This official feed from the Google Workspace team provides essential information about new features and improvements for Google Workspace customers.
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As part of the new Google Drive, we are updating Drive’s viewer. The new viewer is faster, cleaner and provides easier ways to connect with third-party Drive apps. It also brings a unified viewing experience across Drive content and Gmail attachments. Note that as part of this change we will remove support for adding file-level commenting of non-Google file formats. This change doesn’t impact comments in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, and existing comments on non-Google formats will be retained and available to view. Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release (rolling out gradually) For more information:


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Domains using Chromebox for meetings devices will be able to simply plug in a second display to their Chromebox’s display port and that display will behave as a secondary display. During a video call, this will allow participants to see the audience and the projected presentation at the same time. Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release For more information:
Using dual displays


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Admins can now better manage video calls in Chromebox for meetings devices right from the Google Apps Admin console, with options like remotely starting, muting and hanging up a meeting. Meeting participants are still in full control of the device in their conference room, even if the video call is started remotely. For example, meetings are muted by default, but participants can unmute the microphone using the remote control if they need to be heard. They can also end the call or perform any other task available on the device. Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release For more information:


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Hangouts participants will now have the ability to remove other participants from a Hangouts video call. This is only available to people from the same domain as the Hangout creator. For example, if a person creates a Hangouts video call from Calendar, people in their same domain will be able to eject others from the call. Any participants from outside the domain will not have this ability. Ejected participants will not be able to re-join the call unless explicitly re-invited from within the video call.
Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/6187009#eject


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Hangouts is now covered under the same Terms of Service that support our other Google Apps for Business products, like Gmail and Google Drive. That means that customers receive 24x7 phone support and 99.9% guaranteed uptime as well as ISO27001, SSAE 16/ISAE 4302 and SOC 2 certification. Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release For more information:

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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With today’s launch, people using Google Apps with access to Google Talk or Google Hangouts chat will now have the ability to create and join Hangout video calls for up to 15 participants. Participants will no longer need to ensure Google+ premium services are enabled, nor have a Google+ profile. Features such as sharing one’s screen to a team or automatically adding a Hangout to any Calendar event will also be available. Before a Google+ profile is created, a Hangouts participant will be able to:
  • Start Hangout video calls with up to 15 participants
  • Include any external guests who have a Google account
  • Add, change or join a video call in a Google Calendar entry (coming soon)
  • Join or start a Hangout by URL or at g.co/hangout/ (and g.co/present/ to just present)
Please note that people without a Google+ profile will not be able to use Hangout apps other than screen share and chat, nor invite Google+ circles to a Hangout video call.
This enhancement will be supported in a coming version of the Android and iOS Hangout apps.

Release track:
  • Hangouts features (launching today) - Rapid release and Scheduled release
  • Calendar features (coming soon) - Rapid release, followed by Scheduled release two weeks later

Note: this launch only applies to Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government editions

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A few weeks ago we launched Suggested Edits in Google Docs--a way to make edits that can be accepted or rejected by the owner of the document.

We know that some of you work with people who still use Word, so starting today any tracked changes in a .docx file will be automatically carried over to Docs as Suggested Edits. Once you’ve imported your changes, you can begin immediately collaborating with your colleagues in real-time.

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release

For more information:
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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A new version of the Gmail iOS app is now available in the App Store. The launch includes:

  • Save attachments directly to Google Drive so you can access them anywhere while saving space and bandwidth on your device
  • Insert Google Drive files directly into messages
  • New account management options to choose which accounts you want to have visible in Gmail without removing accounts from your device.
  • Change your profile picture (in Settings)

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release

For more information:
Get the Gmail iOS app in the App Store


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Many organizations already use single sign-on (SSO) for Google Apps. Today, we are launching SAML-based SSO login for Chromebooks and Chromeboxes as well. Using the Admin console, admins can begin evaluating and slowly rolling out this capability across their organizations by setting just one policy.

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release

For more information:
Configure SAML Single Sign-On for Chrome Devices


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Outlook® v3.0 is now available with the following new features:
Release Track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release
For more information:

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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A few weeks ago we announced automatic support for Hangouts video calls in Chrome without the need for the Hangouts video plugin. Starting tomorrow, we are happy to announce that we are rolling this out gradually to all Google Apps users.

Following this update, when users try to start a video call for the first time, they’ll see a message underneath the address bar asking for permission to access their computer’s mic and camera. If they want to change their choice later, they can change it from the address bar in Chrome.

We recommend users familiarize themselves with this change before seeing the prompt.

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release



For more information:
G+ post


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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This feature will allow those with view only access to sort and use filter views in Google Sheets. Users will also now be able to link to specific filter views to share with others and change the range of the filter view without needing to delete and then re-create it.

