Google Workspace Updates: 2021

Quick access to restore recently deleted users from Admin console homepage

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Quick summaryFor customers with less than 100 active users, you’ll now be able to see when you have recently deleted users in your organization on the “Users” card in the Admin console. If you click on the number shown, you can view a list of the recently deleted users and how many days are left until their data is permanently deleted. Previously, Admins would have to filter for recently deleted users on the User List page to review any users available for being restored — this update makes this important information more readily available for customers that primarily use the Admin console for user management.

We hope these updates make it easier for Admins to stay informed about their recently deleted users and take action if needed such as restoring users to retain their accounts or transfer data to another account.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be available by default. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Google Workspace Admin Help: Restore a recently deleted user
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Updated design for the Admin console home page

Set custom rules for incoming Google Voice calls

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Quick Summary Within the Google Voice settings, you can easily create rules for how incoming calls should be handled. These options allow you to route incoming calls in ways that are most efficient to your workflows and productivity, including granular settings for specific contacts.

Specifically, you can now:

Forward calls from specific contacts to your linked phone numbers or directly to voicemail,
Opt to screen calls from specific contacts,
Set custom voicemail greetings for specific contacts,
Apply rules for all your contacts or specific groups within your contacts

setting up your phone to make and receive Google Voice calls, Google Help: Getting Started with Voice

Google Help: Set up your phone to make & receive Google Voice calls

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - December 17, 2021

Friday, December 17, 2021

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.
The filmstrip in Google Slides is now collapsableIn Google Slides, editors can now collapse or expand the filmstrip as needed. Collapsing the filmstrip expands the current slide view for more focused editing. You can expand the filmstrip when you need to view, navigate to, and edit the other slides in your presentation. Learn more.

Automatically move breakout room participants back to the original meeting

Google Meet costs and co-hosts can now automatically move break out room participants back to the main meeting room. Additionally, we’ve added better visual indicators for breakout room participants to indicate this movement. | Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Nonprofits and Education Plus as well as G Suite Business customers. | open beta for group level controls that allow admins and end users who are group owners to restrict group memberships based on internal or external members and member type. This feature is now generally available. | What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Making dynamic groups more powerful with custom user attributes and OrgUnit queries

Thursday, December 16, 2021

What’s changing Google Groups are a convenient way for Workspaces users to collaborate and a powerful tool for admins to apply consistent security and access policies to sets of users or devices. Dynamic groups further enhance this functionality by allowing group membership to be automatically updated based on parameters such as location, department, or job title.
Today we are further extending the functionality of dynamic groups in two important ways:

First, dynamic groups can now be defined by querying custom user attributes. This functionality is available as an open beta (no sign up required).
Second, dynamic groups can also be defined based on users’ membership in Organizational Units (OUs). This feature is now generally available.

Who’s impacted Admins only

Why you’d use it Dynamic groups can be used for email distribution lists, access control, group based policy, and more. Compared to regular Google Groups they have the added benefit that memberships are automatically kept up-to-date. Automating membership management increases security, reduces errors, and alleviates user frustration while minimizing the burden on admins.
These new features expand the utility of dynamic groups for organizations that take advantage of custom user attributes and organizational units. They can further tailor dynamic groups to meet the specific needs of their organization. For example these organizations could now:

Create a dynamic group for all users of a subsidiary (an organizational unit) based in a particular city or state.
Create a dynamic group with all users with a custom attribute of a “job_skill” or “speciality”.

Getting started

Admins: To take advantage of this new dynamic group functionality, you will need to have already defined dynamic groups to take advantage of them.

To query a customer attribute “EmployeeNumber” (based on this sample schema): user.custom_schemas.employmentData.EmployeeNumber == '123456789'
To query all direct members of an organizational unit: user.org_unit_id==orgUnitId('03ph8a2z1enx4lx')
To query all direct and indirect members of an organizational unit: user.org_units.exists(org_unit, org_unit.org_unit_id==orgUnitId('03ph8a2z1khexns'))

End users: Not available to end users.

Rollout pace

Custom user attribute queries are available now for all users in open beta (no sign up required)
Organizational unit based dynamic group queries are now generally available for all users.

Availability

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

Resources

Google Workspace Admin help: Manage membership automatically with dynamic groups

Configure member restrictions for groups, now generally available

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Quick launch summaryIn October 2021, we announced an applying member restrictions on groups and use our API documentation to learn more about Google Workspace Admin Help: Restrict group membershipCloud Identity API Documentation: Groups Memberships

Expanded occupancy detection capabilities for Google Meet hardware devices

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

What’s changing We’re significantly expanding our occupancy detection capabilities on Google Meet hardware devices beyond Series One devices. When updated Room insights dashboard experience.

