Google Workspace Updates

Easily assign Tasks from Google Docs

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Quick summaryIn Google Docs, you can now assign a checklist item to yourself or a colleague that will then show up in the assignee’s Tasks list. When edits are made to an assigned item in Tasks, such as a change to the title, due date or completion state, those updates will show in the Doc, and vice versa.

Getting started

Admins: Google Tasks must be turned ON for people in your domain to manage their assigned items in Tasks. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Tasks on or off for users.

End users: Edit-access to the Doc is required to create or edit a task. Visit the Help Center to learn more about assigning tasks from Google Docs and managing assigned tasks in Google Tasks.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 17, 2022
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) on August 31, 2022

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
Not available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

New color categorization in Calendar to better understand how you’re spending your time

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Quick summaryIn 2021, we launched Time Insights, a feature that gives you the ability to better understand how you’re spending your time in Google Calendar. Starting today, you can categorize your time by naming and assigning a corresponding color label to an event within Time Insights in Calendar.
We hope this customizable breakdown feature will allow you to more easily track time spent on specific activities or strategic areas, such as project work, staff meetings, or meetings with specific colleagues and stakeholders.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be ON by default and can be disabled at the domain/OU level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Time Insights on or off for your organization.
End users:

To create a color label in the Time insights panel, navigate to Time breakdown > select By color > click on Add a Label.
To add a color label to an event, right-click on the event in your Calendar grid. Alternatively, click Edit > change the event color.
To see your Time Insights, click on Time insights in the left side panel > click on More insights.
Visit the Help Center to learn more about Time Insights in Calendar.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 16, 2022
Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 30, 2022

Availability

Available to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus and Nonprofits customers
Not available Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Frontline, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
Not available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Enhancements to the “Frame people” feature on Google Meet hardware devices

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

What’s changing We’re introducing two enhancements on Google Meet hardware devices for the “Frame people” feature:

The “Frame people” feature is now more easily discoverable and can be accessed in a meeting from the touch panel in fewer steps. Previously, this command required two steps by first selecting the camera control icon and then selecting “Frame people.” Now, it’s immediately visible on the touch panel.

Note that you can still access the Camera control pane next to the new “Frame people” button.

Camera control button

With this enhancement, we’ve also solved a recent bug impacting the auto framing capability for some Google Meet hardware devices. The auto framing functionality has been restored to impacted devices with improved reliability and performance.

Who’s impacted End users

Why it’s important Being able to see people in a meeting room clearly is essential for improving the meeting experience in today's hybrid work environment. With the increased visibility of the “Frame people'' button on the Google Meet hardware touch panel, users can more easily and quickly adjust their camera to optimize the viewing experience for all participants.

Getting started

End users: No action required, these updates will be available automatically. Note: This feature is not available when other devices, such as a webcam, are plugged into a meeting hardware kit.
Admins: There is no admin action required.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature availability) beginning August 22, 2022

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers
Available for all supported Google Meet hardware devices that have not yet reached their auto-update expiration date

Resources

Google Admin Help: Google Meet hardware auto-update policy
Google Help: Use the touchscreen to control audio and video
Google Admin Help: Manage Google Meet hardware

Conveniently connect site visitors with social channels in new Sites

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Quick summary Site editors can now insert stylized social media links into pages within their site. This update enables you to more conveniently connect site visitors with additional information and content on your social channels.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: In a Site, navigate to Insert > Social Links. Supported links will automatically generate the corresponding icon or you can upload your own next to each link. You can then drag the tile to the desired location on a page and adjust the styling, size, color, and alignment. Visit the Help Center to learn more about inserting social links in a Site.

Rollout pace

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
Available to users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Help: Add or edit text & images

See how much noise is being removed during Google Meet video calls

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Quick summary Google Meet can remove background noises such as typing, construction sounds, or background chatter. Noise cancellation helps make video calls more productive by reducing distractions that can divert attention away from the content of the meeting, so you can stay focused on the conversation.

The voice indicator now shows how much noise is being removed. If you see the ring expanding, Meet is reducing the background noise.

