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


Admin control for AppSheet now fully available
In December 2020, we announced the availability of an admin control for AppSheet in the Additional services section of the Admin console. The rollout of this control is now complete. | Learn more.


Anchor image backgrounds in Google Sites
You'll now see an anchor icon in Google Sites when editing a section that includes a background image. When selected, you can choose what point to anchor the image on or if the image should be centered. | Rolling out to Rapid Release now; launch to Scheduled Release planned for March 17, 2021.


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.


Adding Google Chat, Google Calendar, and Jamboard to Google Workspace Essentials
We’re giving teams and organizations more ways to connect and collaborate by adding Google Chat, Google Calendar, and Jamboard to Google Workspace Essentials, all included at no additional cost. | Learn more.


Access to Google Workspace core services from Google Assistant
Over the next few weeks, we’ll begin making access to Google Workspace services from Google Assistant generally available to any customers with the “Search and Assistant” additional service enabled. This was previously available in beta. | Learn more.


Expanding data regions coverage to Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides user indices
Data regions for Google Workspace allows customers to choose a specific geographic location—in the U.S., in Europe, or globally distributed—for their covered data at rest to help meet organizational or compliance needs. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus and Education Plus customers only. | Learn more.


New Assured Controls help support your information governance goals
Assured Controls for Google Workspace Enterprise Plus is an add-on that helps customers control cloud service provider access and attain their information governance goals. | Available as an add-on to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus customers only. | Learn more.


Join Google Meet calls from third-party video conferencing systems more easily
We’re making it easier to join Google Meet calls from third-party video conferencing systems. | Learn more.


Enhanced admin controls for Gmail IMAP
You can now enable Gmail IMAP and Gmail POP separately and enable access via IMAP on a per-app basis in the Admin console. | Available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Nonprofits, Education, and Enterprise for Education customers only. | Learn more.


New Google Vault interface will become the only experience starting on May 24, 2021
While the new interface is the primary interface at vault.google.com, it is still possible to access the classic interface at ediscovery.google.com. Starting on May 24, 2021, the classic interface will redirect to the new interface, with no option to revert back. | Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, and Education Plus, as well as G Suite Business customers and customers with the Vault add-on license only. | Learn more.


Add files owned by suspended accounts to shared drives
Until now, it was often not possible to move files originally created by users whose accounts are suspended, as suspended accounts can’t be added as members of a shared drive. | Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, and Education Plus, as well as G Suite Business and Nonprofits customers only. | Learn more.


Sign in to RSVP via hyperlinks in Google Calendar email invitations
In order to prevent unauthorized users from responding on your behalf to Google Calendar event invitations, you’ll now be required to be logged in to use any of the RSVP hyperlinks in invite emails. | Learn more.


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

In order to prevent unauthorized users from responding on your behalf to Google Calendar event invitations, you’ll now be required to be logged in to use any of the RSVP hyperlinks in invite emails. Previously, organizers or anyone with a specific invitee's invitation copy could respond on behalf of that invitee.
Responding to invitations via email will now require you to be signed in


If a user is not logged in, they will be asked to sign in to their Google Account. Note that this only applies to users with a Google account.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about responding to event invitations.

Rollout pace

Availability

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

Resources

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Quick launch summary 

Shared drives can be used to store, search, and access files with a team. Admins can choose whether to let file editors in their organization move content from My Drive to shared drives, as long as the file owner is a member of the shared drive. 

However, until now it was often not possible to move files originally created by users whose accounts are suspended, as suspended accounts can’t be added as members of a shared drive. Admins can suspend an account to temporarily block a user's access to your organization's Google services (for example, you may suspend the account of a former employee). 

With this launch, file editors can now add these files to shared drives. As long as admins choose to allow users to migrate files to shared drives, content created by a user whose account is suspended by their organization’s administrator will be eligible to be added to a shared drive. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: This feature is controlled by the more general setting at Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs > Migration settings > Allow users to migrate files to shared drives. If this is turned on already, the feature will automatically become available to users when it rolls out. Use our Help Center to learn more about moving content to a shared drive. 
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, and Education Plus, as well as G Suite Business and Nonprofits customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Business Starter and G Suite Basic customers. 

Resources 

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Quick launch summary 

Last year, we announced a new interface for Google Vault. The new interface makes it easier to navigate Vault and includes new productivity features for faster task completion. See our beta blog post for more information on the improvements in the new interface. 


While the new interface is the primary interface at vault.google.com, it is still possible to access the classic interface at ediscovery.google.com. Starting on May 24, 2021, the classic interface will redirect to the new interface, with no option to revert back. The new interface includes all the core functionality from the classic interface, and there will be no impact on your existing Google Vault setup. 


Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, and Education Plus, as well as G Suite Business customers and customers with the Vault add-on license 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, and Business Standard customers, or G Suite Basic customers 

Resources 

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Quick launch summary

You can now enable Gmail IMAP and Gmail POP separately and enable access via IMAP on a per-app basis in the Admin console.




In addition to granularly allowing mail clients to sync via IMAP and/or POP, there’s also a new option to specify a list of OAuth IDs, which are the approved IMAP clients that your users are allowed to use. For example, you may choose to allow your users to use the default mail app on mobile devices and desktop computers. By default, all IMAP clients will be allowed unless this feature is explicitly enabled. Note that IMAP clients can only be restricted if they support OAuth.

Getting started

  • Admins: This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain or organizational unit (OU) level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning IMAP options on or off for your organization.
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. End users will only be able to use the allowlisted IMAP clients approved by admin.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Nonprofits, Education, and Enterprise for Education customers
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials customers

Resources

Read More

Useful Links

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Learn about more Google Workspace launches

On the “What’s new in Google Workspace?” Help Center page, learn about new products and features launching in Google Workspace, including smaller changes that haven’t been announced on the Google Workspace Updates blog.

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