewing your tasks in the "tasks" tab in a Google Chat room, you can quickly navigate back to the Google Chat message where the task was created or the task creation was indicated. 

Simply hover over the task on the web or select the task on mobile and then select the Chat. We hope this feature makes it easier to surface context for your tasks, and re-engage your stakeholders with updates, questions or further collaboration. 



Select a task in the "Tasks" portion of a Google Chat room — you can select the chat icon to navigate to relevant messages.
The new "View in Chat" icon within the Tasks section of a Google Chat room.

When viewing tasks on mobile, the chat icon will be in the top right hand corner.
When viewing tasks on mobile, the chat icon will be in the top right hand corner.


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature will be available by default. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

View corresponding Google Chat messages from the Tasks tab in a Chat room

Quick launch summary 

When viewing your tasks in the "tasks" tab in a Google Chat room, you can quickly navigate back to the Google Chat message where the task was created or the task creation was indicated. 

Simply hover over the task on the web or select the task on mobile and then select the Chat. We hope this feature makes it easier to surface context for your tasks, and re-engage your stakeholders with updates, questions or further collaboration. 



Select a task in the "Tasks" portion of a Google Chat room — you can select the chat icon to navigate to relevant messages.
The new "View in Chat" icon within the Tasks section of a Google Chat room.

When viewing tasks on mobile, the chat icon will be in the top right hand corner.
When viewing tasks on mobile, the chat icon will be in the top right hand corner.


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature will be available by default. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – August 20, 2021

New updates 

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are fully launched or in the process of rolling out (rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete), 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), and available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers.


Block shares option added to Google Drive sharing emails
Last month, we announced that you could now block shares from another user in Google Drive. es from another user in Google Drive. Now, we're also adding the option to block a user from the sharing notification emails sent from Google Drive. With this addition, you'll be able to start the workflow directly from the email. | Learn more. 


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.

View more insights and take quick action on the Users, Domain, and Billing home cards in the Admin console
You’ll notice important notifications and improved guidance within the cards to help you easily take action on user, billing, and domain management activities on the Admin console homepage. | Learn more. 


Upload customized audio prompts and greetings to Google Voice automated attendant
You can now upload your own pre-recorded prompts and greetings when setting up an automated attendant at Google Voice, in addition to the standard text-to-speech voice ability you currently have. | Available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers with Google Voice standard and premier licenses. | Learn more.


Easily customize theme colors in Sheets and Slides
Now it’s easier to find and select theme colors in Sheets and Slides. | Learn more.


Share where you’re working from in Google Calendar
Starting August 30, 2021, you’ll be able to indicate where you’re working from directly on your calendar. You can add a weekly working location routine and update your location as plans change. Starting August 18, admins will be able to control how the feature is used in their organization. | Learn more.


Limit external messaging to trusted domains in Google Chat
Now, you may choose to limit external chat to people in trusted domains for your entire organization, or set different policies for different OUs. | Learn more.


Dark mode for Google Chat on web
You can now enable dark mode for Google Chat on the web (chat.google.com) and the Google Chat Progressive Web App (PWA). | Learn more.


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

Limit external messaging to trusted domains in Google Chat

What’s changing
Trusted domains for Chat allows you to limit external chat to only users in domains that you trust. Previously, you could only choose to allow external Chat or not. Now, you may choose to limit external chat to people in trusted domains for your entire organization, or set different policies for different OUs.


Who’s impacted 
Admins 


Why it’s important
Trusted domains for Chat gives admins more fine grained control over external chat in their organization. This can help the right users communicate with the stakeholders they need to work with, while helping to prevent inappropriate or undesired external chats. 


Additional details
Trusted domains only allows communication with domain managed accounts in those domains. Email verified consumer accounts will not be trusted. 

Getting started 
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. 




Rollout pace 

Availability 
  • Available to [Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – August 13, 2021

New updates 

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are fully launched or in the process of rolling out (rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete), 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), and available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers.


New Categories in Google Workspace Marketplace
Four manually curated categories have been added to the Google Workspace Marketplace: Business essentials, Work from everywhere, Apps to discover, Tools for teachers. A left navigation menu will be included to show new categories. 

You'll notice new categories in the Google Workspace Marketplace, which allows users to sort through specific categories to find relevant add-ons.

Updated emoji experience in Google Chat on iOS
It’s now easier to express yourself more authentically in Chat on iOS. We’re making the following updates to the emoji experience: The Emoji set is updated to the latest version (Emoji 13.1), reflecting the latest emoji set and diversity and inclusion options; Gender-neutral options for gender-modifiable emojis have been added; Emoji skin tone and gender preferences are saved per individual emoji.


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.

Reminder: Google Meet support for IE11 ending August 17, 2021
Beginning August 17, 2021, you will no longer be able to use Google Meet on IE11. To avoid disruption, please switch to a supported browser before that date. | Learn more. 


Easily switch between lists in Google Tasks on mobile
We have now updated the current Tasks Mobile user interface to display multiple lists at the same time in a tabbed UI. | Learn more.


Add up to 25 co-hosts per meeting and expanded safety features for Google Meet
We’re expanding meeting moderation controls in Google Meet with several highly requested features, including assigning co-hosts, new safety features, and more. | See the original announcement for more details and full availability. | Learn more.


