This official feed from the Google Workspace team provides essential information about new features and improvements for Google Workspace customers.


Quick launch summary

You’ll now be able to delete your conversation history of 1:1 direct messages in Hangouts Chat. These deletions apply to 1:1 conversations between classic Hangouts and Hangouts Chat in both directions. Please note, you’re only deleting your copy of the conversation history. Other users will still be able to see the chat.

Availability

Rollout details


G Suite editions

  • Available to all G Suite Editions.

On/off by default?

  • This feature will be ON by default.

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What’s changing 

Google Vault is adding support for two new types of content:

  • Gmail confidential mode emails - If your users send or receive messages in Gmail confidential mode (currently available for G Suite as a beta program,) Vault will retain, preserve, search and export confidential mode messages as per the details below. 
  • Jamboard files stored in Google Drive - Vault will automatically retain and preserve Jamboard files (‘jams”) according to the retention rules and holds set for Google Drive, and let you search and export these files. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins only

Why you’d use it 

Google Vault lets you retain, hold, search, and export data to support your organization’s retention and eDiscovery needs. This launch adds support for new data types so that you can comprehensively govern your organization’s data.

How to get started  




Additional details 


Support for Gmail confidential mode emails 
Gmail confidential mode lets users restrict recipients' access to sensitive email content. This feature is available to G Suite domains through our Gmail confidential Beta program.

Vault and confidential messages sent by members of your organization - Vault can hold, retain, search, and export all confidential mode messages sent by users in your organization. Messages are always available to Vault, even when the sender sets an expiration date or revokes recipients' access to confidential messages.

Here’s an example of what admin@ink-42.com will see in Vault when they search for sam@ink-42.com and preview this email sent by lisa@ink-42.com.


Vault and confidential messages received from external senders - Your users might receive confidential mode messages from external parties such as other G Suite customers and from personal Gmail accounts. You can hold, retain, search and export message headers and subjects of external confidential messages. However, you can't search or export message content or attachments from external confidential messages.

Here’s an example of what admin@ink-42.com will see in Vault when they search for sam@ink-42.com, and preview this email sent by an external domain (ben@imfl.com).


See our Help Center for more information on Vault and Gmail confidential mode. You can also see how to protect Gmail messages with confidential mode.

Support for Jamboard files (“jams”) stored in Google Drive 

With this launch, you’ll be able to manage Jamboard files that have been saved to a user’s Google Drive:

  • Retain Jamboard data through Vault with the same retention rules that you set for Google Drive. All your retention rules set for Drive will automatically apply to jams in Drive. 
  • Preserve Jamboard data through Drive holds. 
  • Search for Jamboard data in Vault, alongside other Drive files, or only search Jamboard files with the “type:jam” search operator. You can also preview jams and export them. 

See our Help Center for to see how to set retention rules for Drive, which will also apply to jams. 

Helpful links 




Availability 

Rollout details 

Vault support for Jamboard 


Vault support for Gmail Confidential in beta is completely rolled out to all domains.

G Suite editions 
Available to G Suite Business, Enterprise, and Enterprise for Education editions, as well as G Suite users with the Vault add-on license

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What's changing

We’re opening a beta program for Gmail confidential mode. With confidential mode, it’s easier to protect sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages, and removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

Built-in Information Rights Management (IRM) removes the option to forward, copy, download or print messages. This helps reduce the risk of confidential information being accidentally shared with the wrong people.

In addition to protecting sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates, you can also require additional authentication via text message to view an email. This makes it possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hijacked while the message is active.

How to get started

  • Admins: Gmail confidential mode Beta is available as an opt-in to all G Suite customers. Admins can opt-in to the beta by going to the Admin console and navigating to Apps > G Suite > Settings for Gmail > User settings. Here they will be able to select the option to Enable confidential mode.

    • End users: Once Gmail confidential mode is activated in the Admin console, users can send Gmail confidential mode emails. When they compose an email, there is a button to enable confidential mode for the email.


