Google Workspace Updates

Use Vault for Gmail confidential messages and Jamboard files

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Vault and confidential messages received from external senders - Your users might receive confidential mode messages from external parties such as other G Suite customers and from personal Gmail accounts. You can hold, retain, search and export message headers and subjects of external confidential messages. However, you can't search or export message content or attachments from external confidential messages.

Here’s an example of what admin@ink-42.com will see in Vault when they search for sam@ink-42.com, and preview this email sent by an external domain (ben@imfl.com).

See our Help Center for more information on Vault and Gmail confidential mode. You can also see how to protect Gmail messages with confidential mode.

Support for Jamboard files (“jams”) stored in Google Drive

With this launch, you’ll be able to manage Jamboard files that have been saved to a user’s Google Drive:

Retain Jamboard data through Vault with the same retention rules that you set for Google Drive. All your retention rules set for Drive will automatically apply to jams in Drive.
Preserve Jamboard data through Drive holds.
Search for Jamboard data in Vault, alongside other Drive files, or only search Jamboard files with the “type:jam” search operator. You can also preview jams and export them.

See our Help Center for to see how to set retention rules for Drive, which will also apply to jams.

Helpful links

Availability

Rollout details

Vault support for Jamboard

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 4, 2019.
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 4, 2019.

Vault support for Gmail Confidential in beta is completely rolled out to all domains.

G Suite editions
Available to G Suite Business, Enterprise, and Enterprise for Education editions, as well as G Suite users with the Vault add-on license

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What’s changing

Google Vault is adding support for two new types of content:

Gmail confidential mode emails - If your users send or receive messages in Gmail confidential mode (currently available for G Suite as a beta program,) Vault will retain, preserve, search and export confidential mode messages as per the details below.
Jamboard files stored in Google Drive - Vault will automatically retain and preserve Jamboard files (‘jams”) according to the retention rules and holds set for Google Drive, and let you search and export these files.

Who’s impacted

Admins only

Why you’d use it

Google Vault lets you retain, hold, search, and export data to support your organization’s retention and eDiscovery needs. This launch adds support for new data types so that you can comprehensively govern your organization’s data.

How to get started

Admins: Use our Help Center to find out more about retention and Google Vault.
End users: No action needed.

Additional details

Support for Gmail confidential mode emails
Gmail confidential mode lets users restrict recipients' access to sensitive email content. This feature is available to G Suite domains through our Gmail confidential Beta program.

Vault and confidential messages sent by members of your organization - Vault can hold, retain, search, and export all confidential mode messages sent by users in your organization. Messages are always available to Vault, even when the sender sets an expiration date or revokes recipients' access to confidential messages.

Here’s an example of what admin@ink-42.com will see in Vault when they search for sam@ink-42.com and preview this email sent by lisa@ink-42.com.

Retain Jamboard data through Vault with the same retention rules that you set for Google Drive. All your retention rules set for Drive will automatically apply to jams in Drive.
Preserve Jamboard data through Drive holds.
Search for Jamboard data in Vault, alongside other Drive files, or only search Jamboard files with the “type:jam” search operator. You can also preview jams and export them.

See our Help Center for to see how to set retention rules for Drive, which will also apply to jams.

Helpful links

Availability

Rollout details

Vault support for Jamboard

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 4, 2019.
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 4, 2019.

Get G Suite product update alerts by email
See the G Suite launch release calendar
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Keep data secure with Gmail confidential mode (beta)

Thursday, March 7, 2019

End users: Once Gmail confidential mode is activated in the Admin console, users can send Gmail confidential mode emails. When they compose an email, there is a button to enable confidential mode for the email.

If users click on the button, it opens the Gmail confidential mode user settings dialog box where they can modify the settings:

Additional details

At the beta launch, Gmail confidential mode will:

Allow users to set an expiration date for messages or revoke access at any time
Disable options to forward, copy, print, and download the email body and attachments
Allow users to set SMS passcodes wherein recipients will get a passcode by text message to be able to access the email sent using confidential mode
Let users choose to remove access early before the expiration date.

Note: Although confidential mode helps prevent the recipients from accidentally sharing your email, it doesn't prevent recipients from taking screenshots or photos of your messages or attachments. Recipients who have malicious programs on their computer may still be able to copy or download your messages or attachments.

