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 


We're introducing several improvements for Spaces in Google Chat to help you better organize people, topics, and projects. 

These improvements include: 

  • Manager role so certain users have greater control over the management of a space. 
  • Space descriptions so users can set context for their spaces. 
  • Space guidelines to ensure safe and effective communication environments. 


Who’s impacted 

End users 

Why it’s important 

The Manager role provides tools to promote healthy conversations and control the availability of the space within an organization. Space creators will be managers by default and can assign other members in the space this role as well. 


Space managers will have a badge next to their name on the member list

 Space managers will have a badge next to their name on the member list


Managers can also add a description for spaces. This field can be used to describe the purpose of the space, such as ’a place to discuss all things asteroids,’ which is helpful context for members of the space.

You can add a space description when creating a space or by selecting “View space details” for an existing space on both web and mobile. Space descriptions can be viewed when a user is in the “Browse Spaces” view or by selecting “View space details.”


Adding a space decription


Adding a space description




Additionally, Managers can describe space guidelines that establish rules and expectations for members to create a safer community experience. 


Space guidelines

Space guidelines


We hope this feature makes it easier to share the purpose and guidelines for a particular space, making it easier for your collaborators to navigate quickly to the appropriate space. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 

Space Roles: 

Mobile: 

  • Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 28, 2022, with anticipated completion by March 14, 2022 

Web: 

Space Descriptions and Guidelines: 

  • We anticipate rollout for the descriptions and guidelines features to begin later this month. We’ll share an update on the Workspace Updates Blog when rollout begins. 


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 

Roadmap 

This feature was listed as an upcoming release.

Read More

What’s changing 

We’re adding 40+ content detectors, which expand the type of content that data loss prevention (DLP) in Drive can scan and detect. 

New intelligent, machine learning based detectors for content inspection of documents, such as: 

  • SEC filings 
  • Legal briefs and court orders 
  • Tax documents 
  • Contracts 
  • Patents 
  • Resumes 
  • Finance Forms 
  • Source codes, system logs, and more. 

These machine based learning detectors are pre-trained to automatically detect sensitive content, requiring no additional work on the part of the admin. 

Additionally, we’ve added over forty new parameters for regional security, such as: 

  • Auth token 
  • API Keys 
  • Belgium ID 
  • Global VIN
  • Germany TIN 
  • India GST and more.

Visit the Help Center for a complete list of pre-defined detectors for DLP data loss prevention in Google Drive. 


Adding conditions to define data that you want to scan for


Who’s impacted 

Admins 

Why it’s important 

Admins can use data loss prevention to create and apply rules to control what content your users can share in Google Drive files outside your organization, helping to prevent unintended exposure of sensitive information. 

These additional detectors, along with intelligent based scanning, help to further secure your environment and sensitive data. Administrators can enforce policies to restrict external sharing, applying classification labels, preventing uploads or warning users based on these intelligent detectors. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: This feature can be configured at the domain, OU, or group level within the DLP system at Admin console > Security > Data Protection. Use our Help Center to learn more about creating DLP for Drive rules and custom content detectors and using predefined content detectors. 
  • End users: No action required. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, as well as Cloud Identity Premium customers. 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, and Nonprofits, legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and Cloud Identity Free customers. 

Resources 

Read More

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.


AppSheet Support is now available through the Workspace Admin console
Available to all  AppSheet customers who have admin user access through Workspace Support. AppSheet Core is available as an add-on paid subscription to all Google Workspace editions. | Available to all  AppSheet customers who have admin user access through Workspace Support. AppSheet Core is available as an add-on paid subscription to all Google Workspace editions. | Learn more here. 



Updated emoji experience in Google Chat on web
Last year we updated the emoji experience on mobile.Now we have brought the ability to express yourself more authentically in Chat on Web. We’re making the following updates to the emoji experience: 
  • The Emoji set is updated to the latest version (Emoji 13.1), reflecting the latest emoji set and diversity and inclusion options.
  • Gender-neutral options for gender-modifiable emojis have been added.
  • Emoji skin tone and gender preferences are saved per individual emoji. 

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.


Classic Hangouts will be upgraded to Google Chat beginning March 22, 2022
Beginning March 22, 2022, we’ll turn on the “Chat preferred” setting for any customers who haven’t already done so, making Google Chat the default chat application. This means that when users visit classic Hangouts in Gmail on the web or the classic Hangouts mobile apps, they’ll be directed to Chat. Hangouts.google.com will continue to work. It is not possible to opt out of this change. | Learn more. 



