Tag Archives: Scheduled Release

Application load failures are now captured for the Google Meet hardware devices

What’s changing

In November 2023, we announced a series of improvements for managing Google Meet hardware devices, which included surfacing additional information about device issues, such as a description of the issue, when the issue was detected, and more. Today, we’re adding an additional data point: admins can now see when the Google Meet app fails to load for a device.


“Application load failures” will now be displayed in the “Device status” column.


When you click on the alert, you’ll see more detailed information on the error.






Getting started

  • Admins: 
    • To filter for devices that are in the “Application load failure” state specifically, navigate to Admin Console > Google Meet hardware > Devices > Filter by ‘Device Status’ and select ‘Application load failure’.
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about understanding device usage in your organization.
  • End users: There is no end user impact or action required.

Rollout pace



Availability

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

Resources


User enrollment for managed iOS devices is now generally available

What’s changing 

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. For more information, use our Help Center or reference our original announcement.


Getting started



Rollout pace


Availability

  • 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.


Google Meet co-host support added for client-side encrypted meetings

What’s changing

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. Client-side encrypted meetings differ from point-to-point encrypted meetings in the way they always require a host to join first. This task can now be delegated and shared between multiple users without the organizer ever joining the call.



Getting started


Rollout pace

Note: This feature is only available on the web as planning meetings with co-hosts can only be done on a computer.

Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Education Standard customers

Resources


New enhancements in the Space Management Tool For admins: add multiple members or groups, review settings and details

What’s changing 

We’re introducing several updates for the Space Management Tool in the Admin console, including an improved user interface and additional management capabilities. We’ve introduced several more ways to manage a single space, including: 
  • Adding multiple members and groups to a space at once 
  • Review detailed space settings 
  • Review invited members

Space Management Tool for Admins provide visibility into all spaces in an organization




Groups are now included in the list of Space members


Admins can now see detailed information regarding space settings, including those defined by space managers, who can access the space, post new messages, and more.



Admins can now see detailed setting information


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

Spaces in Google Chat are an essential part of collaboration and community building across organizations of all sizes. As such, it’s important for admins to easily view and manage their spaces to keep them productive and safe. This update makes it easier for admins to execute space management tasks and view more information about spaces.


Finally, you’ll notice that we’ve aligned the look-and-feel of the interface and workflows for individual space management across Google Chat on the web and the Admin console for a more consistent experience.


Getting started

Important note: Both Super admins and Delegated admins must have Google Chat turned on for their account in the Google Chat service settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning on Google Chat.







Smooth scrolling in Google Sheets now available on desktop

What’s changing

We’re excited to announce a highly-requested feature that improves control over your scrolling experience in Google Sheets. With smooth scrolling, you can scroll to a specific part of a row or column and stop wherever you’d like within the spreadsheet. 

This update works with all Sheets features, such as frozen rows, hidden columns, charts, buttons, comments, on right-to-left layouts, and when you use scrollbars (instead of a mouse/trackpad). 
smooth scrolling in Sheets


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: Use a trackpad, mouse or the scrollbar to access this update in new and existing spreadsheets. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

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

Set client-side encryption as the default mode for new emails, events, and files on mobile

What’s changing 

Admins can now set client-side encryption (CSE) to be on by default on Android and iOS for: 
  • Newly drafted Gmail messages and replies 
  • Newly created Google Calendar events 
  • Newly uploaded Google Drive files

Client-side encryption in Gmail


Admins can now set client-side encryption as the default mode for users on both web and mobile that regularly handle sensitive data. This allows organizations the flexibility to meet their compliance and regulatory requirements and reduce the burden on change management programs. Each new email, event and uploaded file on mobile is automatically client-side encrypted with customer managed keys meaning the user is compliant with their org’s policy from the outset. For organizations with strict regulatory or sovereignty requirements, this can help them close compliance gaps by defaulting users to the preferred mode for handling sensitive data while on the go. 

