Category: Google Cloud

One of the most popular ways people use Nest Hub Max is for video calling. Up until now, that meant one-on-one sessions with friends and family. Rolling out today in the U.S., you can make group video calls with Duo and Google Meet on your Hub Max. With just a simple voice command, Google Assistant can now help connect you with multiple people at once.

“Hey Google, make a group call”

With group video calling on Nest Hub Max, you can now bring the whole family together, spontaneously check in with your siblings or host a weekly happy hour with friends for up to 32 people. To get started, you can create groups in the Duo mobile app, and from there just ask your Hub Max, “Hey Google, make a group call,” and tap on the Duo group you want to connect with. And with auto-framing, you can freely move around your kitchen or living room during your Duo video call, while staying in view. In addition to Nest Hub Max, Duo group video calling is available on LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9 Smart Display, JBL Link View and Lenovo’s 8 inch and 10 inch Smart Displays. 

“Hey Google, join my next meeting”

You can also try, “Hey Google, start a meeting” to connect with up to 100 people on Google Meet for fitness classes, book clubs, community gatherings or whatever else you’ve got planned. If you want to call into a meeting, say “Hey Google, join a meeting” then tap the “enter a meeting code” option and type it in to join. Or try asking, “Hey Google, join my next meeting” to instantly connect to the next call on your personal Google Calendar. Meet group video calling is launching first on Nest Hub Max.

We’re also rolling out beta support for G Suite accounts, so you can host work meetings on your personal Nest Hub Max. G Suite admins who would like to apply on behalf of their domains to join the beta program can sign up at g.co/gsuiteassistantbeta. 

And if you’re looking to put your personal VIPs on “speed dial,” household contacts are starting to roll out today on Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers and Smart Displays in the U.S. Once set up, you (or other people in your household) can dial your cousin Cassandra by saying “Hey Google, call Cassandra” or by tapping on Cassandra’s name on your Smart Display’s household contacts list.

Google Assistant and Nest have always made it easy to connect with friends and family⁠—and now, the more the merrier. 

What’s changing

You’ll soon be able to manage all Google Chat and classic Hangouts chat-related settings from a single page in the Admin console. This follows the update we made last year to combine several settings for Google Chat and classic Hangouts.

On July 6, 2020, we’ll start mapping your existing service status (e.g. Google Chat on, classic Hangouts on, Chat preferred off) to the new setting that matches your current user experience. You don’t need to take any action.

Most end users will not see any change. In domains where Google Chat is turned ON but classic Hangouts and Chat preferred are turned OFF, however, users will begin seeing Chat in Gmail over the next few weeks.

Visit the Help Center to learn more about the different settings options for chat.

New chat service settings in the Admin console

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why it matters

With all your chat settings in one place, including on / off controls for different chat services, you can now view your organization’s chat configuration holistically and more easily tailor it to your needs.

Additional details

We recommend the “Chat preferred” setting for admins who would like to transition their entire organization from classic Hangouts to Google Chat. With this launch, Chat preferred is now configurable at the organizational unit (OU) level.

While these changes are rolling out, admins may temporarily see the “Chat clients” tab as well as the new service page. They should only change the new service status page to make changes for their domain.

Please note that while the experience for most end users will not change with these new settings, in the coming weeks we’ll launch Chat in Gmail to domains that have the “Chat only” setting selected. This means that any user in a domain where Chat is turned ON and Classic Hangouts and Chat Preferred are turned OFF will start seeing Chat in Gmail. This feature was previously only available to domains with the Chat preferred setting selected. End users will have the option to turn Chat in Gmail off at the individual level.

Getting started

Admins: No action is required, as we’ll automatically align your existing settings to the new setting that matches your current user experience. Visit the Help Center to learn more about choosing a chat service for your organization.

New combined service on / off setting row in the Admin console

End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about how to turn Chat in Gmail on or off for your account.

Rollout pace

New chat settings and page

Chat in Gmail to “Chat only” domains

Availability

• Available to all G Suite customers

Resources

Quick launch summary 

We’re expanding our advanced assistive writing features in Google Docs and Gmail to Spanish. Last year, we introduced grammar suggestions powered by neural-networks for the English language. Now, we’re using the same technology to provide grammar suggestions as you type in Spanish.

Language will be detected automatically, and even if you switch between writing in Spanish and English, we will provide the appropriate grammar suggestions. These capabilities can help you write faster, more accurately, and with more confidence.

Later this year, we’re also planning to make spelling autocorrect and Smart Compose available to Spanish language users. Keep an eye on the G Suite Updates blog to know when those features become available. Learn more about the expansion of our Spanish language assistive writing features on our Cloud Blog.

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

• Available to G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite Essentials, G Suite Enterprise Essentials, and G Suite Enterprise customers. 
• Not yet available to G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits customers, as well as users with personal Google accounts. 

Resources 

Quick launch summary 

We’re enabling OAuth 2.0 authentication support for Google Calendar Interop with Microsoft Exchange Online (Microsoft 365). Calendar Interop is a feature that lets you sync events and availability between Google Calendar and Exchange Online.

Currently, interoperability is available via Basic Authentication. Microsoft plans to stop supporting the use of Basic Authentication to access Exchange Online on October 13, 2020. This only impacts Microsoft Exchange Online (Microsoft 365), not on-premise Exchange implementations. If you use Exchange Online, you should update your authentication to use OAuth 2.0 by October 13 to ensure interoperability is not disrupted.

Getting started 

• Admins: If you’re currently using Basic Authentication, you must set up OAuth 2.0. You will not be transitioned automatically. You can set it up at Admin console > Apps > G Suite > Settings for Calendar > Calendar Interop Management. Use our Help Center to learn more about how to set up Calendar interop. 
• End users: No change in end user functionality. 