Google Workspace Migrate is now generally available
Google Workspace Migrate, previously announced in beta in 2019, is now generally available for select Google Workspace Editions. This first-party, on-premise product helps admins assess and plan migration projects, and confidently migrate their users and large amounts of critical content directly into Google Workspace. | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus, and legacy G Suite Business customers only. | Learn more.


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

Read More

What’s changing 

Google Workspace Migrate, previously announced in beta in 2019, is now generally available for select Google Workspace Editions. This first-party, on-premise product helps admins assess and plan migration projects, and confidently migrate their users and large amounts of critical content directly into Google Workspace.

Who’s impacted

Admins


Why you’d use it

Google Workspace Migrate is especially beneficial for Google Workspace customers with a large number of seats, as it allows them to securely migrate large amounts of their organization’s data and setup on-premises infrastructure. Specifically, it provides assistance with:

  • Assessment: Quickly scan source environments to help accurately plan for key project milestones and watch points 
  • Migration: Efficiently migrate valuable data from a variety of sources (see below) 
  • Track: Easily identify project progress and health with detailed aggregate and granular logging functionality 

Additionally, Google Workspace Migrate supports Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft OneDrive, file shares, Box migrations, legacy G Suite Business and Google Workspace environments, enabling you to: 

  • Selectively migrate Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and more data between Google Workspace environments. 
  • Choose to migrate all users from one environment to another. 
  • Selectively migrate specific user data (organizational units, users, or subsets of data) between Google Workspace environments.


Additional details 

To prevent disruption to end-user productivity, Google Workspace 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:

  • Google Workspace
  • Exchange: Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, and Microsoft 365 
  • Sharepoint: SharePoint 2010, 2013, 2016, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business 
  • File shares: A Windows-accessible file share (for example, SMB or NFS)
  • Box

Getting started


Rollout pace



Availability

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

Resources


Read More

What’s changing

 
We're now ready to move into the final phase of the migration from Classic Hangouts to Google Chat for Google Workspace customers. 

Beginning March 22, 2022, we’ll turn on the “Chat preferred” setting for any customers who haven’t already done so, making Google Chat the default chat application. This means that when users visit classic Hangouts in Gmail on the web or the classic Hangouts mobile apps, they’ll be directed to Chat. Hangouts.google.com will continue to work. It is not possible to opt out of this change. If you’d like to export your classic Hangouts and Chat data, learn about exporting your organization’s data. 

NOTE: This phase does not affect the personal use of Hangouts with a Google Account. 


See below for more information and timing. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 

Why it matters 

Starting March 22, 2022, classic Hangouts users with the following domain settings will be migrated to Google Chat:

Admin console setting

Automatic upgrade timeline

Chat and classic Hangouts

Access groups with both Google Chat and classic Hangouts turned on

 Over the course of three weeks starting March 22, 2022

Classic Hangouts only

Access groups with only classic Hangouts enabled
Over the course of five weeks starting April 4, 2022



After domains are upgraded to “Chat preferred,” all classic Hangouts applications, except hangouts.google.com, will be disabled. Additionally, the “Chat and classic Hangouts” and “Classic Hangouts only” settings will be removed from the Admin console. 

Additional details 

  • Vault users: Messages sent in classic Hangouts will continue to be retained and held according to policies set for Chat, and searchable and exportable with Gmail search in Vault. Messages sent in Chat are subject to retention rules and holds you set for Chat, and searchable and exportable with Chat search in Vault.
  • Conversation history: Except for a few special cases, all the conversation history from Hangouts will be available in Google Chat. However, starting mid-March 2022, any newly created spaces in Google Chat within your domain will not appear in classic Hangouts. This means that messages sent in these spaces will only appear in Google Chat for your affected users. You can learn more about Chat and classic Hangouts interoperability. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: 
    •  If you currently have the “Classic Hangouts only” or “Chat and classic Hangouts” Admin console setting enabled for your entire domain or specific access groups, you’ll be automatically upgraded to the “Chat preferred” setting, per the dates listed above. You can upgrade all of your users to “Chat preferred” prior to those dates if you choose. 
    • If you don’t have the “Classic Hangouts only” or “Chat and classic Hangouts” setting selected, you don’t need to do anything. 
  • End user: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about the switch from classic Hangouts to Google Chat. 

Availability 

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

Resources 

Read More

What’s changing 

We're introducing document previews for Cloud Search, allowing users to preview search results before opening the file. With this capability, you can be more confident about the link you are clicking on by getting a sneak peek into the document and avoid clicking on non-relevant results. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 

Document previews give users a snapshot of documents in the search results page without having to open the link. This feature is particularly useful when trying to distinguish between documents with similar titles — now, users can feel more confident they’re opening the most relevant results. 