If you don't see the voice indicator, no audio (voice or noise) is coming from you.

A burst of noise is being filtered out while you speak, and other participants will only hear your voice. This visual cue is triggered at most once per meeting.

Noise is being filtered out on a continuous basis while you speak, and other participants will only hear your voice. The noise level is reflected by the ring size.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: The noise indicator is displayed when noise cancellation is enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn how to enable noise cancellation.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 16, 2022.

Availability

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Workspace Individual customers.
Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.
Not available to users with personal Google Accounts.

Resources

Google Help: Filter out noise from your video calls on Google Meet

Updated user interface for managing email quarantines

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Quick summary In the coming weeks, you will see a new user interface when using the email quarantine tool. This update will bring the email quarantine experience inline with other tools in the Admin console, making it more intuitive to navigate and use. Quarantines help minimize data loss, protect confidential information, and manage message attachments.

Some improvements you’ll notice are:

A collapsible side panel for filtering quarantines
A paginated table view displaying quarantines with custom names row by row
The option to view the original, raw content of a selected message for easier referencing.

Quarantines with custom names are displayed row by row

Original, raw content can be viewed for each quarantine

Getting started

Admins: The admin quarantine can be found in the Admin console at Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Manage Quarantines. Visit the Help Center to learn more. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: There is no end user impact.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 16, 2022. We anticipate rollout to be complete by September 14, 2022.

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace editions, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up and manage email quarantines

More control over accessibility preferences in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings

Monday, August 15, 2022

Quick summaryOver the years, we’ve launched features to support our ongoing accessibility efforts to ensure our products work well for everyone. For users of screen readers, braille devices, screen magnifiers, and more, we're improving the ability to adjust your accessibility preferences for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings separately.
Rather than having the same accessibility settings apply across these products, you’re now able to set preferences for each product individually. We expect this change to make it easier to ensure accessibility settings are personalized to best meet each user’s needs.

Accessibility settings can now be personalized for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: In your document, spreadsheet, slide deck, or drawing, navigate to Tools > Accessibility > select your preferred settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Accessibility.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 15, 2022
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 29, 2022

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
Available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Google Workspace admin guide to accessibility
Google Help: Accessibility for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, & Drawings
Google Help: Use a braille display with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, & Drawings

Roadmap

This feature was listed as an upcoming release.

Improved quality and performance for Google Meet effects on the web

Monday, August 15, 2022

Quick summary Background effects are now more accurate for Google Meet users on the web. Thanks to improved background and foreground separation, users can experience more accurate background blur, background replace, and immersive background and styles.

Meet now offers improved background and foreground separation

In addition, to help users with devices that are not best designed for running real-time video effects, these effects can now be processed in the cloud. Meet automatically adjusts between device-based and cloud-based effect processing to offer the best possible experience. This helps to save battery and up to 30% of CPU on your device while optimizing effect quality.

The first effects supporting this capability are background blur and light adjustment. Support for additional effects, such as background replace, will be added in the future.
Getting started

Rollout pace Improved background and foreground separation

This feature is available now for all users.

Cloud-based processing

This feature is available now for all users.

Availability Improved background and foreground separation

Available to all users on eligible devices. Visit the Help Center to learn about device eligibility for background and visual effects.

Cloud-based processing

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus customers, and Workspace Individual users on eligible devices in eligible countries (Northern America, Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia, Southeastern Asia). Visit the Help Center to learn more about availability.
Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers.
Not available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - August 12, 2022

Friday, August 12, 2022

New updatesUnless 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.

Delegate access to a shared inbox using a group address

You can now give an entire Google Group access to your Gmail account through mail delegation. With this feature, delegated users can read, send, and delete messages on the account owner's behalf. We hope this will enable teams to more effectively process incoming requests and tasks via a single shared email address. | Available to Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Frontline, Nonprofits, and legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers only. | Learn more.

