Additionally, admins can now prevent data sharing from unknown sources (typically non-Google Workspace apps) to personal Workspace accounts on Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Chat, and more, by setting a managed configuration.
The {customer_id} is a unique customer ID that’s assigned to your account. You can find it in your Admin console at Account > Account settings > Profile.
Getting started
Admins: Blocking sending of work data to personal apps, including all non-Google Workspace apps on the iOS share sheet, will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the OU level. These settings can be configured in the Admin console under Devices > Mobile and endpoints > iOS settings > Data Sharing. Visit the Help Center to learn more about data protection on iOS devices. Use this article in our Help Center to learn more about how to set up the managed configuration, go to set up iOS apps with managed configurations.
End users: Sharing of data between Google Workspace apps and non-Google Workspace apps depends on your admin configuration. If you’re unable to share data between apps, you may see a warning message. Visit the Help Center to learn more about how your iOS device is managed.
Birthday events do not support all event properties. If you’re using the Calendar API, we recommend reviewing your code so you don’t apply any non-supported properties.
Creating dedicated birthday events in Google Calendar will also become available on web and iOS devices in the future.
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
Find and delete inactive spaces: Using spaces.search, you can find spaces that haven’t been used since a specified date and time and then delete them.
Onboard and offboard users: Automatically add new users to relevant spaces and remove them from spaces when they leave or change roles.
Audit external members: Monitor and control access to your organization's data by identifying and removing external members from sensitive conversations.
Lookup and update space details: Easily manage space information like names, descriptions, and guidelines.
Verify user membership and upgrade roles: Manage user access and roles within spaces.
And more — please refer to our developer guidance for even more information.
Today, we’re excited to announce that NotebookLM is officially available as an Additional Service.
Over the past year, NotebookLM, now available globally in over 100 languages, has been made more powerful with new features, and early users have been using NotebookLM to supercharge their learning and work. For example, NotebookLM can:
Be an interactive expert in your trusted sources: Once you upload source documents (e.g. Google Doc and Slides, PDFs, web URLs, copied text) into a notebook, you can ask NotebookLM questions about the information in your sources. As a result, it will respond with an answer from the sources you’ve uploaded along with inline citations from those documents to show you what NotebookLM based its answers on.
Generate new ideas and connect dots: NotebookLM can also be used to generate a variety of content based on your sources, like summaries, briefing docs, timelines, FAQs, study guides or even audio overviews (a new feature that lets you listen to a conversation about your source). NotebookLM can also spark creativity, help you brainstorm new ideas and make connections in your sources. You can save a response to a note, so you can come back to polish it later.
Who’s impacted
Admins and end users 18+
Why you’d use it
NotebookLM is an AI-powered research assistant that lets people in your organization interact with trusted source content to get grounded insights. You can upload sources, such as your research notes, course materials, interview transcripts, or corporate documents, and instantly NotebookLM becomes an expert in the material that matters most to you.
Additional details
As an Enterprise or Education user whose use of Google Drive is subject to the Workspace Terms of Service or the Workspace for Education Terms of Service, your uploads, queries and the model's responses in NotebookLM will not be used or reviewed by human reviewers to train AI models. NotebookLM is an Additional Service covered under the Google Terms of Service.
Getting started
Admins: Customers who had access to NotebookLM as an Early Access App can continue to use it. For all others, admins must turn on Notebook LM as an Additional Service if new services are not set to turn on automatically for end users. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning on or off additional Google services.
End users: Once NotebookLM is enabled by your admin, go to NotebookLM.google.com to start using it. Visit the Help Center to learn more about NotebookLM.
A folder with “limited access” can only be opened by people who have been added to it directly. People with general access to the shared drive or shared folder can see the restricted folder in Drive, but will not be able to open it.
Eligible customers can use this form to express interest in the beta and will receive an email confirmation prior to the feature being enabled in their specified domain.
Who’s impacted
Admins and end users
Why it’s important
Folders with limited access allow users to organize files by project, in a single shared drive or shared folder, while ensuring that sensitive information is only accessible to the right team members.
