Tag Archives: Google Chat

Import data from Meta Workplace to Google Chat using CloudFuze

What’s changing

Earlier this year, we introduced a new migration solution from Google Workspace partner CloudFuze that enables customers to import data from Slack into Google Chat. Today, we’re announcing an additional solution from CloudFuze that enables companies using Workplace for Meta to migrate their data to Google Chat. 


This functionality is particularly useful following Meta’s announcement that Workplace will be available in read-only mode starting in September 2025 and fully unavailable in June 2026. 


With this integration, you can move existing communities, groups, individual members, and admins into Chat spaces. In addition, all of the community posts, attachments, reactions, and more will be moved into Chat with the original historical timestamps to ensure that your knowledge repository is available for users in Chat. 



Who’s impacted 

Admins and developers 


Why you’d use it 

This CloudFuze solution imports your team collaboration data and knowledge repository from Meta Workplace into Google Chat. 


Getting started 

  • Admins, end users and developers: Visit the CloudFuze resource page to learn how to get started with migrating Meta Workplace data into Google Chat. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers. Note that a separate CloudFuze licensing is required to enable data migrations. 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – October 11, 2024

1 New update

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.




Create an email for a Google Chat space from the Admin console  
Earlier this year, we introduced a new feature that enables users to send emails to spaces in Google Chat. When this launched, existing Google Group policies determined by the domain admin were respected. For example, if the admin restricted group creation in their organization, users would also be restricted from generating emails for spaces in Chat. To improve upon this experience, we’re happy to announce that admins can now create an email for a space from the Admin console. To do so, navigate to Google Chat > 'Manage spaces' > select a space > 'Space settings' > click 'Generate email' to create an email address for the space. In addition, email conversations sent to spaces will now show replies in a thread instead of as separate cards in the message stream. | The Admin console update is rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. Threading for emails in spaces will rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains starting on October 17, 2024. | Available to all Google Workspace customers. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending emails to spaces in Chat.
Generating a space email in the Admin console
Generating an email in the Admin console



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.


New document tabs in Google Docs provide a better way to organize your documents 
We’ve introduced document tabs in Google Docs, a new feature to help you organize longer documents, centralize information, and make collaboration easier. | Learn more about tabs in Docs. 


New and improved widgets for Google Chat app cards 
This week, we introduced new and improved widgets for Chat app cards. | Learn more about widgets for Chat app cards. 


Ask responders for a rating in Google Forms 
To add to the list of question types that users can respond to in Google Forms and enable the collection of feedback in a more engaging way, we’re introducing a rating question type. | Learn more about rating questions in Forms.


Send video messages in Google Chat 
We’re introducing video messages in Chat, a new capability that helps you save time, convey more information, add tone or emphasis, and can be useful in a number of scenarios. | Learn more about video messages in Chat. 


Transcriptions now available for voice messages in Google Chat 
Users will now be able to see an automatic transcription of voice messages in Chat on web and mobile. | Learn more about Chat transcriptions. 


Automate meeting recording, transcripts and notes for your Google Meet meetings 
Admins now have the option to configure meeting recordings, meeting transcripts, and “take notes for me” as on by default for newly created meetings. Meeting hosts and co-hosts can edit these settings in the Calendar invite, as well as turn these artifacts off during the meeting. | Learn more about automating meeting recordings, transcripts and notes for meetings. 


Third-party smart chips now available in Google Sheets
Users can now add smart chips that pull information from third party apps into Sheets, and also paste third-party chips inserted in Docs directly into a spreadsheet. | Learn more about third-party smart chips in Sheets. 


Easily find and connect to featured partner apps from the Google Workspace Marketplace 
We’re adding a new category within the Google Workspace Marketplace: Featured partner apps. Here, you can quickly find and install the most popular Google Workspace apps. | Learn more about partner apps Marketplace.


Available in open beta: Easily migrate files from Microsoft OneDrive to Google Drive
Under the umbrella of our data migration services, we’re introducing a new file migration service for Admins to transfer files between OneDrive data to Google Drive for up to 100 users at a time. | Learn more about migrating files from OneDrive to Google Drive.


Improve Google Meet livestreaming experience with more insight on eCDN performance
We’re enhancements that will give admins greater insight to better optimize their eCDN configuration. | Learn more about Meet livestreaming. 