Previews are available for most of the popular document formats such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDF, Microsoft Word documents and more. Note that users can only preview documents that they have access to. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the search application, or data source level. To learn more about document previews, including preconditions and limitations, refer to our developer documentation for thumbnails. 
  • End users: There is no end user action required.

Rollout pace 

  • This feature is available now.

Availability 

  • Available to Google Cloud Search Customers 

Resources 

Read More

What’s changing 

We’ve improved the search experience in Google Chat, making it easier and more intuitive for you to surface and navigate to relevant conversations and spaces. 

Some improvements you’ll notice are: 

  • People suggestions based on your chat activity when you click into the search bar. 
  • Intelligent suggestions for people, spaces and group messages when you begin typing in the search bar.

Search suggestions in Google chat on Web

This update will be available only on Google Chat on the web (chat.google.com). 

Who’s impacted 

End users 

Why it’s important 

Suggestions as you type help reduce time spent on finding the right people and spaces you want to engage with. Additionally, this update brings the search experience inline with Google Chat on mobile and other Google Workspace apps such as Gmail or Google Drive. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about searching for messages or a space in Google Chat.

Rollout pace 

This feature is currently available 

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 

Read More

What’s changing 

In 2021, we launched smart canvas to drive the next era of collaboration in Google Workspace. We’re now announcing new smart canvas features that will create a more flexible, interactive, and intelligent experience, enhancing the content and connections that fuel collaboration across Google Workspace. 

You can now: 

  • Add a summary to your document, giving readers a high level overview of its content. 
    • Note: For some Google Workspace editions, you’ll see automatically generated summary suggestions in certain cases. See below for availability. 
  • Create pageless documents in Docs, making it easier to collaborate on documents with wide tables, large images, and more. 

You can read more about these features on the Google Cloud Blog. 

Who’s impacted 

End users 

Why it’s important 

Summaries in Docs provide a brief overview of the main points in a document, so you can quickly parse the information that matters and prioritize where to focus. You can also edit the summaries, or create your own. 

Reviewing a Summary in a Google Doc
Reviewing a Summary in a Google Doc


Pageless format in Docs gives teams more space to collaborate, helping to create an uninterrupted flow of information for both writers and viewers, as well as adding more horizontal space for content like tables and images. 


Formatting a Google Doc to be Pageless

Formatting a Google Doc to be Pageless



Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for these features. 
  • End users: These features will be available by default. Visit the Help Center to learn more about document summaries and pageless formatting


Rollout pace 


Availability 

Pageless formatting and summaries 
  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Summary suggestions
  • Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Frontline
  • Not available to Google Workspace, Education Fundamentals. and Nonprofits. 

Resources 

Read More

What’s changing 

In November 2021, we announced a beta for search chips in Google Drive, which makes it easier for users to find relevant files faster and eliminates the need to perform multiple searches or sort through irrelevant results. Search chips are now generally available for all users. 



Who’s impacted 

End users 



Why you’d use it 

When searching in Drive, users often use a few key words to try and locate the file they’re looking for, such as “marketing plan” or “sales report,” which may return results that are too broad. 


Now, after a query is entered, users can use search chips to surface more relevant results based on: 
  • File type, such as a Google Doc, PDF, or image 
  • People 
  • Location, such as a shared drive or specific folder 
  • When the document was last modified File titles only 
  • Shared labels 
  • Tasks 


Additionally, you’ll also notice various other improvements: 
  • You'll see spelling suggestions along with search chips 
  • You can clear search chips on their own, or together with the query 
  • Additional date options for the “Last modified” chip 


We hope search chips make it easier to narrow down your search results and find your important files faster. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: No action required. 
  • End users: This feature will be automatically available. Simply enter a search query and select one or multiple chips to further drill down results. Visit the Help Center to learn more about finding files in Google Drive. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources 

Read More

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 legacy G Suite customers. 



Japanese grammar suggestions for Google Docs 
You'll now see grammar suggestions as you type in Japanese in Docs. Grammar suggestions can help you write faster and more accurately. | 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. 



Manage overdue tasks in Google Calendar You can now easily see and manage your overdue tasks in Google Calendar. 
If you have uncompleted tasks that were due in the past 30 days, you will have an all day entry that will tell you how many tasks are pending from that timeframe. | Learn more. 



Participate in Google Meet polls and Q&As on Chromebase for meetings 
You can now participate in Google Meet polls and Q&As when joining from a Chromebase for meetings all-in-one touchscreen device. | Learn more.