Additional details
Folders with limited access are available in both shared drives and My Drive:
Shared drive managers can always access folders with limited-access
Folder owners can always access limited-access folders in their My Drive
Getting started
Admins: Eligible customers can express interest in the beta here. We’ll begin accepting domains into the program in the coming weeks. Once accepted into the beta, visit the Help Center to learn more about folders with limited access.
End users:
As a shared drive manager or My Drive folder owner, go to your shared drive > choose the folder you want to limit access > click the overflow menu > share > select share settings in the top right corner > click limited access to “Folder Name”. Visit the Help Center to learn more about folders with limited access.
For users whose access has been limited, you will see the folder name, but the folder will be grayed out:
Availability
Available for Google Workspace:
Business Standard, Plus
Enterprise Standard, Plus
Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus
Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade
Multi-monitor support enables presenters to see Presentation View components, such as speaker notes and the timer, on one display, while displaying the slides presentation on an external monitor.
Who’s impacted
End users
Why it matters
This updated experience helps you present with greater confidence and gives you more control when managing multiple presentation displays.
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: You can enable this feature by using “Presentation display options”. Visit the Help Center to learn more about presenting slides with other monitors.
Rollout pace
Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 16, 2024
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 30, 2024
Availability
Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts
Co-annotate from select Google Meet hardware devices
We’re expanding annotation capabilities in Meet to include select Google Meet hardware devices. These devices can be appointed co-annotators by presenters and you can use annotation tools such as a pen, sticker and more directly from the touchscreen of the device. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Standard, and Plus; Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus; Frontline Starter and Standard; Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Education Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade; Workspace Individual subscribers. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using annotations in Google Meet.
New advancements in Connected Sheets for Looker
Last year, we introduced Connected Sheets for all Looker-hosted instances, enabling users to analyze data using pivot tables, charts, formulas, and other integrated data sources. This week, we’re excited to announce the ability to directly link Connected Sheets to existing Looker queries, rather than having to start from scratch in Sheets by connecting to an Explore every time. This highly-requested feature is especially useful for Looks, a special type of query that’s been saved in the Looker UI, and whose definition can be updated over time if needed. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Admins should use the Looker's Admin menu to make sure Connected Sheets for Looker is enabled. End users can visit the Help Center to learn more about using Connected Sheets in your organization.
TeamViewer Add-on for for Google Meet now supports remote desktop
TeamViewer launched as a featured Meet add-on to enable remote IT support
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.
Gemini reports now include user-level usage, including app usage insights
We’re incorporating additional data in Gemini reports to help our customers gain a deeper understanding of Gemini usage and adoption across their organizations. Gemini reports now include user and app level Gemini usage and adoption data based on the last 28 days of usage. | Learn more about Gemini reports.
Access and sort shared files more easily in Google Chat conversations
The Shared tab is now available in 1:1 direct messages and group messages, enabling easier collaboration across all conversation types. | Learn more about the shared tab in Chat.
Google Cloud Directory Sync now complies with your conflicting accounts management settings
When Google Cloud Directory Sync (GCDS) attempts to create new users, it may encounter unmanaged accounts that conflict with the accounts it’s attempting to create. In these instances, GCDS will now comply with the conflicting accounts management settings specified in the Admin console. | Learn more about Google Cloud Directory Sync.
Google Meet Add-ons SDK is now generally available
The Meet Add-ons SDK is now generally available for the web, which allows developers to iframe their app into Meet, and lets meeting participants interact with the app’s content directly inside the Meet canvas. | Learn more about Meet Add-ons SDK.
Improving the Google Workspace Marketplace app publishing experience with Drafts
Developers can now make changes to their app listing, save them as a draft, and send the draft version to review. | Learn more about app list drafts.
To improve upon the publishing experience, we’re excited to announce that developers can now make changes to their app listing, save them as a draft, and send the draft version to review. This will allow developers to preview changes and share drafts with specific users to help with validation before publishing a listing.