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).   


Transcriptions now available for voice messages in Google Chat

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we introduced the ability to send voice messages in Google Chat to help users save time, convey more information, and emphasize the most important information for the message receiver. To build upon this highly requested communication feature and increase accessibility in Chat, we’re excited to announce voice messages transcription. 


Starting today, users will be able to see an automatic transcription of voice messages in Chat on web and mobile. This update enables content consumption in a user’s preferred format or the format that is most convenient at that particular moment. 
Transcriptions for voice messages in Google Chat on web

Getting started 

Transcriptions for voice messages in Google Chat on mobile

Rollout pace 

Android, iOS, and web: 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers and Google Workspace Individual subscribers 

Resources 

Send video messages in Google Chat

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we announced voice messages in Google Chat, giving users a new way to communicate with others more effectively. Today, we are introducing video messages in Chat, a new capability that helps you save time, convey more information, add tone or emphasis, and can be useful in a number of scenarios, such as: 
  • Sales or customer support team members sending video updates about new features or account changes. 
  • Executives sharing company-wide announcements or strategic updates, fostering transparency and engagement across the organization. 
  • Team members sending a video with outstanding updates in lieu of attending a live meeting. 
Send video messages in Google Chat


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it’s important 

This update offers users with more flexibility in how they communicate within Chat. 


Additional details

Video message cannot be recorded on the following browsers and OS: ChromeOS, Linux and Firefox. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: 
  • End users: 
    • To record a video message, select the record button in the Chat compose box and click “video message.” Then simply record your message and press send.
      • You can preview or re-record your video before sending your video message. 
      • You can send video messages in 1:1 DMs, group DMs, and spaces, and they can be interacted with (quoted, reacted to, replied to in thread, etc) just like any other Chat message. 
      • Video messages will be stored in the Media section of the Shared tab. 
      • You can send video messages on web and receive them on all platforms. The ability to record and send video messages on mobile is not available at this time. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending a video message in Google Chat and sending & sharing files in Google Chat messages. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources 

New and improved widgets for Google Chat app cards

What’s changing

Google Chat app developers have the ability to add widgets and UI elements to make their app cards customizable and encourage users to interact with their apps in a variety of ways. 

Today, we’re excited to announce new and improved widgets for Chat app cards, including: 
Modern and sleek style buttons in line with the Google Material Design 3
  • The ChipList widget that provides a versatile and visually appealing way to display information. You can use chips to represent tags, categories, or other relevant data, to make it easier for users to navigate and interact with your content. 
The ChipList widget that provides a versatile and visually appealing way to display information.png
  • An Overflow Menu that can be used in Chat cards to offer additional options and actions, without cluttering the card's interface to ensure a clean and organized design. 
An Overflow Menu that can be used in Chat cards to offer additional options and actions
  • The option to customize the control button so that it collapses and expands sections within your Chat cards. You can choose from a range of icons or images to visually represent the section's content, making it easier for users to understand and interact with the information. The option to customize the control button so that it collapses and expands sections within your Chat cards
  • Collapsible text paragraphs that let users reveal more information on demand. This widget is perfect for presenting lengthy content or additional details that can be explored when selected, creating a dynamic and interactive user experience. 
Collapsible text paragraphs that let users reveal more information on demand.

Getting started


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources



Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – September 20, 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.



Ability to create announcement spaces using the Google Chat API is now generally available 
In June, we introduced the option to create announcement spaces using the Google Chat API through the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. We’re excited to announce Google Workspace developers can now use the Chat API to create announcement spaces, plus read and update the permission settings of a space. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers. | Visit these Developer Docs for more information: PredefinedPermissionSettings and PermissionSettings fields.


Additional improvements to tables in Google Sheets 
Following our announcement of improvements to tables in Google Sheets, we’re adding even more enhancements to the experience. More specifically, you can now: 

1. Insert a blank table from the pre-built table sidebar 
Insert a blank table from the pre-built table sidebar

2. Reference tables successfully via IMPORTRANGE. For example, if you had a table named Table1 with column header values of of Column 1, Column 2, Column 3, etc.: 
    • To import the table range, including header cells, you would input: =IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, “Table1[#ALL]”) 
    • To import only the footers of the table range, you would input: =IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, “Table1[“#TOTALS]”) 
    • To import the table range, excluding header cells, you would input: =IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, “Table1[“#DATA]”) 
    • To import the first two columns of the table range, including header cells, you would input: =IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, “Table1[[Column 1]:[Column 2],[#ALL]]”) 
3. Use the following keyboard shortcuts to easily convert ranges to tables: 
  • Cmd+Opt+T for Mac 
  • Ctrl+Alt+T for Linux and Windows 
    Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains for #1 is complete. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now for #2 and #3; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for September 26, 2024 for #3 and October 3, 2024 for #2. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using tables in Google Sheets.