Additionally, if your users send or receive messages in Gmail confidential mode, Vault will retain, preserve, search and export confidential mode messages. The message body of received messages will be accessible in Vault only if the sender of the message is from within your organization. Learn more about how Vault works for confidential mode messages here.

Helpful links

Help Center: About Gmail confidential mode:

Protect Gmail messages with confidential mode for admins
Vault and Gmail confidential mode for admins
Send & open confidential emails for end users

Availability

G Suite editions

Available to G Suite editions.

On/off by default?

This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled by the admin via the Admin console.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What's changing

We’re opening a beta program for Gmail confidential mode. With confidential mode, it’s easier to protect sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages, and removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

Built-in Information Rights Management (IRM) removes the option to forward, copy, download or print messages. This helps reduce the risk of confidential information being accidentally shared with the wrong people.

In addition to protecting sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates, you can also require additional authentication via text message to view an email. This makes it possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hijacked while the message is active.

How to get started

Admins: Gmail confidential mode Beta is available as an opt-in to all G Suite customers. Admins can opt-in to the beta by going to the Admin console and navigating to Apps > G Suite > Settings for Gmail > User settings. Here they will be able to select the option to Enable confidential mode.

End users: Once Gmail confidential mode is activated in the Admin console, users can send Gmail confidential mode emails. When they compose an email, there is a button to enable confidential mode for the email.

If users click on the button, it opens the Gmail confidential mode user settings dialog box where they can modify the settings:

Additional details

At the beta launch, Gmail confidential mode will:

Allow users to set an expiration date for messages or revoke access at any time
Disable options to forward, copy, print, and download the email body and attachments
Allow users to set SMS passcodes wherein recipients will get a passcode by text message to be able to access the email sent using confidential mode
Let users choose to remove access early before the expiration date.

Helpful links

Help Center: About Gmail confidential mode:

Protect Gmail messages with confidential mode for admins
Vault and Gmail confidential mode for admins
Send & open confidential emails for end users

Availability

G Suite editions

Available to G Suite editions.

On/off by default?

This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled by the admin via the Admin console.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

G Suite Migrate, new first-party data transfer product, launching in beta

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Additional details

To prevent disruption to end-user productivity, G Suite 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 as part of this beta:

Exchange: Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, and Office 365.
Sharepoint: SharePoint 2010, 2013, 2016, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business.
File Shares: Windows File Servers, NAS, SAN, Network Shares, and NFS repositories.

Availability

G Suite editions G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Drive Enterprise customers are eligible to register for the G Suite Migrate beta program.
Not available to G Suite Basic, G Suite for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What’s Changing

We’re launching G Suite Migrate in beta. This new first-party product will help admins assess and plan migration projects, and confidently migrate large amounts of valuable content directly into G Suite. G Suite Migrate is built on the technology from Google Cloud’s AppBridge acquisition in 2017.

Who’s impacted

Admins only

Why you’d use it

With G Suite Migrate, you’ll be able to securely migrate large amounts of your organization's data, making the transition to G Suite even easier. Specifically, G Suite Migrate will provide assistance with:

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

How to get started

Admins: For more details and how to apply for the beta, see this form.
End users: No action required.

Additional details

Exchange: Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, and Office 365.
Sharepoint: SharePoint 2010, 2013, 2016, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business.
File Shares: Windows File Servers, NAS, SAN, Network Shares, and NFS repositories.

Availability

G Suite editions G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Drive Enterprise customers are eligible to register for the G Suite Migrate beta program.
Not available to G Suite Basic, G Suite for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Delegate App Maker admin privileges to users

Monday, March 4, 2019

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users.

Why you’d use it

We launched App Maker to general availability in June 2018, so teams can easily build custom apps that speed up their workflows and improve their processes. As part of that launch, we gave G Suite admins access to the App Maker projects report, which includes a list of all App Maker projects in their organization and details for each app.

We hope that this launch will make it easier to use and manage App Maker projects in your organization.

How to get started

Admins: To enable this feature, check both the App Maker > Settings checkbox and the App Maker > App Maker Projects Report checkbox. You may want to create a custom role to facilitate setting or unsetting both of these privileges. Visit the Help Center for detailed instructions on how to create a custom administrator role.
End users: No action needed.