Who’s impacted
Developers
Why you’d use it
This update allows developers to test and preview their Google Workspace Marketplace app listing prior to publishing, which enables feedback collection and ultimately makes updating an app listing much easier.
Additional details
While changes are under review in the draft state, the original app listing remains available on the Google Workspace Marketplace.
The Add-ons SDK expands Meet’s existing platform capabilities, providing the opportunity for developers to build interactive and collaborative experiences for their users in Google Meet which they can find and install from the Google Workspace Marketplace. These experiences allow for users to launch, install, and engage with the app’s content during their meetings, all without ever leaving Google Meet. Examples of already built add-ons include whiteboarding experiences with Figjam, Lucidspark and Miro; note taking experiences with Read Notetaker; and also polling and surveying experiences via Polly.
Add-ons can be displayed in two ways during a meeting:
The main stage allows apps to be the focal point of a meeting experience, unlocking the opportunity for add-on users to supercharge collaboration while in a meeting.
The side panel allows users to do actions such as share data, take surveys, or update records and notes while keeping the meeting and the discussion with other participants the focal point of this experience.
Additional details
The Google Workspace Marketplace automatically respects any controls that have been configured by admins, including whether their users can download and install add-ons. Additionally, all apps on the Marketplace have been reviewed and approved by the Google Marketplace team before they’re published.
Getting started
Admins: The availability of Google Meet Add-ons in meetings can be controlled through the Google Meet Admin Controls. Visit the Help Center to learn more about admin controls for Add-ons.
Developers: Our Developer Documentation has more information about using the Meet Add-Ons SDK.
Meeting hosts can control the availability of add-ons during meetings by going to Host Controls (lock icon) > Meeting Activities > Let contributors share add-on activities. Refer to this announcement on the Workspace Updates blog for more information.
Admins:
Google Cloud Directory Sync will automatically respect your existing Admin console settings for handling conflicting unmanaged accounts. We do not recommend turning this feature off in GCDS, rather you should configure these settings as you see fit in the Admin console. Visit the Help Center to learn more about handling conflicting unmanaged accounts with Google Cloud Directory Sync, as well as unmanaged accounts in general.
End users: Depending on your admin configuration:
You’ll be invited to transfer your account — if accepted, your admin will have the ability to manage your account.
If you do not accept the request, your admin may replace your unmanaged account with a managed one. In that case, you’ll receive a new @gmail.com address and retain your content in this unmanaged, personal Google account.
The Shared tab provides a centralized and visible method to access shared content shared within a conversation.
Additional details
Using the new sort drop-down, you can narrow down the list of documents displayed based on category (file, link, media) or date shared.
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: At the top of a Google Chat message, you will see the following tabs: Chat and Shared. Upon clicking Shared, you will see three sections: Files, Links and Media. Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending & sharing files in Google Chat messages.
Rollout pace
Web:
Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 10, 2024
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 23, 2024
Gemini reports now include user and app level Gemini usage and adoption data based on the last 28 days of usage. These insights can help admins identify power users in their organization, whom they can tap into for practical use cases and best practices, which can then be shared broadly with other users to drive adoption. Identifying users with lower adoption rates is equally important and can provide helpful context for creating training, change management programs and materials, and more.
From Menu > Generative AI > Gemini Reports > User-led usage you can track active Gemini usage days and how that usage is spread across various apps. You can also export this information for further analysis.
As of August 22, usage of gemini.google.com is now captured in the org-level usage portion of the report under the “Chat with Gemini” label, as well as in the new user-level usage reports. Including gemini.google.com usage and adoption information provides a more complete picture of how users are interacting with all Gemini tools across Workspace.
Gemini.google.com adoption data can be found under the “Chat with Gemini” label. Data reported as of August 9, 2024
Note: Gemini reports are denoted as 'beta' as we continue to optimize reporting functionality based on customer feedback. These are subject to the "Pre-General Availability Offerings Terms" section of the Google Workspace Service Specific Terms"
Improved user experience for Google Meet on Android devices
If you’re joining a Google Meet call from Android phone, tablets or large screen devices, you’ll now see a more streamlined, space-efficient experience with edge-to-edge video. We’ve expanded the video feed to encompass spaces where there were previously margins around the video feed. This helps provide a richer, more immersive viewing experience. You’ll also notice a sleeker user interface for meeting controls, and clearer indicators for information such as the meeting title. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available now for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about joining a meeting.
