Tag Archives: Google Chat

Catch up on followed threads from the home shortcut in Google Chat

What’s changing

Many users follow threads within spaces in Google Chat to ensure they don’t miss any updates. To build upon this experience and help you keep track of important discussions occurring in threads, we’re introducing the ability to follow and review threads within the home shortcut. 

Threads you’ve chosen to follow will now appear directly within home, enabling you to quickly catch up. Rather than searching for the space and finding the thread, clicking on the thread via home takes you directly to the threaded conversation. You can also use the “Threads” button in home to filter your view to show threads only. This option is next to the “Unread” toggle, which filters your unread messages across DMs, spaces, and threads. You have the ability to filter for unread threads specifically when this is toggled on and the “Threads” button is selected. 
Catch up on followed threads from the home shortcut in Google Chat


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it matters 

Through this update, the home view has become even more useful with the ability to easily stay on top of followed threads. 


Additional details 

As a reminder, threads are followed in the scenarios below: 
  • You are the author of the main message that a thread was initiated from. 
  • You are explicitly following (via the “Follow” button). 
  • You have replied via thread or were mentioned. 
  • You have set the notification setting of the corresponding space to notify for “All”. 
If a thread is no longer relevant to you, you can “Unfollow” it via the button in Home. 


Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Web: 
  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 29, 2024, with expected completion by August 31, 2024 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 26, 2024, with expected completion by September 30, 2024 
Android: 
iOS: 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers 

Resources 

Enhancing your productivity on Android devices with new features in Gmail and Google Chat apps

What’s changing

We’re introducing numerous improvements across the Gmail and Google Chat apps on Android foldables and tablets in order to enhance your productivity when using these devices. 

In the Gmail app, you’ll notice a new formatting bar located on the email compose screen. This now includes additional formatting options like the ability to change the font type and make a bulleted list.
additional formatting options in bar



Next, you’ll be able to view a list of helpful keyboard shortcuts in the Gmail app and in the Chat app by pressing “?” when you plug an external keyboard into your Android device. 
list of helpful keyboard shortcuts in the Gmail app and in the Chat app

Lastly, we’re enabling Smart Compose on Android tablets and foldables, a feature originally introduced on Gmail web that intelligently autocompletes your emails. Similar to the mobile experience, Smart Compose suggests text as you type that can be accepted by swiping across the gray text or pressing tab on a physical keyboard. 
Smart Compose on Android tablets and foldables



Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

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

Resources 

Add up to 500,000 members to spaces in Google Chat

What’s changing

Shortly after introducing announcements in Google Chat last year, we increased the number of users you can add to a space from 8,000 to 50,000. To provide greater flexibility and inclusiveness for larger organizations, we’re excited to announce that starting today, spaces can now have up to 500,000 members. 
spaces can now have up to 500,000 members.
If you are adding a Google Group as a member to set up large spaces, the table below shows how long it will typically take to populate this space. 
Estimated time to populate the space

Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it’s important 

Companies can now create org-wide spaces to announce news and updates to their employees, helping ensure broader reachability and measurability of their communications. 


Additional details 

We’ve introduced features to enhance membership management, which is particularly important now with larger spaces in Google Chat. Some examples include: 

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources 

Additional admin space management capabilities in Google Chat API are now available

What’s changing 

We recently announced several new features for the Google Chat API that enable admins to manage spaces at scale. These features include the ability to audit spaces, delete inactive spaces in bulk, and more. 

Today, we’re pleased to announce more space management capabilities, which include the ability to: 
  • Look up details about specific space.
  • Update space details, including the name of a space, space description, and space guidelines. 
  • Verify user’s membership status in a specific space. 
  • Upgrade a role from space member to space manager. 



These features are available now through our Developer Preview Program — see here for more information on how to enroll in the Developer Preview program. 


Getting started 

  • Admins and developers: 
    • If you are part of the Google Workspace Developer Preview, you will get these features by default. Otherwise, you must apply for access using this form. 
    • Use our Developer Documentation to learn how to authenticate and authorize using administrator privilege. 
  • End users: There is no end user impact or action required. 

Rollout pace 

Availability

  • New features for the Google Chat API scoped to admin users are available to participants of Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – June 21, 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.


Now generally available: Build AppSheet automations using Google Forms 
AppSheet helps users automate manual workflows by integrating with data sources like Google Drive, Chat and Sheets, and earlier this year we announced its integration with Google Forms in beta. This week, we’re excited to announce this is now generally available. | Roll out to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus and the Teaching & Learning Upgrade, Frontline Starter, Frontline Standard, AppSheet Starter, AppSheet Core, AppSheet Enterprise Standard, and AppSheet Enterprise Plus customers only. | Learn more about AppSheet's integration with Google Forms and building your first app and automation using Google Forms. 


