May 3, 2023
Expanding upon Gmail security with BIMI
What’s changing
In 2021, we introduced Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) in Gmail, a feature that requires senders to use strong authentication and verify their brand logo in order to display a brand logo as an avatar in emails.
Building upon that feature, users will now see a checkmark icon for senders that have adopted BIMI. This will help users identify messages from legitimate senders versus impersonators.
Who’s impacted
Admins and end users
Why it matters
Strong email authentication helps users and email security systems identify and stop spam, and also enables senders to leverage their brand trust. This increases confidence in email sources and gives readers an immersive experience, creating a better email ecosystem for everyone.
Getting started
- Admins:
- Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting up BIMI.
- To learn more about BIMI and see the latest news, visit the working group’s website.
- To take advantage of BIMI for your outgoing emails to Gmail and other platforms, ensure that your organization has adopted DMARC, and that you have validated your logo with a VMC, issued by a Certification Authority such as Entrust or DigiCert.
- End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.
Rollout pace
- Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on May 3, 2023
Availability
- Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
- Available to users with personal Google Accounts