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 making some updates to the Google Drive metrics in the Admin Console Apps reports and the Reports API. As a result of these improvements, admins who analyze metrics will have more reporting clarity and can better understand activity trends within their domain. Specific changes include: 
  • Metric dates will shift from Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) to Pacific Standard Time (PST).
  • Moving files between team drives and directly sharing items inside shared drives will now be included in the sharing metrics.
  • Sharing items with embedded content will now be counted as a single action in the sharing metrics, versus being counted twice. 
  • Metrics that calculate the number of owned items added or removed will no longer include activity for changing permissions that do not impact a user’s ability to access a file.

Who’s impacted 

Admins 


Getting started 

  • Admins: Admins with Drive Audit-enabled SKUs can access the metrics in the Admin Console > Reporting > Apps Reports or through the Reports API. 
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Metrics are available to customers on Drive Audit-enabled SKUs with access to the Admin Console and Reports API. This includes: Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Frontline Starter, Frontline Standard, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, Cloud Identity and Cloud Identity Premium customers

Resources 

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New updates 

There are no new updates to share this week. Please see below for a recap of published announcements. 


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.


Updates for managed iOS devices with the release of Chrome 120 
In the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing several improvements to Chrome-on-iOS that will help admins more seamlessly apply policies and preferences across their users’ managed devices. This launch will align with the planned release of Chrome 120. | Learn more about updates for managed iOS devices. 

Improvements to Google Meet ultra-low latency live streaming 
We’re introducing several improvements for the overall experience of the ultra-low latency viewing experience for video meetings that are streamed within an organization. | Live streaming is available for Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Education Plus customers only. Live streamed meetings can be viewed by Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Education Plus, Essentials Starter, and Essentials users only. | Learn more about Google Meet ultra-low latency live streaming.

Convert Google Forms into practice sets in Google Classroom 
Teachers can now import a Google Form into practice set questions, and benefit from the assistive features, such as suggested resources and hints, in-the-moment support for students and insights. | Available to Google Workspace Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade only. | Learn more about importing questions from Google Forms.


Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the original blog posts for additional details.


Rapid Release Domains: 
Scheduled Release Domains: 
Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

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

Last year, we announced a new tool in Google Classroom called practice sets that enables educators to transform new and existing content into engaging and interactive assignments. Students get real-time feedback on answers as they complete practice sets and then teachers receive performance insights and snapshots into student progress. 

Since launching, we’ve given teachers more control over the resources for students in practice sets and today we’re excited to announce an additional way to save teachers time when creating assignments. We know teachers have already invested a lot of time creating quiz assignments using Google Forms, and with this update, they can simply import a Google Form into practice set questions, and benefit from the assistive features, such as suggested resources and hints, in-the-moment support for students and insights. 
Convert Google Forms into practice sets in Google Classroom

Getting started 


Rollout pace 

  • This feature is now available. 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade 

Resources 

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What’s changing 

Last year, we announced a new ultra-low latency viewing experience for video meetings that are streamed within an organisation. Since launch, we’ve introducing several improvements for the overall experience: 
  • Meeting hosts can now add or start live streaming from any ongoing Meet call, even if it wasn't initially planned to be live streamed. 


    To start a live stream, at the bottom right select Activities > Live Streaming
  • Live stream viewers can now see the size of the audience (call participants and viewers) in the top left live stream indicator. 


  • The join screen now has a quick-access button, which meeting participants can use to join a live stream if they prefer that experience over the regular call.
  • Video feed will start even faster when joining live streams with large audiences.
  • Viewing live streams from the Google Meet mobile app on Android and iOS devices is now supported. 
These improvements will be available for Google Meet on web and meeting room hardware. Support for the Meet mobile app is outlined below in the "Rollout" section.

Getting started


Rollout pace 

  • Join live streams from the Google Meet mobile apps: 

  • iOS 
    • Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) beginning on January 3, 2024, with anticipated completion by January 8, 2024 
    • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) beginning on January 8, 2024, with anticipated completion by January 18, 2024

  • All other updates mentioned in this post are available now. 

Availability

  • Live streaming is available for Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Education Plus customers. 

  • Live streamed meetings can be viewed by Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Education Plus, Essentials Starter, and Essentials users. Not available to users with personal Google accounts. 
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What’s changing

In the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing several improvements to Chrome-on-iOS that will help admins more seamlessly apply policies and preferences across their users’ managed devices. This launch will align with the planned release of Chrome 121. Specifically, these improvements are: 
  • Cross-device policy application: Whether it’s a company-owned or personal device, Chrome User Policies can be applied when a user signs into the Chrome browser with their managed account. This ensures a consistent and secure browsing experience across all devices.
  • Management notice for end-users: Managed end-users will begin seeing a management notice, informing them that their organization manages the account they are signing into. This transparency not only fosters trust but also keeps users informed about the security measures in place to protect their data. 
  • Admin console integration: Admins can easily activate this functionality through the Admin console under the "Chrome on iOS" Browser setting. This centralized control allows admins to tailor policies to meet the specific needs of their organization, ensuring a customized and secure browsing environment for all users.

Getting started

 
We’ll remind you that your account is managed upon login and when you’re logged in.


Rollout pace

End user notifications

Admin console integration

Availability

  • Available to all Chrome Browser Cloud Management and Google Workspace customers

Resources


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