The ability to add and remove Google Groups as space members using the Google Chat API is now generally available 
Last year, we announced the ability to create spaces, memberships, group chats, and more using the Google Chat API. This week, we’re excited to introduce the option for developers to add and remove Google Groups as space members using the Google Chat API. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers. | Learn more about accessing Chat APIs through the Google Chat API. 


Comments and action items in client-side encrypted Google Docs is now generally available 
You can now collaborate with others on client-side encrypted Google Docs to add, edit, reply, filter, or delete comments. You can also assign action items to yourself or others. This functionality was previously available in open beta — see our original announcement for complete details. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for July 2, 2024. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus customers. | Learn more about working with encrypted files in Drive, Docs, Sheets & 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.


Insert images into practice sets in Google Classroom 
Teachers can now import images, like graphs, charts or photos, into practice sets using files from Google Drive or directly from their computer. | Learn more about inserting images into practice sets. 

Help your students learn to read with Read Along in Classroom 
We’re introducing Read Along in Google Classroom, a new feature that helps students build their independent reading skills by enabling teachers to assign differentiated reading activities, based on Lexile® measure, grade level, or phonics skills. | Learn more about Read Along in Google Classroom. 

External users can now securely collaborate on client-side encrypted files 
We’re expanding visitor sharing, a feature that provides secure, pincode-based collaboration over sensitive data with people, to include client-side encrypted files. This allows users to securely collaborate with external partners on sensitive Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides files, while maintaining the confidentiality of the information with the granular control of encryption keys, identity verification and user permissions. | Learn more about visitor sharing. 

Create interactive YouTube assignments in Google Classroom more quickly and efficiently, with the help of AI 
We’re introducing AI-suggested questions that educators can easily attach to a video based on its content when creating interactive YouTube assignments in Google Classroom. | Learn more about YouTube assignments in Classroom.

Google Meet adds 52 new languages to translated captions and 11 more languages for closed captions 
For all Google Workspace customers and users with personal accounts, we’ve expanded support for closed captioning. In addition, for Gemini for Google Workspace customers, we are adding 52 languages to translated captions with full language support. | Learn more about translated captions and closed captions. 

Improved syncing experience between Google Calendar and third-party calendars 
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. | Learn more about the improved syncing experience on Calendar.

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 – June 14, 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.


Make a space discoverable to a target audience using the Google Chat API 
Earlier this year, we introduced the option to create discoverable spaces using the Google Chat API through the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. We’re excited to announce this is now generally available for Google Workspace developers. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains | Available to all Google Workspace customers. | Learn more about discoverable spaces.

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.


Stay on top of shared Drive files with automatic digest emails 
If you haven’t been active on Drive for 7 days and have multiple shared files that are unviewed, we’ll send you a reminder email that summarizes the files. | Learn more about automatic digest emails for Drive files. 

Adding audit logs for Gemini for Google Workspace activity 
We’re introducing the ability for admins to see new audit logs in Google Drive for activity triggered by Gemini for Google Workspace. | Learn more about audit logs for Gemini. 

Google Meet add-ons are now available on Android devices 
We’re expanding access to Google Meet add-ons, now to Android devices, so you can find, install, and use third and first-party applications right from within the Meet app. | Learn more about Meet add-ons. 

Updated design for meeting controls in Google Meet 
Google Meet is gradually improving and modernizing the in-call experience with the Material 3 Design System. This week, we are announced the first update, which is specific to the lower bar of in-call controls in Meet. | Learn more about updated designs for meeting controls in Google Meet.

Google Classroom now supports grade category and co-teacher imports from SIS partners
Starting this week, teachers can now import their grade categories and co-teachers from their linked SIS. | Learn more about import grading categories or co-teachers. 

Google Meet now supports high definition video for meeting recording and devices 
Full HD video content is now available for recorded meetings and sending full HD video is now available on all computers with 1080p cameras. Learn more about new video support in Meet.


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).   


Request to join spaces in Google Chat

What’s changing

Currently, to join a private space in Google Chat, a space member must invite or add you to the space. To make it even easier to more broadly share information, build communities and foster discussion across your organization, we’re introducing the ability for users to request to join a space upon receiving a link to that space. 
Request to join page

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: 
    • To share a space, copy the space link by going to the space header > dropdown menu > ‘Copy link to this space’.
    • To request to join a space, click on the space link > ‘Request to join’.
    • Note that users outside of your organization will not be able to join a space in your domain, even with the shared link.
    • Space managers receive requests via a private message from the Google Chat App and have the option to approve or deny the request.
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about joining a space in Google Chat.
Space managers see incoming request via private message


Rollout pace 

Web:
Mobile:

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers 

Resources 

Manage spaces at scale with new Chat API functionality

What’s changing

We are pleased to announce the  launch for additional features of Chat API via the Developer Preview Program, enabling space management at scale on behalf of admin users. These new features, which you can read more about down below, are available to all users currently enrolled in the Developer Preview Program. See here for more information on how to enroll in the Developer Preview program.

