The Google Workspace team has been hard at work creating features that make users’ experiences more easy, enjoyable, and secure. From Google Chat to Calendar and beyond, read on to learn about the latest and greatest updates you can expect to see in Google Workspace.
Share profile links easily via Contacts
In 2021, Google unveiled a new interface for Contacts. This provides richer information about the people you collaborate with, including managers, reports, shared files, and more. Google has rolled out a new feature for Contacts—a profile link that makes it easier to share your Contact within your organization.
This feature is available for all users of paid Google Workspace and G Suite accounts. It applies to all Contacts with an email connected to their Workspace profile.
Edit access to Chat Spaces
Recently, Google has released a variety of features for Google Chat, including the ability to allow specific audiences within your Google Workspace environment to join your Space via link. To allow for even greater control over access to Spaces, Google has released a new privilege. Space Managers can now alter access permissions to both new and existing spaces to make them Restricted or Discoverable for specific user groups.
>> How to make your Chat Space Restricted or Discoverable
Users of all paid Google Workspace and legacy G Suite editions can start using this feature now.
Data loss prevention policies for Google Chat now in beta
Data loss prevention (DLP) controls are a key feature of Google Workspace Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus. They aid in preventing internal users from sharing sensitive information with those who should not receive it. Examples of sensitive information include credit card numbers, social security numbers, and drivers license numbers.
Similarly to how DLP rules function in Gmail, Admins can now configure rules for Chat in an open beta. To access this beta, Admins can navigate to the Admin console and click Security > Data Protection.
This is an open beta, meaning that no beta program enrollment is necessary to try the feature. This beta is available only to Admins of the Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Education editions of Google Workspace. Rollout of this beta has begun and will conclude in early August 2022.
Chat Space membership limit increased
To improve collaboration at larger enterprises, the membership limit for Google Chat Spaces has been increased from 400 to 8,000 members! This feature is available now to users of all paid Google Workspace and G Suite product editions.
Easily share appointment scheduling options
Earlier this year, Google released the far sleeker and more external-user friendly appointment scheduling interface (as opposed to the legacy appointment slot feature). Now, users with access to appointment scheduling can copy and share a short link to all of their appointment schedules or a specific booking page.
To use this feature, simply navigate to Google Calendar, click on an available appointment schedule, click Share, and indicate whether you would like to include all of your appointment schedules or a single booking page in your link. Then, click Copy link. If desired, you can also embed the booking page into your website.
Appointment scheduling is included in the following Google Workspace editions:
- Google Workspace Individual
- Business Standard
- Business Plus
- Enterprise Standard
- Enterprise Plus
- Education Fundamentals
- Education Standard
- Education Plus
- Teaching and Learning Upgrade
- Workspace for Nonprofits
Rollout of this feature will conclude in mid-August 2022.
Delegate access to BigQuery for Connected Sheets
Admins of select Google Workspace editions (all Enterprise and Education plans) can now allow their users to delegate BigQuery access to other members of the organization. Through this, end users with access to BigQuery data will be able to share their credentials with collaborators. These users can then refresh and edit analysis for Google Sheets–BigQuery connections.
Rollout for this feature is in progress and will complete in early August 2022. Use these instructions to give it a try!
Experimental Google Workspace apps control
Admins looking to have greater control over their organizational data should try the new Experimental Apps Control setting. This allows Admins to grant or deny access to emerging Google applications, as well as see whether those applications can access core service data. This setting can be altered on the domain, organizational unit, and user level.
All Google Workspace and G Suite customers are eligible for this feature. Rollout is in progress and will conclude in early August 2022. Once available, this feature can be accessed in the Admin console in Menu > Apps > Additional Google Services > Experimental Apps.
Edit notifications for Google Docs
Have an important Google Doc you need to stay informed about? All Google users (including those with free personal accounts) can now set up notifications for when a particular Doc receives a new comment, or when content is added or removed. This is off by default for all Docs and can be enabled for individual Docs by clicking Tools > Notification settings.
Anonymous questions and polls for Google Meet
Rollout has begun for a new feature allowing meeting hosts to permit anonymous responses to questions and polls. This can be helpful when hosts wish to gather information from participants without the participants feeling concerned about the attachment of their identity to their response.
By early August 2022, this feature will be available to the following Google Workspace editions:
- Google Workspace Essentials
- Business Standard
- Business Plus
- Enterprise Starter
- Enterprise Essentials
- Enterprise Standard
- Enterprise Plus
- Teaching and Learning Upgrade
- Education Plus
- Nonprofits
- G Suite Business (legacy)
Anonymous question responses are allowed by default. Meeting hosts can turn off this feature on a meeting-by-meeting basis by navigating to Meeting Activities > Allow Questions in Q&A > Allow Anonymous questions.
In contrast, anonymous poll responses will be off by default and can be turned on by following the steps outlined above.
Block Calendar events from users who are not known senders
If your organization has been struggling with spam Calendar invitations, you’ll be glad to hear that Google has a solution. Beginning early August 2022, Admins and users of all paid and free Google Workspace/G Suite editions will be able to prevent users outside of a defined group from sending Calendar invitations.
For example, you might choose to block invitations from those who do not fit into one or all of the following groups:
- Users within your Google environment
- Users in your contacts list
- Users you have interacted with before
To use this feature, navigate to Google Calendar > Settings > Event Settings.
Livestream Google Meet events via YouTube
Google has announced a new feature for all Workspace Enterprise customers. Now, users of these editions can livestream their meeting on YouTube!
Before livestreaming, users will need to do the following:
- Request that the feature be turned on by Admins (the feature is off by default)
- Have their YouTube channel approved for livestreaming (this will require up to 24 hours)
Rollout for this feature is in progress and will complete in mid-August 2022.
Questions?
Have questions about these updates? We are a certified Google Cloud Premier Partner and authorized Google Workspace reseller providing premier support services for Google’s products for business. Submit a contact form below and we’ll be happy to discuss how your team can thrive more with Google.
