Google Workspace Features Update: April 2022

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)

Features Update Summary - April 2022

The summary of essential information about new features and improvements for Google Workspace customers in April 2022.

Product: Admin

Admins can now specify how individual Android apps update within the Admin console

Edition: Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, and Frontline customers

Who’s impacted: Admins and end-users

Google Workspace admins can now specify how Android apps update, giving them greater control over how Android apps are deployed within their fleet. Specifically, admins can specify whether apps are updated right away or postponed. Further, admins can set these policies on a group level within their organization. Read more.

Product: Admin

Easily manage storage-related activity and policies through a new, centralized location in the Admin console

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

Who’s impacted: Admins only

In the Admin console, all storage-related activities can be accessed and managed from a single source. From this centralized source, Admins can view a variety of information and take various actions related to storage management for their organization. Some improvements you’ll notice are: Enhanced features and added information for improved reporting capabilities, Simplified user management, including setting storage limits for users and bulk management of shared drives, and more. Read more.

Product: Chat

Specify which Google Chat notifications from Chat and Gmail to receive when your iOS device is in Focus mode

Edition: Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers. Available to users with a personal Google account

Who’s impacted: All end-users

You can now specify which Google Chat and Gmail contacts you still want notifications from when your iOS device is in focus mode. This is useful in situations where you need to limit screen time, but don’t want to miss an important message when other notifications are silenced. The sender's profile photo will also appear in all your chat notifications - making it easier to see who's messaged you. Read more.

Product: Chat

Quick access to additional actions when composing a message in Google Chat on iOS

Edition: Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts

Who’s impacted: All end-users

When using Google Chat on iOS, you can now easily take additional actions by hovering over the plus (“+”) icon next to the compose bar. You’ll see a variety of options such as: 

• Sharing a Google Meet link 
• Creating a meeting in Calendar 
• Accessing Google Drive 
• Text formatting options and more. 
• Read more.

Product: Drive

Improved Admin experience for moving folders from My Drive to shared drives

Edition: Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Business customers

Who’s impacted: Admins only

• Retaining folder IDs (“copyless moves”) to reduce disruption due to the move 
• Preventing moves that would exceed any shared drive limits 
• Creating shortcuts for any items that can’t be moved, preserving the existing hierarchy as a reference.
• Read more.

Product: Editors

Embed linked Forms charts into Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Drawings

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

Who’s impacted: All end users

You can now embed linked charts created from Forms responses into a Google Doc, Google Slides presentation, or a Google Drawing. When new responses arrive, you can update the embedded chart by simply refreshing the chart by clicking the “Update” button eliminating the need to go back into the form. Read more.

Product: Editors

Intelligent corrections for formulas and functions in Google Sheets

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

Who’s impacted: All end-users

Last year, we launched formula suggestions, which recommend formulas and functions for specific cells based on the data you are analyzing. Now you can write formulas faster and with higher confidence with formula corrections. These intelligent, context-aware corrections help users correct most relevant functions and troubleshoot formulas.

Simply insert formulas as you do normally in Sheets. If Sheets detects that there may be an alternate or improved formula that could replace what you've written, a suggestion box will appear with details on the new formula and give you the ability to accept or reject it. Read more.

Product: Editors

Enhanced menus in Google Docs improves findability of key features on desktop

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

Who’s impacted: All end-users

We’re updating the menus in Google Docs to make it easier to locate the most commonly-used features. In this update:

• Shortened menus for better navigation
• Reorganization for a more intuitive feature location
• Prominent icons for faster recognition
• Read more.

Product: Meet

Join a Google Meet call from Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides

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

Who’s impacted: Admins and end-users

You can now join a Google Meet call from Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. In addition to present to Meet option, you can select “Join the call” to quickly start and present a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to all meeting attendees. Read more.

Product: Meet

New port for Meet media and TLS support for Google Meet on mobile

Edition: Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers. Available to users with personal Google account

Who’s impacted: All end-users

Google Meet now supports SRTP in TLS on mobile, which increases overall capability and helps ensure higher quality video meetings with Google Meet. In addition, Meet is introducing support to UDP port 3478 in addition to existing ports 19302​–19309 to deliver media. Read more.

Product: Meet

Refreshed ASUS Google Meet Hardware kits available now

Edition: Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, with Google Meet hardware devices

Who’s impacted: All end-users

Asus have refreshed their Google Meet hardware kits to give you powerful, easy-to-deploy solutions suited for hybrid work. Read more.

Source: https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com