Release track:
Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

For more information:
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Gmail now has a setup gadget to help people new to Gmail get started. This gadget is customized for Google Apps and helps people set up their Gmail account with actions like adding a profile picture and creating an email signature, and teaches them to use features like undo send and creating an auto-responder. 

The setup gadget is hidden once the person completes all actions, dismisses the gadget or after two weeks. It can be relaunched from Settings.

Release track:
Rapid release (rolled out gradually over the next week), with Scheduled release coming two weeks later

For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/6010214


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Currently, there are two urls one can use to reach Google Drive--docs.google.com and drive.google.com. In line with the new Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides home screens we announced recently, we’ll be redirecting docs.google.com to point to the new Google Docs home screen, where you can see a list of your most recent Google Docs files. Of course, you can always get to Google Drive by going to drive.google.com.

Those with docs.google.com bookmarked as a way to access Google Drive should update their links accordingly. We will be showing a notification to users in Drive to remind them of this change.

The launch of the new home screens for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web to rapid release domains will be complete on July 18, and we’ll start the launch to scheduled release domains on July 22nd. The change to legacy Google Drive urls will come a couple of weeks later to rapid release domains, followed by scheduled release domains two weeks later.  

For more information:

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Currently there are a number of user security management features that are available only to super admins. To increase flexibility, our goal is to provide granular privileges so that some of these security features can be delegated to non-super admins.

To that end, we have created a new privilege called ‘User Security Management’ that allows delegated admins to perform the following actions for a specific user:

  1. Enforce or disable 2-step verification for a given user
  2. Disable a user's Login Challenge for 10 minutes
  3. Retrieve/revoke application specific passwords
  4. Retrieve/revoke 3-legged OAuth (3LO) tokens

In the past, delegated admins with any existing role with the ‘Users’ privilege were already able to disable 2-step verification for individual users. With this launch, these delegated admins will automatically get ‘User Security Management’ privileges to ensure they continue to have access to disable 2-step verification.

If an admin creates a new custom role, he/she will have the ability to selectively enable ‘Users’ or ‘User Security Management’ or both privileges going forward.

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release

For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/1219251#user_security


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Contacts delegation allows enterprise users to delegate full access to the contacts in their “My Contacts” group without granting access to their mail or anything else in their accounts. This is a common delegation practice between some executive users and their assistants and may be used in any situation where a user wishes to share all of his or her contacts with another user.

To save users time when locating specific delegated contacts, we’ve now added search functionality. Delegates can search delegator contacts by selecting the delegator contact group in the navigation pane, and then searching.

Note that delegator contacts will not show up in the autocomplete drop down, or in searches when the delegator group is not selected.

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release

For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/2590392?hl=en

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When adding users to a domain in the Admin console, admins will now have the option to add and manage contact information on user profiles like secondary email address, as well as phone and address information. Admins will also be able to add employee details like Employee ID, Employee Type, Title, Manager, Department and Cost Center. The data entered is visible on user profiles in the Admin console and in Gmail contacts.

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release

For more information:


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Google’s long-standing browser support policy states that we support the current and previous major releases for modern browsers. In line with that policy, we will be making the following updates to our browser upgrade notifications in Gmail in the coming weeks:

Chrome (current version 35.x)
  • we will start showing the upgrade browser banner on v33.x and older, and will show the banner on versions two revisions behind the current stable build moving forward

Firefox (current version 30.x)
  • we will start showing the upgrade browser banner on v28.x and older, and will show the banner on versions two revisions behind the current stable build moving forward

Safari (current version 7.x)
  • we will start showing the upgrade browser banner on v5.x and older, and will show the banner on versions two revisions behind the current stable build moving forward

Internet Explorer (current version 11.x)
  • no change


For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en

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A new version of the Gmail Android app is coming to Google Play. The launch includes:
  • Insert Google Drive files directly into messages
  • Improved autocomplete: start typing in the To, Cc or Bcc field and you'll now get better suggestions, faster
  • Improved formatting support when restoring saved drafts

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release (Note: these features will be rolling out over the next few days)

For more information:
Get the Gmail Android app on Google Play

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To help prevent the accidental deletion of Drive files when deleting a user, admins will now be prompted to optionally transfer ownership of any files owned by the user. Admins can choose to transfer all files the user owns or only shared files they own. If the user is deleted without transferring the user’s Drive files, Google deletes the files the user owned within five days. Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release (Note: this feature will be rolled out gradually) For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/33314

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We’ve added thirteen new languages to the Gmail general settings language drop down, allowing users to view the Gmail UI in these new languages: Afrikaans, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Chinese (Hong Kong), French (Canada), Galician, Georgian, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, Sinhala, Zulu

Release track:
Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

For more information:
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/17091?hl=en

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This feature provides the ability to reset the properties and formatting of an image in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings after edits have been made to it. This is useful for restarting an image editing attempt if unhappy with the first try.

Release track:
Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

For more information:
https://support.google.com/docs/answer/4600160

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