      If users click on the button, it opens the Gmail confidential mode user settings dialog box where they can modify the settings:



      Additional details

      At the beta launch, Gmail confidential mode will:

      1. Allow users to set an expiration date for messages or revoke access at any time
      2. Disable options to forward, copy, print, and download the email body and attachments
      3. Allow users to set SMS passcodes wherein recipients will get a passcode by text message to be able to access the email sent using confidential mode
      4. Let users choose to remove access early before the expiration date.
      Note: Although confidential mode helps prevent the recipients from accidentally sharing your email, it doesn't prevent recipients from taking screenshots or photos of your messages or attachments. Recipients who have malicious programs on their computer may still be able to copy or download your messages or attachments.

      Additionally, if your users send or receive messages in Gmail confidential mode, Vault will retain, preserve, search and export confidential mode messages. The message body of received messages will be accessible in Vault only if the sender of the message is from within your organization. Learn more about how Vault works for confidential mode messages here.

      Helpful links

      Help Center: About Gmail confidential mode:

      Availability


      G Suite editions

      • Available to G Suite editions.

      On/off by default?

      • This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled by the admin via the Admin console.

      Stay up to date with G Suite launches

      What’s Changing 

      We’re launching G Suite Migrate in beta. This new first-party product will help admins assess and plan migration projects, and confidently migrate large amounts of valuable content directly into G Suite. G Suite Migrate is built on the technology from Google Cloud’s AppBridge acquisition in 2017.

      Who’s impacted 

      Admins only

      Why you’d use it 

      With G Suite Migrate, you’ll be able to securely migrate large amounts of your organization's data, making the transition to G Suite even easier. Specifically, G Suite Migrate will provide assistance with:
      • Assessment - Quickly scan source environments to help accurately plan for key project milestones and watch points 
      • Migration - Quickly migrate valuable data from a variety of sources (see below) 
      • Tracking - Quickly identify project progress and health with detailed aggregate and granular logging functionality 

      How to get started 



      Additional details 

      To prevent disruption to end-user productivity, G Suite Migrate maintains a high level of fidelity for migrated content from supported sources: Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and File Shares. The following versions will be supported as part of this beta:

      • Exchange: Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, and Office 365. 
      • Sharepoint: SharePoint 2010, 2013, 2016, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business. 
      • File Shares: Windows File Servers, NAS, SAN, Network Shares, and NFS repositories. 

      Availability 


      • G Suite editions G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Drive Enterprise customers are eligible to register for the G Suite Migrate beta program. 
      • Not available to G Suite Basic, G Suite for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits.


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      What’s changing 

      We’re making it possible for G Suite super admins to delegate access to the App Maker projects report to other users. Among other things, this will allow appropriate employees without super admin privileges to track App Maker projects and for customers to delegate access to their reseller partners.


      It's now possible for super admins to delegate access to the App Maker projects report to other users. To enable this feature, check both the App Maker > Settings checkbox and the App Maker > App Maker Projects Report checkbox.

      Who’s impacted

      Admins and end users.

      Why you’d use it

      We launched App Maker to general availability in June 2018, so teams can easily build custom apps that speed up their workflows and improve their processes. As part of that launch, we gave G Suite admins access to the App Maker projects report, which includes a list of all App Maker projects in their organization and details for each app.

      We hope that this launch will make it easier to use and manage App Maker projects in your organization.

      How to get started


      • Admins: To enable this feature, check both the App Maker > Settings checkbox and the App Maker > App Maker Projects Report checkbox. You may want to create a custom role to facilitate setting or unsetting both of these privileges. Visit the Help Center for detailed instructions on how to create a custom administrator role.
      • End users: No action needed.

      Helpful links

      Help Center: Manage App Maker in your domain

      Availability

      Rollout details
      G Suite editions

      • Available to G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education. 
      • Not available to G Suite Basic and G Suite for Nonprofits. 

      On/off by default? 

      • This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the user level.


      Stay up to date with G Suite launches