Helpful links

Help Center: Manage App Maker in your domain

Availability

Rollout details

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (Up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 4, 2019.
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (Up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 4, 2019.

G Suite editions

Available to G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education.
Not available to G Suite Basic and G Suite for Nonprofits.

On/off by default?

This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the user level.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What’s changing

We’re making it possible for G Suite super admins to delegate access to the App Maker projects report to other users. Among other things, this will allow appropriate employees without super admin privileges to track App Maker projects and for customers to delegate access to their reseller partners.

It's now possible for super admins to delegate access to the App Maker projects report to other users. To enable this feature, check both the App Maker > Settings checkbox and the App Maker > App Maker Projects Report checkbox.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users.

Why you’d use it

How to get started

Helpful links

Help Center: Manage App Maker in your domain

Availability

Rollout details

G Suite editions

Available to G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education.
Not available to G Suite Basic and G Suite for Nonprofits.

On/off by default?

This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the user level.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What's New in G Suite - February 2019

Monday, March 4, 2019

Check out the latest "What's New in G Suite" launch recap (pdf) for a roundup of all G Suite launches from February 2019.

Archive and translated versions (coming soon for February issue)

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Check out the latest "What's New in G Suite" launch recap (pdf) for a roundup of all G Suite launches from February 2019.

Archive and translated versions (coming soon for February issue)

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Control access to corporate data on Chrome, Mac, and Windows devices with endpoint verification

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Note that device access to corporate data can be configured at any time by using the Access Context Manager.

For desktop devices, Admins will have the option to select Approve or Block, which will tag the device accordingly in the Access Context Manager.

Approve or block actions on devices will generate an audit event within the Admin Console. For more information on audit logs for devices, see here.

End users: No action needed

Additional details

This launch allows you to control access for devices with endpoint verification installed. This includes Chromebooks and other desktop devices running the Google Chrome browser.

Tag newly registered endpoint verification devices as ‘Approved’ or ‘Blocked’ before setting access

When a new device is registered via Endpoint Verification, admins can turn on access restriction in the Access Context Manager. From there, they can govern device access by selecting ‘Approve’ or ‘Block’.

See image below to see how this will look in the Admin console with the feature ON.

If this policy is OFF, devices will be approved by default and can be blocked later on, for example, if a device is lost or a device is compromised.

Turn individual device access on or off

Admins can approve or remove access for devices in the Admin Console. A new view at Admin console > Device Management > Device Approvals will list all devices in a pending approval state. From this list, they can be tagged as Deviced/Approved — once devices are tagged, further access policies can be configured in the Access Context Manager.

Admins can also get email notifications for when a device is registered but needs admin approval. See our Help Center to learn how to configure email notifications.

Helpful links

Availability

Rollout details

Rapid Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on Feb 28, 2019
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on Feb 28, 2019

G Suite editions

Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default?

Manual device verification will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain and OU level.
Individual device access controls will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What’s changing

We’re giving admins more control over how devices running endpoint verification can access corporate data in Google Cloud. Specifically, we’ll give admins the ability to:

Tag endpoint devices running Chrome as approved or blocked — Admins can use the tag to configure access levels with the Access Context Manager
Decide whether an additional review is needed for newly registered endpoint verification devices before they’re tagged as approved.

This will bring similar functionality to what’s currently available for mobile device management to desktop devices using Chrome OS or Chrome browser.

Who’s impacted

Admins only

Why you’d use it

With the ability to limit G Suite access for devices that use endpoint verification, admins will now get fine-grained control over managing device access beyond just mobile devices.

Now, admins can view the inventory of devices that are access this data, and approve or block access to specific devices based any internal criteria. Examples include, lost devices, which can now be ‘blocked’ from accessing apps, or approving new users who need to access applications as their job titles shift.

How to get started

Admins:

To set a policy for whether newly registered endpoint verification devices need admin approval, go to Admin Console > Device management > Setup > Device Approvals > Device Approvals.

Check or uncheck the box to set a policy. This will default to unchecked, meaning that admins will not have to manually approve newly registered devices.
Optionally, you can also add an email that approval requests will be sent to.

Note that device access to corporate data can be configured at any time by using the Access Context Manager.

For desktop devices, Admins will have the option to select Approve or Block, which will tag the device accordingly in the Access Context Manager.