For more information, check out our original announcement.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Google Workspace Assured Controls is available as an add-on to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus customers only. For more information, contact your Google account representative.

Resources


Conduct direct 1:1 calls with people outside your video calling network on Google Meet mobile

What’s changing

Earlier this year, we introduced cloud-encrypted 1:1 video calls between users in the same domain using the Meet mobile app. In the coming weeks, users from outside of your domain will be able to initiate 1:1 video calls with your users and vice versa. Admins will be able to pre-configure this functionality as on or off for their users with a new admin control. The timeline for this update is as follows:

  • Admin control for restricting external calls placed directly to a user via their email: Admins will begin seeing the new control beginning today. 
  • End user availability: The external calling feature will begin rolling out to end users beginning in April.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users



Why it matters

1:1 cloud-encrypted video calling in the Meet mobile app makes it easier to connect with others by significantly reducing the need to create meeting links ahead of time. We’re expanding these 1:1 cloud-encrypted calls to allow users outside of your domain to initiate 1:1 calls, making it easier to connect with your external partners and stakeholders. However, to ensure external contact is appropriate, admins can turn this functionality on or off for their users.


Getting started

    • By default, users can receive calls only from contacts and other users in the organization. You can use the new admin switch to enable calls from outside your domain at the OU level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about restricting who can call users in your organization with Google Meet.
      • Note: This setting affects only Google Meet calling, not legacy services (formerly known as Duo) or calling in Google Chat. This also does not affect the ability to join meetings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Meet legacy calling on or off for your users. Note that If you have legacy calling enabled for your users, they will have access to features previously found in Duo (group calls, messages, moments, family mode, etc.) if they have not upgraded to the new Meet app. 

  • End users: 



Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers

Available in open beta: the Groups Admin role can now be provisioned for specific group types

What’s changing

The Groups Admin role can now be assigned for security groups or non-security groups. Previously, those with the Groups Admin role had access to all groups within an organization. This change gives administrators more granular delegation of group admin responsibilities, helping limit access to the most sensitive groups to only those who absolutely need it. 

This feature is available in open beta, which means no additional sign-up is required to use the feature.

Getting started

Easily identify which unread threads are most relevant to you in Google Chat

What’s changing 

Last year, we announced that all newly created spaces in Google Chat will be in-line threaded. This streamlined user experience enables you to reply to any message and create a separate discussion isolated from the main conversation. We also introduced several updates, such as home, mentions and starred messages to help you find what you need much faster in Chat.

Today, we’re continuing our enhancements across Chat by improving the in-line threaded experience in spaces. With multiple threads across numerous spaces, we know it can be difficult to identify which unread threads are most relevant to you. In order to provide you with more context upfront, you will now see participant avatars for unread threads in the conversation view. Without having to click to open the thread side panel, it will now be much easier to decide which threads to read and reply to. 
Web experience


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Being able to see the participant avatars for unread threads makes it easier to identify whether a thread is relevant to you. 
mobile experience



Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This will be ON by default. Visit the Help Center to learn how to use Google Chat. 

Rollout pace 

Web: 
Android:
iOS:

Availability 

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

Resources 

Now generally available: Import and convert sensitive Excel files into client-side encrypted Google Sheets

What’s changing

You can now import and convert sensitive Excel files into Google Sheets with client-side encryption. When collaborating with external and internal stakeholders, you may find yourself working across both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. This update keeps your work moving by layering interoperability on top of the privacy benefits of client-side encryption: users are in direct control of their encryption keys and the identity service that they choose to authenticate for those keys.


This feature was previously announced in August 2023 as part of an open beta.

Additional details 

With this release: 
  • You can only import .xslx Excel file types. 
  • Additional Excel and tabular file types are not supported. 
  • During import, unsupported Excel features in Sheets will be ignored. 
  • The maximum file size is 10MB. 
  • The maximum number of cells that can be imported is 10 million. 

Getting started