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

You can now replace your background with an image in Google Meet. You can either use Google’s hand-picked images, which include office spaces, landscapes, and abstract backgrounds, or upload your own image.




Who’s impacted


End users

Why you’d use it


Custom backgrounds can help you show more of your personality, as well as help hide your surroundings.

Additional details

We recently launched the ability to filter out disruptive background noise and blur your background in Google Meet. Together, these features reduce audio and visual distractions, and help ensure more productive meetings.

Virtual backgrounds work directly within your browser and do not require an extension or any additional software. At launch, they’ll work on ChromeOS and on the Chrome browser on Windows and Mac desktop devices. Support on Meet mobile apps will be coming soon; we’ll announce on the Google Workspace Updates blog when they become available.

Getting started

Admins: At launch, there will be no admin control for this feature. Admin controls to select which organizational units can use custom and preset backgrounds for meetings they organize will be introduced later this year. We’ll announce on the Google Workspace Updates blog when they’re available.

End users: This feature is OFF by default. Visit our Help Center to learn more about how to change your background on Google Meet.




Rollout pace

  • Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout to eligible devices (up to 7 days for feature visibility) starting on October 30, 2020
  • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout to eligible devices (up to 7 days for feature visibility) starting on November 6, 2020

Availability

  • Available to Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers
  • Available to users with personal Google accounts
  • Selecting your own picture is not available to participants of meetings organized by Education and Enterprise for Education customers

Resources

Roadmap

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Quick launch summary

You can now set yourself as “away” in Chat in Gmail.

When you set your status to away, you will show as offline to others, even when you’re active, helping you to focus solely on your work uninterrupted.

New presence menu in Gmail


Set your status as away on Gmail mobile apps


For domains that still use chat in classic Hangouts, disabling the “Show when you were last active” setting will now show you as away in Chat.

This feature is rolling out to Gmail on the web and the Gmail iOS app. It will be coming soon to the Gmail app on Android. We will post on the Google Workspace Updates blog when this rollout begins.

Getting started


Rollout pace

Availability

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

Resources

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What’s changing 

We’re changing the default editing mode for Microsoft Office files in Google Drive on the web. Now, when you double-click on an Office file, it will open directly in Office editing mode. 

Previously, double clicking would open a preview of the document, from which users could choose whether to open in Office editing mode or download the file. You can still use the preview mode by right clicking the file and clicking "Preview,” or by pressing ‘P’ on the keyboard while double clicking the file. 



Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it’s important 

This change makes it quicker to open and start editing documents. Users can directly edit, comment, and collaborate on Office files using the familiar interface of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, with changes automatically saved to the file in its existing Office format. 


Additional details 

Note that: 
  • This change will apply to all compatible Office file types, including .docx, .doc, .ppt, .pptx, .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm 
  • Password protected Office files will not open directly in Office editing mode. These files will continue to open in Preview mode. 
  • If the “Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides” Chrome extension is installed, we will redirect to the extension and not to Docs, Sheets, or Slides. This is the same as if you select “Open with” today. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: This feature will be ON by default. There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This change will take place by default when opening compatible Office files in Drive on the web. You can still use the preview mode by right clicking the file and clicking "Preview," or by pressing ‘P’ on the keyboard while double clicking the file. Visit the Help Center to learn more about working with Office files in Drive. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers, and users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

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What’s changing 

We recently announced that G Suite is now Google Workspace: everything you need to get anything done, all in one place. 


As part of our effort to tailor offerings to meet distinct customer needs, we’re expanding our Customer Care portfolio to include a new level of service: Enhanced Support. Designed for customers who need fast, advanced, and complete support, it offers accelerated response times, advanced product knowledge and Third-Party Technology Support. Enhanced Support is included with Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus editions. 


Customers can contact sales for more details on purchasing Enhanced Support separately. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins 


Why you’d use it 

Enhanced Support offers: 
  • An accelerated Support experience, available 24/7. For Priority 1 cases, customers can expect a first meaningful response within one hour; for Priority 2 cases, they can expect a response in four hours. 
  • Intelligent triaging. This ensures that cases are routed directly to technical experts who have advanced product knowledge and training, as well as additional tools to provide complete support. 
  • Third-Party Technology Support: Enhanced Support can help customers leverage the many third-party integrations available on Google Workspace. This includes, assistance with application set-up, configuration, and troubleshooting. 


Additional details 

There are now three levels of service available to customers. Each has a different combination of speed and services based on business needs: 
  • Standard Support: Included with Business Starter, Business Standard, and Business Plus editions, Standard Support offers 24/7 technical support, with a four-hour response time for the highest priority cases. 
  • Enhanced Support: Our new offering, Enhanced Support comes with faster support (a one-hour response time), intelligent triaging, and Third-Party Technology Support. 
  • Premium Support: Launched earlier this year, Premium Support offers the fastest response time, 15 minutes for P1 cases, a named Technical Account Manager, and additional support functions. 
To learn more about our Support offerings, see our Customer Care portfolio. 

Coming in 2021, a support API will be available for Enhanced and Premium Support customers. With the API, you’ll be able to create and manage support cases on a single platform. Stay tuned to the Google Workspace Updates blog for information when this launches.


Getting started 


Availability 

  • Included with Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus editions 
  • Available as an upgrade for Business Standard and Business Plus editions 


 Resources 

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Quick launch summary

We’ve added audit logging for several new user events in Google Chat. Detailed audit logging is a critical component in effectively managing secure chat usage within your domain.

The new events include: 
  • Invite sent
  • Message edited
  • Attachment uploaded
  • Attachment downloaded
  • Room member added
  • Room member removed
We’ve also expanded the information included with each audit log. The following additional fields are now populated for all events if they are available for that event:
  • Message ID
  • Room ID
  • Room name
  • Attachment name
  • Attachment hash
  • External room
  • Room history setting
  • Recipient
  • Attachment URL
Note that these additional fields are only available via the Reports API or security investigation tool.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

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

Resources

Read More

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