Google Workspace Features Update: November 2022

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)

Features Update Summary - November 2022

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

Product: Admin

Use Access Approvals to control data access during support or maintenance

Edition: Access Approvals is part of Google Workspace Assured Controls, which is available as an add-on to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus customers only. For more information, contact your Google account representative.

Who’s impacted: Admins only

Today, we’re introducing Access Approvals, which builds on Access Transparency and Access Management. Access Approvals allows customers to explicitly approve or deny Google employees access to data during support and general maintenance. Read more.

Product: Chat

Custom emojis coming to Chat

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

Who’s impacted: All end users

Emojis are a great way for people to express themselves in Google Chat. We're excited to announce that we're making emojis even more expressive and personalized by allowing people to create custom emojis. Everyone in an organization can view and use custom emojis uploaded by their colleagues in Chat messages and reactions. Read more.

Product: Chat

Concentrate or disconnect with scheduled Do Not Disturb on Google Chat (Android & iOS)

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

Who’s impacted: All end users

In addition to setting a custom duration for “Do Not Disturb” in Google Chat, you can now set a recurring schedule so you are not disturbed by Chat notifications on web, Android, and iOS. 

This is useful when you want to mute notifications during your regular lunch break, or have “Do Not Disturb” set automatically over the weekend while away from your desk. We hope this feature enables you to better concentrate without Chat distractions or help you disconnect entirely from work when needed. Read more.

Product: Drive

Trust rules in Google Drive now generally available

Edition: Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Standard, Education Plus, and Education Standard Customers

Who’s impacted: Admins and end users

In July 2022, we announced an open beta for trust rules in Google Drive. Beginning today, this feature will become generally available for select Google Workspace customers. 

Trust rules give admins more control over how files can be shared, both within and outside of their organization. For example, admins can limit what their frontline workers can access versus other parts of their organization. See our original announcement for more information. Read more.

Product: Drive

Sharing suggestions in Google Drive make collaborating easier

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

Who’s impacted: Admins and end users

We’re making it easier to share files with the people you typically share with in Google Drive. With this feature, suggested recipients will appear in the sharing dialog to speed up collaboration across your organization. Read more.

Product: Drive

Improving Drag & Drop support for the Drive Android app

Edition: Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade, Education Plus, Nonprofit customers, and legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers

Who’s impacted: End-users only

Earlier this year, we launched drag & drop in Drive, allowing you to quickly upload files by dragging and dropping them into the app. This week, we’re improving this feature by enabling you to also drag & drop files and folders around in your Drive to move their location as you see fit. This can be done either in the two-window view or in the single-app view. Read more.

Product: Docs

Easily assign Tasks from Google Docs on mobile

Edition: Available to all Google Workspace and G Suite customers.

Who’s impacted: End-users only

Earlier this year, we made it easier for you to assign Tasks from Google Docs. This enables you to assign a checklist item to yourself or a colleague that will then show up in the assignee’s Tasks list. When edits are made to an assigned item in Tasks, such as a change to the title, due date or completion state, those updates will show in the Doc, and vice versa. We’re excited to announce that this is now available on the Docs Android and iOS apps. Read more.

Product: Editors

Manage projects & tasks with a new timeline view on Google Sheets

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

Who’s impacted: End users

We’re introducing an interactive timeline view that allows you to track and visualize projects in Google Sheets. This new visual layer displays project information stored in Sheets, such as the task start and end date, description, and owner. Read more.

Product: Gmail

The new Gmail user interface is becoming the standard experience

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

Who’s impacted: End users

At the beginning of 2022, we announced a new user interface and a customizable, integrated view for Gmail, bringing critical applications like Gmail, Chat, and Meet in one unified location. 

Starting this month, this user interface will become the standard experience for Gmail, with no option to revert back to the “original view.” With the new UI, users are still able to change their Gmail theme, inbox type, and more through quick settings. Read more.

Product: Gmail

Improved search results based on recent search activity in Gmail

Edition: All Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google Accounts

Who’s impacted: End users

Earlier this year we announced better search and suggestion options in Gmail. Now, when using Gmail on the web, this also includes better search results based on your recent search activity in Gmail. This enhancement to Gmail search makes results more relevant and contextual. 

Product: Meet

Share Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files in Google Meet chat

Edition: All Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google Accounts

Who’s impacted: All end-users

Earlier this year, we announced the ability to join or present to a Google Meet call from Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. Starting this week,  if you are presenting or joining a meeting from a file, you can now easily share that file with meeting attendees through in-meeting chat. With this update you’re able to grant access to a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to all or select meeting attendees, allowing everyone in the meeting to collaborate while having a conversation. Read more.

Source: https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com