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, admins expressed a desire for more robust tools to perform these tasks faster and at scale, for example, with the help of APIs. Admins can now use the Chat API to find information and manage their spaces in bulk— specifically they’ll be able to:

  • Audit spaces: Admins can pull a list of all spaces in their organization, which includes detailed information about space settings and metadata like member counts, history setting status, the ability to invite external guests, and more. The list will be exported to a CSV file for further analysis and audit.

  • Delete inactive spaces in bulk: It’s common to create spaces for projects and initiatives that are only relevant for a specific period of time. As these projects move toward completion, activity in these spaces become inactive or abandoned altogether without deletion. This can result in a huge amount of clutter, making it for end users to navigate and search for relevant spaces, and for admins, making it difficult to audit and take action when managing your spaces. You can now easily detect and delete  all inactive or unused spaces, or create an automated cleanup task with the help of Chat API. 

However, there are some cases where less active spaces should not be deleted, such as spaces dedicated to quarterly or annual events. In these situations, admins can use the new API functionality to identify space managers so they can reach out and confirm whether a space should be deleted.

  • User onboarding and offboarding: When a new user joins an organization, it’s important that they’re connected to all relevant spaces, including organization wide spaces or spaces based on specific departments or job roles. Admins can use this functionality to automatically add users to relevant spaces based on specific attributes like their department, role, location, and more.
Conversely, it’s also important to ensure users are removed from spaces when they leave an organization or change roles. Admins can quickly identify all spaces where an outgoing user is a member of and remove them from spaces that are no longer relevant to them. 
  • Audit external members: To monitor and control access to organizations' data, admins can conduct an audit of membership for a specific user or group of users. Admins can use the Google Chat API to generate a list of all space members — this information, combined with a query to the People API, can assist in identifying a space’s external members. As a result, admins may choose to remove specific users from organization's conversations. This can be done on a space-by-space basis using the API directly or with the help of  your own scripts, adjusted to the unique process in your organization.

We plan to introduce more functionality for managing spaces in the future — stay tuned to the Workspace Updates blog for more information.


Getting started

  • End users: There is no end user impact or action required.


Rollout pace


Send emails to spaces in Google Chat

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.

What’s changing

We’re introducing a new way to manage your communication, including emails, in Google Chat. 

After a space manager generates an email address for a space, members (or anyone in your domain with the email address) can send or forward any email to that space. This provides a great way for teams to easily triage or discuss email content with stakeholders within the space. The email will appear as a clickable card showing a snippet of the email in the designated space. 
Generate email in space settings

Generate email in space settings
Email card in the space

Email card in the space



Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Email integration into spaces allows you to choose the communication style that works best for your team. Once the email content is present, members can discuss content or take various actions like triaging and assigning them to different members of the space. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: 
    • As a space manager, you can create the space’s email address by clicking the name of the space in the top left corner > Space settings > Email section > select Generate email 
    • Once the email address is created by a space manager, all space members can send/forward emails to the space 
    • To send an email to the space, include the space email address in the “to” field of your email composer (in Gmail, Outlook, etc.) 
    • Click on ‘View message’ to view the entire email message in Google Groups 
    • You can change the email address for your space by going to advanced settings. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending emails to spaces in Chat. 

Rollout pace

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources 

Send emails to spaces in Google Chat

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.

What’s changing

We’re introducing a new way to manage your communication, including emails, in Google Chat. 

After a space manager generates an email address for a space, members (or anyone in your domain with the email address) can send or forward any email to that space. This provides a great way for teams to easily triage or discuss email content with stakeholders within the space. The email will appear as a clickable card showing a snippet of the email in the designated space. 
Generate email in space settings

Generate email in space settings
Email card in the space

Email card in the space



Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Email integration into spaces allows you to choose the communication style that works best for your team. Once the email content is present, members can discuss content or take various actions like triaging and assigning them to different members of the space. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: 
    • As a space manager, you can create the space’s email address by clicking the name of the space in the top left corner > Space settings > Email section > select Generate email 
    • Once the email address is created by a space manager, all space members can send/forward emails to the space 
    • To send an email to the space, include the space email address in the “to” field of your email composer (in Gmail, Outlook, etc.) 
    • Click on ‘View message’ to view the entire email message in Google Groups 
    • You can change the email address for your space by going to advanced settings. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending emails to spaces in Chat. 

Rollout pace

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources