Google Workspace Changes

New Admin console setting to control whether Working Hours is enabled for users.

Google is adding a setting in the Admin console that allows administrators to control whether the Working Hours feature is enabled for users in their domain. This setting can be managed by navigating to Admin console > Apps > G Suite > Settings for Calendar > Sharing Settings, where a new checkbox 'Allow users to set working hours' has been added. The setting is enabled by default and can be configured at the organizational unit level.

Right-to-left language support added for new Google Sites.

Google Sites now supports right-to-left (RTL) languages, specifically Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, and Urdu. When a site editor or viewer has their language set to one of these, the editing interface (sidebars and menus) and the published site's navigation elements will be reversed to align with the RTL language flow.

Rollout of the ability to add audio to Google Slides presentations.

The feature allowing users to add audio to Google Slides presentations is now fully available to Rapid release domains and is currently rolling out to Scheduled release domains, with full availability expected for all users by the end of November 2019.

Support for migrating Microsoft Exchange In-Place Archives to G Suite Migrate beta.

Google is adding support for migrating Microsoft Exchange In-Place Archives to the G Suite Migrate beta. Admins can now migrate archived content to G Suite, with options to make archive mail and attachments visible only in Google Vault and customize how labels are applied to archive folders in Gmail.

Insert collapsible text boxes into new Google Sites

Site editors can now insert collapsible text boxes into a new Google Site, which site viewers can click to expand. Collapsible text boxes can help condense large blocks of text, like content on FAQ or Help Center pages, allowing site viewers to quickly navigate to the most relevant information.

Google launches a 'Getting Started with Google Sheets' course on Coursera.

Google has introduced a 'Getting Started with Google Sheets' course on Coursera, designed for new users, onboarded employees, and students to learn how to organize information and analyze data. The course is free for all users, with an optional paid tier for access to additional content, projects, quizzes, and a course certificate.

Live captions are now available in the Google Meet iOS app.

Google has expanded live captions support for Hangouts Meet to the iOS app. Captions are currently available in English and must be enabled individually on each device to be visible. Please note that captions will not appear in meeting recordings.

Cloud Search is getting a new look and feel.

Users will notice some visual improvements, including: Interface typography that uses Google’s custom-designed and highly-legible typefaces, Controls (like buttons, dialogs, and sidebars) that are updated and consistent, Iconography that is legible and crisp, with a fresh feel

Instantly create new docs, events, spreadsheets and more from your browser using .new domains.

Users can now quickly create new files directly from their browser address bar using '.new' domains for several Google products. Supported shortcuts include docs.new, sheets.new, slides.new, forms.new, cal.new, keep.new, and sites.new.

You can quickly create new Keep notes directly from your browser with “Keep.new”.

You can quickly create new files directly from your browser with “.new” domains for several Google products. For example, you can type “Keep.new” into your browser to create a new Google Keep note.

Context-aware access for G Suite is now generally available.

Context-aware access is now generally available for G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Cloud Identity Premium. This feature allows administrators to define granular access levels based on a user's identity and the context of the request, including location, device security status, and IP address, enabling secure access to resources without requiring a VPN.

Increased participant limits for Hangouts Meet meetings across G Suite editions.

Google has increased the maximum participant limits for Hangouts Meet meetings. G Suite Enterprise users can now host up to 250 participants, G Suite Business users up to 150, and G Suite Basic users up to 100. These limits apply to a combination of video and dial-in participants.

Material Design update for Hangouts Meet on the web.

Google Meet is receiving a visual refresh on the web to implement Material Design. While functionality remains unchanged, users will see visual improvements including updated, highly-legible custom Google fonts, consistent controls for buttons, dialogs, and sidebars, and updated iconography and colors for better legibility.

International dial-in phone numbers for Hangouts Meet are now available for G Suite Business, Basic, and Enterprise for Education.

Google is extending the functionality of international Hangouts Meet dial-in phone numbers to new meetings organized by G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and G Suite Basic domains. This feature is fully available for both Rapid and Scheduled release domains, although Cyprus (CY) and Turkey (TR) are not supported for G Suite Business and G Suite Basic.

Updated 'What’s new in G Suite?' Help Center article with filterable and searchable launch lists.

Google has updated the 'What’s new in G Suite?' Help Center article to include a comprehensive list of all G Suite launches from the past six months. The updated article allows users to filter by product or search by keyword to easily find and learn about specific updates.