Granular controls for app allowlisting in the Google Workspace Marketplace

Admins can now choose which Google Workspace Marketplace apps are available to be installed by users in a particular department (OU) or group by managing Marketplace apps on their allowlist. Previously, admins could only manage the allowlist for an entire domain. Additionally, the Marketplace apps access settings, Allow all apps, Allow selected apps, and Block all apps, can now be set for your entire organization or for an OU or group. This new functionality provides a solution when only a subset of domain users need permissions to install certain Marketplace apps. Examples include Chat apps required for your Engineering organization and IT security group or Classroom add-ons required for high-school teachers. | Available to Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Frontline, Nonprofits, and legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers only. | Learn more.

Seamlessly delete subsets of Sites

Site editors can now delete a page with subpages and delete pages that were copied into another site during a partial site copy. | Roll out to Rapid Release began August 8, 2022; launch to Scheduled Release planned for August 29, 2022. | Learn more.

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.

Office Building support for Working Locations

We’ve added the ability to select a specific office building as your working location. | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Nonprofits, and legacy G Suite Business customers only. | Learn more.

Improving data privacy with Client-side encryption for Google Meet

We’ve added Workspace Client-side encryption to Google Meet, giving customers increased control over their data. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus customers hosting client-side encrypted calls only. | Learn more.

Stronger protection for sensitive Google Workspace account actions

There are now stronger safeguards for sensitive actions taken in your Google Workspace account. These apply to actions that, when done by hijackers, can have far reaching consequences for the account owner or the organization it belongs to. | Learn more.

The Google Meet and Google Duo app icons are changing, additional information for Google Workspace users

As part of the announcement that we are upgrading the Duo experience to include all Google Meet features, users will now begin to see their app name and icon update to Google Meet. | Learn more.

Better location context for events and RSVPs in Calendar

We’ve made it even easier to use RSVPs in Google Calendar and let others know how you’re planning to join a meeting. | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, Teaching & Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, and legacy G Suite Business customers only. | Learn more.

Improved notifications when editing Microsoft Office files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides

We’ve rolled out a series of improvements to the notifications you see when editing a Microsoft Office-formatted file with Office editing mode. | Learn more.

Unified experience for Gmail logs in BigQuery, configure your existing Gmail logs to route to Workspace logs

In the coming months, we will move the location of the existing Gmail logs in BigQuery to Google Workspace logs and reports in BigQuery. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, Education Standard customers only. | Learn more.

Google Meet call control for USB peripheral devices

We've introduced additional call control for Google Meet which will allow you to toggle between mute and unmute using headsets, speaker microphones, and other USB peripheral devices. | Learn more.

Control visibility of admin alerts with admin role privileges

There is a new control that allows super admins to create a custom rule which ensures only admins with the DLP privilege can see DLP alerts. | Learn more.

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

Control visibility of admin alerts with admin role privileges

Friday, August 12, 2022

What’s changing We’re introducing a new control that allows super admins to create a custom rule which ensures only admins with the DLP privilege can see DLP alerts. Previously, DLP alerts were visible to all admins — this change helps ensure the right people have access to list, update, or delete alerts. Further, this cuts down on the visibility of alerts that aren’t relevant to specific admins.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using the alert center, granting access to the alert center, and admin roles.
End users: There is no end user impact.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for all users.

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Grant access to the alert center
Google Workspace Admin Help: Use the alert center
Google Workspace Admin Help: About Administrator Roles

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

In the Google Cloud Community, connect with Googlers and other Google Workspace admins like yourself. Participate in product discussions, check out the Community Articles, and learn tips and tricks that will make your work and life easier. Be the first to know what's happening with Google Workspace.

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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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Updates

Easily assign Tasks from Google Docs

New color categorization in Calendar to better understand how you’re spending your time

Enhancements to the “Frame people” feature on Google Meet hardware devices

Conveniently connect site visitors with social channels in new Sites

See how much noise is being removed during Google Meet video calls

Updated user interface for managing email quarantines

More control over accessibility preferences in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings

Improved quality and performance for Google Meet effects on the web

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - August 12, 2022

Control visibility of admin alerts with admin role privileges

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Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

Learn about more Google Workspace launches