    Introducing Dual Screen on Meet
    Following the recent announcement of an improved user experience for Google Meet on Android devices, we’re excited to introduce an additional feature, available on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold device, that provides you with a more immersive video call experience. Through the use of the front and inner cameras, you can now show both yourself and what you're looking at at the same time. Additionally, the person you're video chatting with can be seen on both the inner and outer screens to include everyone around you in the call. | Rollout to Rapid Release domains is complete; rolling out now to Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn how Dual Screen on Google Meet works.

    Use both screens during a Meet call - rear screen view of foldable

    Use both screens during a Meet call - rear screen view of foldable


    Use both screens during a Meet call - front screen view of foldable



    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 multi-monitor support to Google Slides
    We’re making it easier to view your Google Slides presentation controls on your computer while presenting to an audience using a connected external monitor or projector. | Learn more about multi-monitor support in Slides. 

    New beta available that restricts access to folders in Google Drive 
    We’ve introduced a beta that allows shared drive managers to restrict folders to specific users within a shared drive. This provides shared drive managers with greater flexibility to keep relevant content within a single shared drive, while restricting access to shared folders with sensitive information. | Learn more about restricting folder access.

    New design and accessibility improvements for embedded Google Calendars 
    Starting this week, you’ll notice a refreshed look and feel for embedded calendars that is in line with Google Material Design 3 and now includes enhanced accessibility features, such as the ability to use an embedded calendar with a screen reader and keyboard shortcuts to navigate more easily, and more. | Learn more about embedded Google Calendars.

    NotebookLM now available as an Additional Service 
    Last year, we introduced an Early Access App called NotebookLM, an experimental product using some of Google's most advanced models, like Gemini 1.5 Pro, that helps you gain critical insights grounded in the content of source documents you trust. We’re excited to announce that NotebookLM is officially available as an Additional Service. | Learn more about NotebookLM. 

    Admin features for space management via the Chat API are now generally available 
    Earlier this year, we introduced a series of space management capabilities for Workspace admins in the Google Chat API via the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. These API features are now generally available for all Google Workspace customers and developers. | Learn more about space management via the Chat API. 

    Create birthdays in Google Calendar 
    To ensure a birthday is never missed, we’re introducing the ability to create and modify birthday events in Google Calendar on Android devices. | Learn more about birthdays in Calendar. 

    Additional iOS data exfiltration enhancement: account level data sharing between Google Workspace apps and non-Google Workspace apps on or off 
    Admins can now enable content sharing on personal Workspace accounts while preventing data sharing from corporate Workspace accounts on iOS devices. | Learn more about iOS data exfiltration enhancements.


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

    Admin features for space management via the Chat API are now generally available

    What’s changing

    Earlier this year, we introduced a series of space management capabilities for Workspace admins in the Google Chat API via the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. These API features are now generally available for all Google Workspace customers and developers.

    Using these features, admins can easily perform a variety of space management related tasks at scale. This includes membership management, like adding and removing members, onboarding and offboarding users from spaces, cleaning up inactive spaces, and more. 

    These features are also available when using the Google Apps Manager (GAM), an open source command-line tool that helps administrators to perform bulk operations associated with various aspects of their Google Workspace. The tool can be used to automate space management tasks with command-line scripts, helping to reduce admin overhead and potential errors when using APIs. See this article in our Help Center for more information on using a third-party tool for mass provisioning.