Additional details

When enabling occupancy counting on unsupported cameras, we encourage admins to consult the manufacturer’s documentation about the performance characteristics of the camera. In general, we recommend that admins test this feature on unsupported cameras before enabling it widely across their fleet.

Note that occupancy detection still requires cameras to be connected to a supported device. tracking room and device usage with Meet hardware.

End Users: There is no end user impact.

Rollout pace

Expanded occupancy detection support:

Use your Google Meet hardware-connected displays as digital signage

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

What’s changing We’re giving admins more control over how screen savers are displayed on their Google Meet hardware devices, allowing them to use their displays as digital signage. Specifically, admins can now set:

Any publicly accessible URL to display when devices are not in use,

Number of minutes of inactivity before screen saver shows,

How soon prior to the next meeting screen saver is dismissed.

Who’s impactedAdmins
Why it’s importantThis update allows you to customize the content your Google Meet hardware devices display while not in use. For instance, you can use this feature to display corporate signage or displaying custom screen saver images.

Please note: If no action is taken, your Google Meet hardware fleet will continue to default to displaying the Google Meet logo screensaver after 120 minutes of inactivity and will be dismissed 10 minutes prior to the next meeting.End users: There is no action required.

Rollout pace

Google Meet Hardware Help: Manage power-saving settings
Google Help: Publish files as web pages

Automatically move breakout room participants back to the original meeting

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

What’s changingWe’re introducing several improvements for breakout rooms in Google Meet. These improvements include:

The ability for meeting hosts and co-hosts to automatically move participants back to the main meeting room once breakout rooms end.

Better visual indicators for breakout room participants to indicate this movement.

See below for more information.

Who’s impacted

End users

Why it’s important

In 2020, we introduced breakout rooms for Google Meet, which allows meeting hosts and co-hosts to split larger meetings into smaller groups for discussion or group work. We’ve heard from our customers that they need more controls to easily and effectively manage breakout rooms.

We’ve added better indicators confirming participants have been moved back to the main meeting room. Additionally, cameras and microphones will be turned off when participants are automatically moved back into the main meeting — participants can re-enable them once they’re ready.

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 14, 2021

Availability

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

Note: We expect this feature to be available for the Teaching and Learning upgrade in April 2022. We will provide an update on the Workspace Updates Blog.

Resources

Google Help: Add co-hosts in Google Meet

Easily see which account you’re currently using in Google Calendar on mobile

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Quick launch summaryWe’ve added account profile pictures in the top corner of Google Calendar on mobile so you can confidently tell which account you’re currently using and easily toggle between accounts.

Toggle between accounts by clicking on the profile picture

Note that you will still be able to see events for all accounts you’re logged into, or any other calendar account you added.
The account you’re active in will always be listed at the top of the accounts in the overflow menu.

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 14, 2021

Availability

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

Resources

Google Help: Switch between Google Accounts in the Google Calendar app

New notifications when Drive content violates abuse program policies

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Quick launch summary When a Google Drive file is identified as violating Google's shared drive manager will receive the notification

This will help ensure owners of Google Drive items are fully informed about the status of their content, while also helping to ensure that users are protected from abusive content.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: If a user has a file that violates Drive policies, they will receive an email with details and potential actions they can take to request a review.

Google Terms of Service

Google Help: Request a review of a violation

Prevent unwanted invitations from being added to your calendar

Monday, December 13, 2021

What’s changing We've improved the "Automatically add invitations" setting to help prevent unwanted invitations from being added to your calendar. You can now choose to either:

Always have invitations automatically added

Only have them automatically added if you have RSVP’d in the email event invitation.

These settings allow you to prevent invitations from automatically being added to your calendar or to be visible for others who you've shared your calendar with

Google Calendar Help: Respond to event invitations

Quicker access to more Workspace integrations in Google Chat

Friday, December 10, 2021

Quick launch summary While you’re having a conversation in Google Chat, you can now more easily take actions in other Google Workspace products. Simply hover over the + icon to the start of the text box to quickly see and access the menu of options. These options vary by context, and can include Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Photos, and Calendar. This will make it easier to take action across Google Workspace and enable a faster and more seamless workflow. This feature will be initially available on the Web and Android, with iOS available in early 2022. We’ll announce on the Workspace Updates Blog when the feature becomes available to iOS users. Using compose on web

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility)] starting on December 9, 2021 Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Google Help: Get started with Google Chat

Manage Gmail IMAP controls by group in the Admin console

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Quick launch summaryYou can now configure Gmail IMAP settings at the we announced additional enhanced Gmail IMAP controls. With this launch, we’re further ensuring that your users’ communication is secure and reliable.
Gmail IMAP was previously only configurable at the domain or OU level.
Getting started

Admins: IMAP options are OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain, organizational unit (OU), or group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn POP and IMAP on and off for users

Set user language programmatically with the Directory API

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Quick launch summary With this launch, you can use Google Workspace Admin SDK Directory API to customize a per user language preference via the user create/update flow.
Previously, the AdminSDK only allowed one customer level language setting that applied to all users, which could then be changed individually Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on December 9, 2021. Availability

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

Resources

Admin SDK Directory API Documentation: REST Resource: users

Admins can install Google Workspace Marketplace applications for specific groups

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Quick launch summaryAdmins can now install Google Workspace Marketplace applications for specific groups in their organization using the new “admin-install” functionality (formerly known as “domain-install”). Previously, admin-installing applications from the Google Workspace Marketplace was only possible for organizational units or an entire domain.distributing a Marketplace app to users.