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.
Gemini (gemini.google.com) now shows related content links in its responses
You can now access additional information on topics directly in Gemini’s (gemini.google.com) responses to your prompts. Specifically, you’ll see links to related content in responses to fact-seeking prompts — you can click the arrow chips to dive deeper into the topic. If you have a Gemini for Workspace license and Google Workspace extensions in Gemini are enabled, Gemini will also now include inline links to relevant emails referenced in responses where the Gmail extension is used. | Learn more about related content links shown in Gemini.
View your most relevant Google Drive folders and files on a single page
You will now see a combined, unified view for file and folder suggestions on the Drive homepage that leverages machine learning to help you find and organize your most relevant content faster and intuitively. | Learn more about the view in Drive.
Empowering Google Workspace customers to take control of their emissions with Electricity Maps
To help our customers continue to understand and measure the carbon intensity of their cloud computing, we have partnered with Electricity Maps to provide hourly emissions data within the Carbon Footprint report. | Learn more about Electricity Maps.
In 2020, we set a goal to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy—every hour of every day on every grid where we operate—by 2030. We continue to make product and operational improvements to reduce environmental impact and we're sharing technology, methods, and funding to enable organizations around the world to transition to more carbon-free and sustainable systems — see here for more information about our sustainability commitments.
Google uses the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the global standard for carbon accounting to generate the Workspace Carbon Footprint reports. We recommend that admins familiarize themselves with the GHG terminology — you can find more information in our Help Center or the video below.
Getting started
Admins: You can find your Carbon Footprint report in the Admin console under Reporting > Carbon footprint. Visit the Help Center to learn more about the Workspace Carbon Footprint.
Starting today, you will see a combined, unified view for file and folder suggestions on the Drive homepage that leverages machine learning to help you find and organize your most relevant content faster and intuitively. More specifically, you’ll notice:
Combined file and folder suggestions: Drive's homepage shows suggested files and folders, intelligently chosen based on recent activity, sharing patterns, and connected Google Calendar events.
Seamless navigation and organization: You can easily switch between viewing additional files or folders, or organize content directly from Home.
Enhanced search filters: Search chips allow you to quickly start a search by by file type, people, modification date, and location modification date, location, and people.
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users:
Up to 6 suggested folders will show at the top of the homepage view of Drive and you can click the “View more” option to see up to 12 total folders.
Up to 10 suggested files will show underneath the suggested folders in the collapsed state and up to 30 suggested files will show if you click the “View more” option.
You may not see the “View more” option if you do not have additional file or folder suggestions.
The homepage view of Drive will be ON by default and can be opted-out by the user. If a user chooses to opt-out, their default page will be My Drive. To opt-out, go to the Settings icon in top right corner > Settings > Start page and select My Drive.
Rollout pace
Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 5, 2024
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on September 25, 2024
Availability
Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts
Including this information offers another easy way to dig deeper into Gemini’s responses. You can also use Gemini’s double-check feature to verify responses by using Google Search to highlight which statements are corroborated or contradicted on the web.
Additional details
At this time, this feature is limited to English prompts only.
This feature is available in most countries where Gemini (gemini.google.com) is available
End users: You’ll automatically see related content where applicable in Gemini’s responses. If you have a Gemini for Workspace license and your admin has enabled Google Workspace extensions, you may see related content from email for prompts that use the Gmail extension. Refer to the Gemini Apps FAQ for more detail.
Available to any Google Workspace users with access to gemini.google.com.
Users with a Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium add-on license will see Gmail citations if Google Workspace extensions in Gemini are enabled by their admin.