    Who’s impacted

    Admins and developers

    Why you’d use it

    In 2023, we launched the Space Management tool, which allowed admins to view all the spaces within their organization, understand the activity within those spaces, and perform essential actions like deleting a space or assigning space managers. While finding the tool helpful to perform one-off tasks, admins expressed a desire for tools to perform these tasks at scale, for example, with the help of APIs. Admins can now use the Chat API to find information and manage spaces in their organization in bulk or programmatically. Specifically they can:

    • Find and delete inactive spaces: Using spaces.search, you can find spaces that haven’t been used since a specified date and time and then delete them.
    • Onboard and offboard users: Automatically add new users to relevant spaces and remove them from spaces when they leave or change roles.
    • Audit external members: Monitor and control access to your organization's data by identifying and removing external members from sensitive conversations.
    • Lookup and update space details: Easily manage space information like names, descriptions, and guidelines.
    • Verify user membership and upgrade roles: Manage user access and roles within spaces.
    • And more — please refer to our developer guidance for even more information.

    Getting started

    Access and sort shared files more easily in Google Chat conversations

    What’s changing 

    Earlier this year, we improved upon the file management experience in Google Chat spaces by creating the Shared tab, a central place to manage all conversation-related artifacts including files, links and media. Today, we’re excited to announce that the Shared tab is now available in 1:1 direct messages and group messages, enabling easier collaboration across all conversation types. 
    Shared tab is now available in 1:1 direct messages and group messages

    Who’s impacted 

    End users 


    Why you’d use it 

    The Shared tab provides a centralized and visible method to access shared content shared within a conversation. 


    Additional details 

    Using the new sort drop-down, you can narrow down the list of documents displayed based on category (file, link, media) or date shared. 


    Getting started

    • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
    • End users: At the top of a Google Chat message, you will see the following tabs: Chat and Shared. Upon clicking Shared, you will see three sections: Files, Links and Media. Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending & sharing files in Google Chat messages. 

    Rollout pace 

    Web: 
    Android & iOS: 

    Availability 

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

    Resources 

    Automate your workflows on Google Chat with IFTTT and UKG Flow integrations

    What’s changing 

    Following the announcement at Google Cloud Next 2024, we’re excited to introduce Google Chat integrations with IFTTT and UKG Flow. 

    The IFTTT integration enables users to automate Chat with 1,000+ of today's most popular apps. For example, Chat users can now set up workflows, like sending an onboarding email to a customer that’s added as a new member to a space, or sending a message to a space when a new file is added to a Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box folder. Using the integration, Chat users can also stay up-to-date on all of their communities by having new Discord, X, and Facebook mentions or tags automatically posted to a space. 
    IFTTT integration
    Using the UKG Flow app, users and employees can perform common UKG actions, such as those included in the Timekeeping & Scheduling functionalities of UKG Pro WFM. 
    UKG Flow app

    With these integrations, users can accomplish more in their workday by completing common tasks using daily productivity apps, without ever leaving Chat. 

    Getting started 

    • Admins: UKG Flow requires admins to install the app on their users’ behalf. Visit the Help Center to learn more about installing Marketplace apps for your organization. 
    • End users: 
      • Get started with the IFTTT’s Chat integration here. 
      • Once UKG Flow is installed by your admin, you can use it freely in Google Chat. 

    Rollout pace 

    • These integrations are available now. 

    Availability 

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

    Resources

    Chat safer with new settings for students in Google Chat

    What’s changing 

    We're introducing a new setting that enables education admins to restrict which users can create and manage members in Google Chat conversations. 


    This can be useful for admins who want to prevent groups of students from initiating or adding users to a conversation. 

    Chat restrictions for Education domains



    Who’s impacted 

    Admins and end users 


    Why it’s important

    This is a highly-requested feature that restricts the creation of unsupervised activity among K-12 students and helps provide a safer and easier way for teachers to communicate with students. 


    Getting started 

    • Admins: 
      • To restrict users from accessing features in Chat, go to the Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Google Chat > click the Chat and Space restrictions setting > Inside the Google Chat box, search for the group of users you'd like to apply Chat restrictions to > check the box for Restrict creating direct messages, group messages, and spaces > hit Save. 
        • Note: groups can be restricted at the group level only.
      • We recommend admins enable the "automatically accept chat invitations" setting for their OU. This will ensure teachers can easily initiate messages to students that instantly deliver without the need to accept an invitation. We also recommend turning OFF Chat with external users.
      • Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting up Chat restrictions for Education accounts.
    • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

    Rollout pace 

    Admin setting: 
    Chat UI: 

    Availability 

    Available for Google Workspace: 
    • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade 

    Resources