The future of Currents and the next generation of collaboration in Spaces 
With Spaces now available, starting in 2023 we are planning to wind down Google Currents and bring remaining content and communities over to the new Spaces experience. | Learn more here and here. 



Google Voice calls between many European numbers are now included in Google Voice licenses
Beginning February 8, 2022, calls from European Google Voice numbers to mobile and landline numbers in many European countries will be included with the cost of the Google Voice license. | Learn more. 



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

Quick summary

Beginning February 8, 2022, calls from European Google Voice numbers to mobile and landline numbers in many European countries will be included with the cost of the Google Voice license. 

Previously, these calls were subject to domestic and international rates. This change will reduce the cost of staying connected with your colleagues, partners, and customers distributed in Europe.


Getting started


Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now for all users with European phone numbers.


Availability

  • Available to all Google Voice Starter, Standard, and Premier customers


Resources


Read More

What’s happening 

Last year, we introduced Spaces, a dedicated place for organizing people, topics, and projects in Google Workspace. Since launching Spaces, many customers have told us that they appreciate the tight integration with Google Workspace products, including Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Meet, and the seamless collaboration experience. 


With Spaces now available, starting in 2023 we are planning to wind down Google Currents and bring remaining content and communities over to the new Spaces experience. Before we do this, we’ll deliver new capabilities in Spaces to help you communicate and collaborate more effectively. These include support for larger communities and leadership communication, investments in advanced search, tools for content moderation, and more. We’re also investing in search and discoverability, platform capabilities for app development, and enterprise-grade security and compliance, including data protection, data loss prevention (DLP) and Vault support. 


If your organization is using Currents, we’ll share a timeline for opting in to data migration and other milestones in the coming months, as well as guidance to assist with the transition. Spaces are available to all Google Workspace customers today.


Who’s impacted

Admins and end users


Why it matters

The accelerating transition to hybrid work has significantly changed the way people collaborate, and Google Workspace customers are using Chat and Spaces to communicate about projects, share organizational updates, and build community. 


Upgrading Google Currents to Spaces removes a separate, siloed destination for users, and provides organizations with a modern, enterprise-grade experience that reflects how the world is working today. Spaces provide a central place for teams to engage in topic-based discussions, share knowledge and ideas, move projects forward, and build communities and team culture. 


Additional details

In preparation for the migration from Currents to Spaces, we’ll start turning down features with very little usage. Please see the Help Center for more details.


Getting started

  • Admins: If your organization is using Currents, we’ll share more details, including a migration guide, in an email to the primary admin at your domain in the coming months. Please stay tuned. 
  • End users: Read more on how to get started with Spaces.

Availability

  • Spaces are available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.

Resources


Read More

What’s changing 

You can now participate in Google Meet polls and Q&As when joining from a Chromebase for meetings all-in-one touchscreen device.


Who’s impacted

End users



Why you’d use it

This update can foster more inclusive hybrid meetings by giving participants in conference rooms and classrooms a way to engage in these key activities from Chromebase for meetings devices.



Additional details

Q&A
When using a Chromebase device:
  • Meeting participants can view, sort, and upvote questions.
  • Note: meeting organizers can start Q&As from Meet on web, Android, and iOs devices only.

View and upvote questions on Chromebase for meetings




Polls
When using a Chromebase device:
  • Meeting participants can vote on any poll during the meeting. Note that the vote will be attributed to your Chromebase device.
  • Note: meeting organizers can create a poll from Meet on web, Android, and iOS devices only. 

Participate in meeting polls by voting on Chromebase for meetings




Visit the Help Center to learn more about conducting polls and asking participants questions in Meet, and the supported Google Workspace editions.


Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using polls and Q&As in Google Meet.


Rollout pace


Availability



Resources



Read More

Quick summary 

You can now easily see and manage your overdue tasks in Google Calendar. If you have uncompleted tasks that were due in the past 30 days, you will have an all day entry that will tell you how many tasks are pending from that timeframe. Clicking on that entry brings up the list of these pending tasks and you can directly edit or mark them as complete from this list. 

See pending tasks as an all day entry in Calendar




By giving you a comprehensive list of uncompleted past tasks, right in Calendar, we hope that this helps you better keep track of your Tasks. The feature will be available on the web and on mobile. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature will be ON by default for anyone that uses tasks in Calendar and can be turned OFF by hiding tasks in Google Calendar. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating & viewing tasks in Calendar. 

Rollout pace 

Web: 

Android: 

iOS: 

Availability 

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