Tag Archives: Google Voice

Upload customized audio prompts and greetings to Google Voice automated attendant

What’s changing

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.


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why you’d use it

We’ve heard from you that you’d like to use your own pre-recorded prompts and greetings instead of using the existing text-to-speech option when setting up Google Voice automated attendant. Now, you can upload custom prompts and greetings for a greater degree of customization. Once you upload recordings, we offer immediate playback and automatic transcriptions to help you more easily keep track of and manage uploads.


Example of how to upload a recorded sales greeting audio file to Auto Attendant


Getting started

  • End users: There is no impact to end users.

Rollout pace


Availability


Resources

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).

Enhancements to Google Voice

What’s changing

We continuously listen to customer feedback as we make refinements to Google Voice, and based on your feedback we’ve made the following enhancements:


Missed Call Reason:  Now you can see why a call did not ring and what you can do to fix it by changing your settings. Just go to the Missed Call details section or the Voicemail section (in case you received a voicemail for the call), and take the recommended steps in settings such as turning off the Do Not Disturb or setting the device to receive incoming calls

Image showing how to easily find out why a call did not ring and correct it in Settings
Easily find out why a call did not ring and correct it in Settings




Call Drop Reason and Redial:  Find out why a call dropped and easily redial. If the call dropped due to poor internet connectivity, you'll have the option to call using your mobile carrier network.

Image showing an example of why a call didn't connect
See the reason your call didn’t connect




Caller ID:  Google Voice customers using iOS now have a setting that allows them to see their Google Voice number as the caller ID when a call comes in to a number linked to Google Voice. When this setting is on, you will see the number you linked to Google Voice as the caller ID.

Image showing how you can chose to see your Google Voice number as the caller’s number for calls to numbers you linked to Voice

You can chose to see your Google Voice number as the caller’s number for calls to numbers you linked to Voice




Delete multiple SMS messages at once:  Now you can delete multiple SMS messages at one time to streamline your workflow - a capability frequently requested by our users. To use this feature, simply tap on the avatar on one or more SMS threads, and a trash bin will appear on the app bar above the messages allowing the message threads to be easily deleted.

Gif showing how to select multiple SMS messages and delete them at once

Select multiple SMS messages and delete them at once




Who’s impacted


End users

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: This feature will be OFF by default for the Caller ID feature and can be enabled by the user from within Settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about changing the caller ID for incoming calls

Rollout pace

  • Missed Call Reason: Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting July 15.
  • Call Drop Reason and Redial: This feature is available now for all users.
  • Caller ID: This feature is available now for all iOS users.
  • Delete multiple SMS messages at once: This feature is available now for all users.

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers who subscribe to Google Voice, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.

Resources

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – June 11, 2021

New updates 

Google Voice is now available in Belgium 
Google Workspace customers based in Belgium can now sign up for Google Voice, and customers who have purchased Google Voice Premier can get phone numbers for their users in Belgium. With this launch, Voice is now available in these countries. | Learn more. 



Easily view the number of Google Meet hardware devices in your organization in the Admin console 
In the Admin console under Devices > Google Meet Hardware, admins will now see a simple count on the device list page of the number of devices that meet the criteria of the currently selected filters. | 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. 



Replace your background with a video in Google Meet 
In addition to replacing your Google Meet background with a static image, you can now replace your background with a video. | Learn more. 



Option to replace your background in Google Meet is now available on Android 
You can now blur or replace your background with an image in Google Meet on Android. This feature is already available on the web. | Learn more.



Find admin approved applications in the “Approved for you” section in the Google Workspace Marketplace 



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

Additional admin controls for Google Voice ring groups

What’s changing

We’ve added new ways for admins to manage their Google Voice ring groups. Specifically, admins can now:
  • Configure a “Fixed order” pattern where incoming ring group calls will ring members in a predetermined order.
  • Change the maximum duration that a call should ring before proceeding to the "unanswered call" behavior — previously this was fixed at 30 seconds.

Set your Call Routing Pattern, Ring Duration, and Order of Call Ringing




Setting the Call Routing Pattern to Simultaneous




Who’s impacted

Admins


Why you’d use it

We've heard from you that you'd like more options to customize the ringing behavior for your ring groups. With the new “Fixed order” pattern, you can define exactly what order to ring your members when the ring group receives a call, skipping members who are already in a call or have “Do not disturb” enabled. You can also customize the maximum ringing duration for fixed and round robin patterns that allows you to limit how long an incoming call should ring, which may be particularly useful for large ring groups.


Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers with Google Voice standard and premier licenses.
  • Not available to Google Workspace and G Suite customers with Google Voice starter licenses.

Resources

Additional admin controls for Google Voice ring groups

What’s changing

We’ve added new ways for admins to manage their Google Voice ring groups. Specifically, admins can now:
  • Configure a “Fixed order” pattern where incoming ring group calls will ring members in a predetermined order.
  • Change the maximum duration that a call should ring before proceeding to the "unanswered call" behavior — previously this was fixed at 30 seconds.

Set your Call Routing Pattern, Ring Duration, and Order of Call Ringing




Setting the Call Routing Pattern to Simultaneous




Who’s impacted

Admins


Why you’d use it

We've heard from you that you'd like more options to customize the ringing behavior for your ring groups. With the new “Fixed order” pattern, you can define exactly what order to ring your members when the ring group receives a call, skipping members who are already in a call or have “Do not disturb” enabled. You can also customize the maximum ringing duration for fixed and round robin patterns that allows you to limit how long an incoming call should ring, which may be particularly useful for large ring groups.


Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers with Google Voice standard and premier licenses.
  • Not available to Google Workspace and G Suite customers with Google Voice starter licenses.

Resources

Admins will now be alerted when there is an issue with their Google Voice auto attendants or ring groups

Quick launch summary 

Admins will now receive an alert in the Admin console’s Alert Center when an issue is detected with their auto attendant or ring group configuration along with instructions on how to quickly resolve the issue. These issues include: 
  • No valid members in a ring group, 
  • No valid auto attendants or ring groups to forward the call to, 
  • No voicemail recipients. 


Getting started 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers with Google Voice standard and premier licenses 

Resources 

New Google Meet Global Dialing subscription expands telephony coverage for Meet

What’s changing

We’re introducing a new Google Meet Global Dialing subscription, which will:
  • Enable users to dial out to more than 100 countries directly from a Meet call. This is currently only available to 2 countries.
  • Increase the number of countries users can dial in from to over 80, with more countries coming soon.
  • Make it easy for admins to monitor and audit call usage with the Google Voice audit log.

There is no subscription fee; you only pay for the calls your organization makes at the per-minute rate.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

This new add-on subscription will help improve access to video calls by enabling outbound calls to global destinations and dial-in to meetings from more countries.

Once enabled, your users will be able to:
  • Quickly add a phone to a meeting by calling someone, or use the “Call Me” feature to use your phone for audio, now available in more than 100 countries.
  • Easily dial in to join a Meet call when you don’t have an internet connection, have limited bandwidth, or are joining from the road, in more than 80 countries.
In addition, the Google Voice audit log will make it easy for admins to see a breakdown of all your call costs across Meet and Voice in a single place.

Additional details

The Meet Global Dialing subscription is currently available to customers based in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Belgium.

Note that, if you purchase Google Workspace through a reseller, your reseller must also be based in one of those countries to be eligible for the subscription.

Getting started

Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now.

Availability

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

Resources

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – January 8, 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.


Google Voice now generally available in Germany and Italy
Google Workspace customers based in Germany and Italy can now sign up for Google Voice. These customers, as well as international customers with Google Voice Premier edition, can assign and port numbers with Germany country codes (+49) and Italy country codes (+39) to users. | 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.


Smart compose and spelling autocorrect available when adding comments in Google Docs
Smart compose and spelling autocorrect are now available when adding comments in Google Docs. | Learn more.


Join a meeting with new options on the Google Meet landing page
We’re changing the options for a more tailored experience when Google Workspace users join or start a meeting from meet.google.com. | Learn more.

Vault for Google Voice now generally available

Quick launch summary 

Google Vault now supports Google Voice. This means you can use Vault to retain, hold, search, and export Google Voice data including text messages, call logs, voicemails, and voicemail transcripts. 

This provides you with expanded control over your organization’s data, and can help you meet regulatory or legal obligations for your Google Voice data. 


Getting started 

Example of creating a custom retention rule for Google Voice in the new Vault interface 

Example of creating a custom retention rule for Google Voice in the classic Vault interface 

Example of searching for Google Voice data in the new Google Vault interface 

Example of searching for Google Voice data in the classic Google Vault interface 


Rollout pace 

Availability 

Resources