End users: No end user action required.

Rollout pace

Google Workspace Marketplace

Updated user interface for the App Access Control panel in the Admin console

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Quick launch summaryWe’ve updated the user interface for the App Access Control portion of the Admin console. This update makes it easier for admins to:

View which applications are configured as trusted or blocked,
View a list of all applications being accessed by users,
View a list of Google Services within their organization.

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 8, 2021
Availability

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

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Control which third-party & internal apps access Google Workspace data

More details on migration of existing multiple-location Drive files to shortcuts and other improvements for shortcuts

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

What’s changingLast year, we Admin audit log.
Google Workspace admins will be notified via email several weeks before the process begins for their organization. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Shift+Z” function. Going forward, once all users have
Additionally, because the original file’s permissions don’t automatically update when you create a shortcut, we will be adding prompts for users in the next few weeks to ensure your permissions are set how you want to. Previously, when you added a shortcut to a folder, users with access to the folder weren’t automatically granted access to the file at the other end of the shortcut. Now, when you create a shortcut, you’ll be prompted to give impacted users access.
finding files and folders with Google Drive shortcuts, Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 4, 2022
Availability

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

Resources

Google Forms API now available in open beta

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

What’s changing At Google Cloud Next 2021, we announced the controlling which third-party & internal apps access Google Workspace data. Use this developer guide to learn more about the Forms API. NOTE: Restricting access to Google's Drive service will restrict access to the Google Forms API Developers: Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for all feature availability) starting on December 7, 2021 Availability

Developers can apply for access to the Google Forms API through our Google Forms API Early Adopter Program Form

Enhanced content classification, governance, and DLP with Google Drive labels

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

What’s changingEarlier this year we predefined content detectors.

Using automated classification makes it easier to scale your use of labels while reducing the risk of manual classification errors. It also provides an added safeguard against unlabeled content.
Admins have the control to allow end users to change labels applied by DLP, to provide flexibility for their organization. This allows admins to balance their use cases between user choice and admin policies on a per DLP rule basis.

Labels-driven sharing restrictions with Workspace data loss prevention (DLP) integration: Admins can configure sharing restrictions to be applied to all files with a given label. For instance, DLP administrators could configure a rule that shows users a warning any time they attempt to share a file labeled as “Internal,” and another rule that blocks external sharing or prevents downloads and printing for all “Top Secret” files.

Read predefined content detectors. This automated classification can help scale data classification and protection efforts by reducing the administrative burden and potential errors associated with manual labels.
Additional detailsOnce admins turn on the label feature and publish labels, users who are permitted to apply a given label can then apply it to files in Drive. They may do so via the Drive context menu, Drive detail pane, or the Labels option in the File menu of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Users can search for all files that they have access to with a given label using Drive’s “advanced search” functionality.
Each company can have one “badged label,” which will be prominently visible as a colored rectangle in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, providing a visual reminder to users to handle these files with care. Admins can also configure standard labels, which may still represent important information and can be used to enforce policy but will not have the same visual prominence.

Users can add labels to Drive files (if permitted by admin), or take advantage of automatic classification

learn more about labels.

Rollout pace

Drive labels

Updates

Quick access to restore recently deleted users from Admin console homepage

Set custom rules for incoming Google Voice calls

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - December 17, 2021

Making dynamic groups more powerful with custom user attributes and OrgUnit queries

Configure member restrictions for groups, now generally available

Expanded occupancy detection capabilities for Google Meet hardware devices

Use your Google Meet hardware-connected displays as digital signage

Automatically move breakout room participants back to the original meeting

Easily see which account you’re currently using in Google Calendar on mobile

New notifications when Drive content violates abuse program policies

Prevent unwanted invitations from being added to your calendar

Quicker access to more Workspace integrations in Google Chat

Manage Gmail IMAP controls by group in the Admin console

Set user language programmatically with the Directory API

Admins can install Google Workspace Marketplace applications for specific groups

Updated user interface for the App Access Control panel in the Admin console

More details on migration of existing multiple-location Drive files to shortcuts and other improvements for shortcuts

Google Forms API now available in open beta

Enhanced content classification, governance, and DLP with Google Drive labels

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