The AppSheet Admin Console is now available in public preview
For the first time, Workspace admins will have visibility into the users, apps and licenses associated with their AppSheet users via the AppSheet Admin Console. Previously, these advanced monitoring capabilities were limited to AppSheet Enterprise customers. Now all Workspace admins with the AppSheet service privilege can use this data to gain a deeper understanding about how their users are interacting with AppSheet. With the AppSheet Admin Console, you can view all the app users across any of your organization’s apps, review the most popular apps and creators, and more. Admins can also take actions like exporting a list of accounts, users, apps, and licenses for their organization or set the role of users in their organization. Eligible customers can access the AppSheet Admin Console using this direct link or clicking out from Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for AppSheet in the Workspace Admin Console. | The open beta for the AppSheet Admin Console is available now for AppSheet Enterprise customers and AppSheet Core entitled customers. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using the AppSheet Admin Console.
Google Workspace for Education users can now set and share personal pronouns and name pronunciation
Google Workspace for Education admins of K-12 and higher education institutions can now give their students the option to set their pronouns from their Google Account at aboutme.google.com. This option is OFF by default and can be enabled for all users or a subset of them (such as for a specific location or class). User-defined pronouns will appear in personal information cards displayed when hovering over or clicking someone’s profile photo across Workspace apps like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat, and Drive. Pronouns will also appear in Google Contacts, accessed by clicking “Open detailed view” from the personal information cards. | Pronouns are rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | The ability to add name pronunciation will be available by the end of Q3, 2024. | Available to all Google Workspace for Education customers. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about allowing Directory users to change their pronouns and changing pronouns in your Google Account settings.
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.
Automate your workflows on Google Chat with IFTTT and UKG Flow integrations
Following the announcement at Google Cloud Next 2024, we’re excited to introduce Google Chat integrations with IFTTT and UKG Flow. | Learn more about Chat integrations with IFTTT and UKG Flow.
Picture-in-picture in Google Meet will now open automatically when switching tabs
Picture-in-picture mode will now automatically trigger when you switch tabs during a meeting. | Learn more about picture-in-picture in Meet.
Business Starter customers will soon have access to shared drives
Business Starter will officially have access to shared drives starting mid-September. When shared drives are made available to Business Starter customers, all users will be able to create shared drives by default. If this default behavior is undesired, admins can update their settings before Business Starter users gain access to the feature starting on September 23, 2024. | Learn more about shared drives for Business Starter.
Reply to emails in Gmail faster on Android devices
You can now reply to emails directly from the bottom of the conversation, without opening a new screen, making it easier to reference the email you’re replying to. | Learn more about replying to emails on Android.
Upload additional types of documents to Gemini (gemini.google.com) for insights and analysis
Google Workspace users with a Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education or Education Premium license can now upload a variety of files from Google Drive or locally from your device into Gemini. | Learn more about document upload with Gemini.
“Take notes for me” in Google Meet is now available
“Take notes for me” is an AI-powered feature in Google Meet that automatically takes notes, allowing you to focus on discussion, collaboration, and presentation during your meetings. | Learn more about “Take notes for me”
Google Meet provides consolidated email for all meeting artifacts
Currently, Google Meet sends an email for each type of meeting artifact initiated in a meeting, including meeting recordings, meeting transcripts, Gemini notes with “take notes for me,” live streams and more. Going forward, you’ll receive one email consolidating these artifacts. | Learn more about Meet’s meeting artifacts.
Customize Gemini (gemini.google.com) for your specific needs with Gems
Gems are now available to Google Workspace customers with a Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, or Education Premium add-on. | Learn more about Gems.
Gmail Q&A: A new way of searching your inbox with Gemini on Android devices
Gmail Q&A feature is rolling out now on Android devices and coming soon to iOS. | Learn more about Gemini in Gmail.
Additional data protection in Gemini (gemini.google.com) when using a school account is now available
Earlier this year, we brought Gemini for Google Workspace to education communities with two new paid add-ons. At that time, we announced that educators and students 18 years and older who did not have a Gemini Education license would soon get added data protection when using Gemini (gemini.google.com) as an Additional Service with their school accounts. Beginning this week, that added data protection is now available — free of charge. | Learn more about data protection in Gemini.
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.
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.
