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

What’s changing 

We’re updating the interface you use to share files from Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms on the web. This will replace the previous interface used to share files and manage members of shared drives. These changes will make it easier to share files only with specific people without expanding access beyond what’s needed.

Who’s impacted 

End users

Why it matters 

Sharing files is critical to collaboration. This is especially true now, as more workforces are remote and collaborating on files from different locations. By making it easier to share files with specific people, we hope to improve collaboration while reducing the risk of access by unwanted users. 

Additional details 

We’ve made several changes to the sharing experience. These make it easier to perform common tasks, avoid accidental permission changes, and quickly see who has access to a file. Specifically you may notice:

  • Separated, task-focused interface: The new sharing dialog highlights essential user tasks like sharing a file, changing permissions, and viewing file access. The redesign also visually separates sharing with people and groups from link-sharing. 
  • Quick “copy link” button: We’ve added a “copy link” button to make it easier to get the link without changing link permissions. 
  • Easily see current access: The new interface more clearly shows who currently has access to the item, making it easier to quickly audit and change permissions. 


The new sharing interface for Google Drive and Docs editors files 


The old sharing interface for Google Drive and Docs editors files 

Getting started 


  • Admins: This change will take place by default. There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature will be ON by default. Use our Help Center to learn more about how to share Google Drive files. 

Rollout pace 



Availability 


  • Available to all G Suite and Drive Enterprise customers, as well as users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 



Roadmap 


Read More

What’s changing

We’ve added a setting in the Admin console to allow you to enable power-saving signaling over HDMI from Google Meet hardware. When enabled, this feature can help you save power by turning off Meet hardware displays when they’re not in use.


Who’s impacted

Admins only

Why you’d use it

Some displays, like those in conference rooms and lobbies, are often left on indefinitely, wasting power and shortening their useful lifespan. This setting allows compatible displays to be turned off automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Displays are automatically turned on 10 minutes before a scheduled meeting or if a user interacts with the touch panel controller.

Additional details

You might need to turn on HDMI-CEC, change other advanced settings, or update the firmware on your display. Consult your displays manual for more information.

Getting started


  • Admins: This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the organizational unit (OU) level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning display power saving on or off for your organization.
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. 


Rollout pace


  • This feature is available now for all users.


Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources


Roadmap



Read More

Quick launch summary 

You can now manage and secure Windows 10 devices through the Admin console, just as you do for Android, iOS, Chrome, and Jamboard devices. This also means you can enable SSO so users can more easily access G Suite and other SSO-enabled applications on Windows 10 devices. This was previously available in beta.

Now, all G Suite admins can now use Google Credential Provider for Windows to:

  • Enable their organization to use existing G Suite account credentials to login to Windows 10 devices, and easily access apps and services with SSO. 
  • Protect user accounts with Google’s anti-hijacking and suspicious login detection technologies. 

Additionally, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Cloud Identity Premium customers can now also:

  • Ensure that all Windows 10 devices used to access G Suite are updated, secure, and within compliance of organizational policies. 
  • Perform admin actions, such as wiping a device and pushing device configuration updates, to Windows 10 devices from the cloud without connecting to corp network. 

This can help simplify device management, help to increase data security, and reduce the hurdles and logins users need to access applications and get work done. See our previous announcement for more details on the Windows 10 management features and benefits.

See our Help Center to learn more about enhanced desktop security for Windows. See our post on the Cloud Blog to learn how this and other launches can help G Suite customers stay secure.


Getting started 



Admin controls available for Windows 10 devices 

Rollout pace 



Availability 

Login and SSO features associated with Google Credential Provider for Windows:

  • Available to all G Suite and Cloud Identity customers 


Device management for Windows 10 devices:

  • Available to G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Cloud Identity Premium customers 
  • Not available to G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite for Education, G Suite for Nonprofits, and Cloud Identity Free customers 

Resources 


Read More

What’s changing 

We’re enhancing Context-Aware Access (CAA) with a beta that enables admins to use it to control SAML apps. This gives admins the ability to control access to SAML apps based on the user, the device, and the context they are in when they are trying to access an app.

CAA for SAML apps will work for customers that use Google as the primary identity provider (IdP) to enable access to third party apps from pre-integrated SAML apps or custom SAML apps. It’s available to G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, Cloud Identity Premium, and Drive Enterprise customers only. See our post on the Cloud Blog to learn how this and other launches can help G Suite customers stay secure.

Who’s impacted 

Admins only

Why you’d use it 

Using Context-Aware Access, you can create granular access control policies to apps based on attributes including the user, location, device security status, and IP address. This can improve your security posture by reducing the chances that there’s unintended access to specific apps and the data in them. Some ways you could use CAA for SAML include:

  • Only allow access to your CRM app when the user is on the corporate network. 
  • Only allow access to a cloud storage app if the user has an up to date operating system and an encrypted device. 
  • Only permit IT admins to access certain tools from a remote location. 
  • Only permit users in a specific country to access certain apps. 


Additional details 


Builds on the CAA for G Suite infrastructure 
Controlling CAA for SAML apps will use the same infrastructure and admin console interface as CAA for G Suite. That means you can use any pre-configured access levels, user groups, and end-user messaging for CAA to SAML. Use our Help Center to find out more about managing context aware access in G Suite.

CAA for SAML only enforced at time of sign-in 
CAA for SAML apps is only enforced at the time of sign-in. This is different from CAA for G Suite applications, which offers a higher level of control. G Suite applications are built by Google and CAA controls are enabled for continuous evaluation of context (IP, device attribute, etc) during use. As SAML apps are non-Google applications using Google sign-in, we’re only able to evaluate context at the point where a user signs into these applications using Google sign-in. After that sign-in, the context is not evaluated again until the session is terminated and users try to sign-in again with Google.

Getting started 


  • Admins: This is an open beta, so the controls will automatically become available to you if you are a G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, Cloud Identity Premium, or Drive Enterprise customer. 
  • End users: No end-user impact until turned on by the admin. 

Availability 


  • Available to G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, Cloud Identity Premium, and Drive Enterprise customers. 
  • Not available to G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite for Education, G Suite for Nonprofits, and Cloud Identity Free customers. 

Resources 


Read More

What’s changing 

We’re adding new security controls that admins can use to protect sensitive company data on iOS devices. Admins can now choose to:

  • Restrict copy and paste on data belonging to G Suite accounts to other accounts. This can prevent corporate data from being exfiltrated to personal accounts. 
  • Restrict the ability for users to drag and drop files from specific apps within their G Suite account. 

At launch, admin controls will apply to five G Suite iOS apps: Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. This feature is available to G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Cloud Identity Premium customers. Users will still be able to copy and paste and drag and drop from personal accounts to G Suite accounts. Protections are available to devices managed with G Suite’s basic or advanced mobile device management, as well as devices with basic mobile management alongside a separate enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution.

Who’s impacted 

Admins

Why it’s important 

Without these features, there are limitations in the controls admins have to prevent users moving corporate data between corporate and personal accounts on the same iOS device. While admins can prevent sharing files between managed and unmanaged apps, users can still share data between accounts when apps support multiple accounts or via cut/copy/paste actions. For example, iOS users can copy the text of a corporate email into a personal account. This introduces the potential for data leaks and reduces the overall security of your corporate data on iOS.

The admin controls introduced in this launch will help increase protections and make it more difficult for corporate data to be accidentally or intentionally shared to a personal account. Similar protections are already available on Android devices through Work Profiles.

See our post on the Cloud Blog to learn how this and other launches can help G Suite customers stay secure.

Getting started 


  • Admins: This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the organizational unit (OU) level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about data protection on iOS devices. 
  • End users: There is no end-user setting for this feature. If a user tries to perform a restricted copy and paste action, the text “This info can only be shared within your organization’s G Suite apps” will paste instead of the text they copied. 


Admin controls for data exfiltration protection on iOS 

Rollout pace 


  • This feature is already available for all domains. 

Availability 


  • Available to G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education customers and Cloud Identity Premium customers 
  • Not available to G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite for Education, G Suite for Nonprofits customers, and Cloud Identity Free customers 

Resources 


Read More

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

In the Google Cloud Community, discuss the latest features with Googlers and other Google Workspace admins like you. Learn tips and tricks that will make your work and life easier. Be the first to know what's happening with Google Workspace.

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.

Learn about our customers

Discover how a diverse range of organizations, from small businesses and nimble startups to globally recognized Fortune 500 corporations, leverage the collaborative power of Google Workspace. Explore examples of how teams of are streamlining workflows and driving productivity by utilizing Google-Workspace.