Approve or block actions on devices will generate an audit event within the Admin Console. For more information on audit logs for devices, see here.

End users: No action needed

Additional details

Helpful links

Help Center (end users): Allow an Admin to monitor your computer (Endpoint Verification)
Help Center (Admins): Turn Endpoint Verification on or off
Help Center (Admins): Control what devices can access your data
Help Center (Admins): Devices audit log

Availability

Rollout details

Rapid Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on Feb 28, 2019
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on Feb 28, 2019

G Suite editions

Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default?

Manual device verification will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain and OU level.
Individual device access controls will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Updated UI for Jamboard web home page

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

The new Jamboard UI

Availability

Rollout details

Rapid Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on Feb 27, 2019.
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on Feb 27, 2019.

G Suite editions
Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Quick launch summary

To create an interface that’s clearer and easier to navigate, we’re updating the design of the Jamboard home page (jamboard.google.com). This builds on recent updates that made it easier to create and edits jams on the web. You may notice:

Material design updates, including updated boxes and increased white space, so you can quickly find what you’re looking for
New buttons to open jams more quickly with fewer clicks
New logos and design elements to increase consistency with other G Suite products and interfaces.

The new interface will show on the Jamboard web home page at jamboard.google.com.

The new Jamboard UI

Availability

Rollout details

G Suite editions
Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Get G Suite product update alerts by email
See the G Suite launch release calendar
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Accessibility settings are now easier to access on Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

If the screen reader option is selected from the accessibility settings dialog, an Accessibility menu will be displayed at the top of Docs, Sheets, and Slides for easy access.

Availability

Rollout details

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 27, 2019.
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on March 13, 2019.

G Suite editions
Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Quick launch summary

It’s now easier to discover accessibility features like screen reader support, braille support, and screen magnifier support in Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

While these accessibility features were previously available, they required additional steps to access the accessibility menu. This change will make these settings more readily available by placing the Accessibility settings in the Tools menu.

Access the Accessibility menu by selecting Tools > Accessibility settings.

The accessibility settings dialog showing screen reader, braille, and screen magnifier support options.

If the screen reader option is selected from the accessibility settings dialog, an Accessibility menu will be displayed at the top of Docs, Sheets, and Slides for easy access.

Availability

Rollout details

G Suite editions
Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Insert a Table of Contents in Google Sites

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Availability

Rollout details

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 26, 2019.
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 26, 2019.

G Suite editions

Available to G Suite Editions.

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Quick Launch Summary

Inserting a table of contents into a page makes the navigation of text-focused content like FAQs, documentation, or wikis easy.

Editors can insert a table of contents into a page with a simple click — headings and subheadings will automatically update as content is added to the page. A table of contents also helps guide editors to organize their content in a structure that is easier for readers to understand. Site viewers can quickly navigate through sections of a page by clicking the desired heading and automatically jumping to that section within the same window.

As editors add or edit the content and structure of a page, the table of contents will update automatically, making maintenance easy. By default, the table of contents will indent based on the hierarchy structure of headings, however, editors have the option to change the table of contents styling and remove indents. To remove indents, simply click on your table of contents and select Flatten. To re-indent, select Indent.

To add a Table of Contents to a page, at the right, click Insert > Table of Contents.

Availability

Rollout details

G Suite editions

Available to G Suite Editions.

On/off by default?
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Get G Suite product update alerts by email
See the G Suite launch release calendar
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

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.

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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.

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Updates

Delete your conversation history in Hangouts Chat

Use Vault for Gmail confidential messages and Jamboard files

Helpful links

Availability

Keep data secure with Gmail confidential mode (beta)

Additional details

Helpful links

Availability

G Suite Migrate, new first-party data transfer product, launching in beta

Additional details

Availability

Delegate App Maker admin privileges to users

Who’s impacted

Why you’d use it

How to get started

Helpful links

Availability

What's New in G Suite - February 2019

Control access to corporate data on Chrome, Mac, and Windows devices with endpoint verification

Additional details

Helpful links

Availability

Updated UI for Jamboard web home page

Availability

Accessibility settings are now easier to access on Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Availability

Insert a Table of Contents in Google Sites

Availability

Filter by product

Filter by date

Subscribe by feed

Subscribe by email

Localized Google Workspace Updates

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

Learn about more Google Workspace launches