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

Updated emoji experience in Google Chat

What’s changing

It’s now easier to express yourself more authentically in Chat. We’re making the following updates to the emoji experience in Chat on web and mobile:
  • Emoji set is updated to the latest version (Emoji 13.1), reflecting the latest emoji set and diversity and inclusion options
  • Addition of a gender-neutral option for gender-modifiable emojis
  • Emoji skin tone and gender preferences are saved per individual emoji

Image of emoji picking on Android phone showing the Add Reaction optionImage of emoji picking on Android phone showing the emojis available
Two screenshots showing the emoji picking experience on an Android phone: Choosing the Add reaction option and the listing of emoji available to react to a message.


Who’s impacted

End users


Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: This feature will be ON by default and can not be disabled by the user.

Rollout pace

  • Web and iOS:
    • We anticipate this feature to become available for Google Chat on web and iOS in the coming weeks. We will provide an update on the Google Workspace Updates Blog at that time.

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – July 30, 2021

New updates

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are fully launched or in the process of rolling out (rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete), 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), and available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers.


Delegate Information is now available in Gmail Log Search
Email log search now indicates when an email was sent on behalf of the user by a delegate. In cases where a delegate sent the email, the delegate will be listed, along with the sender, in message details in email log search. Delegate information will only be available on emails sent after this change rolls out. | Available to all Google Workspace with Gmail enabled. | Learn more.


New font in Workspace improves accessibility for vision impaired
Now there's a new font in Workspace optimized for vision impaired users.  When you create or want to read a document, set the font to Atkinson Hyperlegible for improved legibility.


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.


Improvements for braille mode in Google Docs provide a richer, more interactive experience
We've improved how suggestions are announced in braille mode in Google Docs. You’ll now hear detailed suggestion information inline with the rest of the text — this includes whether the suggestion is an insertion or deletion, and the author of the suggestion. | Learn more.



Disabling File Transfer in Google Chat
Admins can now disable or limit file sharing for their users in Chat. Specifically, admins
will be able to specify controls within and outside their organization, and will be able to choose between restricting all files, allowing images only, or allowing all files. | Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, Enterprise Essentials | Learn more.



Alert Center enrichment with VirusTotal threat context now generally available
Earlier this year, we pre-announced an integration between the Alert Center and VirusTotal. Currently, the Google Workspace Alert Center provides admins with actionable, real-time alerts and insights regarding security-related activity in their domain. With the VirusTotal (now part of Google Cloud) integration, admins have the ability to dig into their alerts at a deeper level. | Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals and Education Plus customers. | Learn More.



Use dynamic security groups for group based policies
Google Workspace admins can now use dynamic groups to manage policies for their users in the Admin console. Previously, it was only possible to apply these policies to static groups and OUs. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Cloud Identity Premium customers. | Learn more.



Workspace for Education Plus now syncs Google Classroom courses and rosters with Student Information Systems
U.S. school districts with Google Workspace for Education Plus will be able to automatically set up Google Classroom courses and keep rosters in sync with their Student Information System (SIS). IT admins will do the setup via Clever, meaning teachers will no longer need to manually create classes and invite students to join them. | Learn More.



Enhancements to Google Voice
We’ve made several enhancements to Google Voice, including information and troubleshooting tips for missed calls, the ability to easily redial dropped calls, the ability to delete SMS messages in bulk, and an option to show your Google Voice number as the caller ID when forwarding calls. | Learn more.



Search within a folder in Google Drive on iOS
You can now search for content inside a specific folder in Google Drive on iOS. Simply navigate to the folder you want to search within and select the search bar — you’ll see a list of suggested folders, documents, and users to refine your search results. Select the folder chip before typing your search query. | Learn more.



Assign SSO profile to organizational units or groups with the new SAML Partial SSO beta
Currently, you can configure to authenticate your users using a third-party identity provider — this configuration applies to all users within your domain. Now, you have the option to specify groups or organizational units (OUs) to authenticate a subset of your users using Google. This feature is available as an open beta. | Learn more.



New enrollment privilege and naming updates for Google Meet hardware in the Admin console
We are making two improvements to the admin controls for Google Meet hardware: a new enrollment privilege admins and updates for hardware management in the Admin console. | Learn more.



Use the new Google Meet web app for better meetings on desktop devices
We’ve launched a new Google Meet standalone web app. This Progressive Web Application (PWA) has all the same features as Google Meet on the web, but as a standalone app it’s easier to find and use, and it streamlines your workflow by eliminating the need to switch between tabs. | Learn more.


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

Disabling File Transfer in Google Chat

What’s changing 
Admins can now disable or limit file sharing for their users in Chat. Specifically, admins
will be able to specify controls within and outside their organization, and will be able to choose between restricting all files, allowing images only, or allowing all files.

Who’s impacted 
Admins and end users 

Why it’s important 
Files often contain confidential information, and some organizations, particularly in regulated industries, need to control the flow of this information within and outside of their organization. With this launch, admins now have more ability to help manage sharing in specific scenarios. 

Additional details 
These policies will have no impact on links. For example, sharing links to Google Drive files or giphy links will all continue to work. Emojis will also not be impacted. 


Admins will have the option to enable this feature




 Getting started 



  • End Users: If an admin has disabled file sharing, the upload button may be disabled or changed, and when possible we will provide text to explain the change. See images below for examples. 

The file upload button may be disabled 

 If a user is only able to upload images, the file upload icon may change to an image icon.


 Error messages will be displayed if a user attempts a restricted action

 

Policies will be also applied while using Google Chat on web and mobile platforms

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard,Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, Enterprise Essentials 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers
Resources