Calendar OAuth 2.0 setup in the Admin console 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

• Available to all G Suite customers 

Resources 

Quick launch summary

Google Voice now works with Google Fi, so you can have separate Fi and Voice numbers on the same Google account. This means you can use different numbers for different purposes, like one for family and friends and one for work. When you set up forwarding in Google Voice or Google Fi, you’ll receive calls from both numbers in one central place.

We hope this change makes it easier for you to manage your calls.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: To manage both Voice and Fi with the same Google account, set up call forwarding on the Google Voice settings page. To sign up for Fi, go to fi.google.com or download the Fi app.

Rollout pace

Availability

• Available to all Google Voice & Google Fi users

Resources

What’s changing

At Google Cloud Next in 2019, we launched Currents in beta. On July 6, 2020, we’ll make it generally available to G Suite customers.

If your domain is currently participating in the Currents beta, your experience will remain the same. If your domain uses Google+, you’ll be automatically upgraded to Currents, which has an updated look and feel and provides additional features for users and administrators.

Please note that starting on July 6, users will not be able to opt out of Currents or revert back to Google+.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why it’s important

Currents offers a more streamlined experience that makes it easy for employees to have meaningful discussions across an organization and to view suggestions for useful and timely content. It provides users access to new features, including custom streams and tags. In addition, Currents allows super admins to enable content moderation and administrative privileges for specific users in their organization.

Additional details

If you’re currently participating in the Currents beta, your experience will remain the same. If your organization uses Google+, however, you can expect the following as you transition to Currents:

• Starting July 6, 2020, your users and all of your organization’s existing Google+ content will be automatically transitioned to Currents. Your users will have no option to revert back to Google+.
• The Currents Android and iOS apps will replace the Google+ Android and iOS apps, which will no longer be supported. Users will be prompted to upgrade to the new Currents app to continue to use the service on mobile; those who have auto-update enabled will be automatically upgraded.
• All existing links to plus.google.com will continue to work—users will automatically be redirected to currents.google.com.
• In the days prior to the switch, users may see a banner in Google+ notifying them of the launch and providing links to relevant Help Center content.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

• Available to all G Suite customers

Resources

Roadmap

What’s changing 

Starting on July 7, 2020, we will make phone verification prompts the primary 2-Step Verification (2SV) method for all eligible users, unless they are already using security keys as their 2SV method of choice. This means that if you sign in to your Google account and are also signed in on a smartphone, you will be asked to follow phone prompts to verify the login attempt. This will help increase account security while making it easier to sign in.

This won’t apply if you use a security key to protect your account. You’ll also still be able to use other methods (such as a code received by text) by selecting a different method during the phone prompt verification steps.

Phone prompts verify your sign-in attempt via your smartphone 

Who’s impacted 

End users

Why it’s important 

Phone prompts, also known as “on-device prompts,” are more secure than text or voice codes as a form of 2-Step Verification. They’re also easier to use, as they avoid requiring users to manually enter a code received on another device. By making prompts the primary method for more users, we hope to help them take advantage of the additional security without having to manually change settings—though they can still use other methods of 2-Step Verification if they prefer.

Additional details 

How phone prompts work 
After you enter your password to sign in to your Google Account, Google sends a “Trying to sign in?” prompt to every eligible mobile device where you’re signed in. This prompt tells you when and where your password was entered, and then asks you to confirm or block the sign-in attempt by simply tapping your mobile device. You can still select a different verification method during sign-in if one is available on your account. You’ll also stop receiving prompts on a phone if you sign out of that phone. Learn more about phone prompts.

Users with security keys are excluded from this change 
Users will not have prompts as their primary 2SV method in two situations:

• If an organization enforces the “Only security key” 2-Step Verification option for a user, there will be no change and the user will continue to be required to use security keys. 
• If a user currently has, or at any point in the future adds, a security key on their account, the security key verification will be presented as the primary method. 

Additionally, if a user doesn’t have 2-Step Verification turned on, this will not apply.

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

• Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal accounts. 

Resources 

What’s changing

As announced, we’re bringing Meet in Gmail to mobile. In early July 2020, we’ll launch this change to G Suite users by introducing a dedicated Meet tab in the Gmail iOS and Android mobile apps. This means users can join secure video meetings directly in Gmail without needing to open another app on their phone.

We’ll let you know on the G Suite Updates blog when this change starts rolling out.

Who’s impacted

End users

Why you’d use it

Meet in Gmail will allow users to start a new meeting, join a meeting by entering the meeting code, or join upcoming meetings scheduled in Google Calendar without leaving the Gmail app.

Additional details

Meet in Gmail is already available on the web. This launch introduces the same functionality, and more new features, in the Gmail mobile apps. Note that as we get closer to the launch, your users may notice the following when they try to join meetings from their phones:

• When they click on a Meet link from their Android or iOS device, they’ll be directed to the Gmail app to join the meeting.
• The look and feel of the Meet app will be updated but the functionality will still be intuitive.

Note that if you click on a link in the Meet app, you will still stay in Meet and not be redirected
to the Gmail app.These changes will roll out over the next few weeks.

Please note, during this rollout the experience for iOS users may differ. iOS users may see the Gmail app launch briefly and then close when they click on a Meet link. They’ll then be redirected to join the meeting in the Meet app. Joining meetings in the Meet app will only happen during the rollout phase and IOS users will eventually be able to join the meeting directly in Gmail.

Users with the Meet service turned off and EDU users who have video call creation turned off will not be able to see the Meet tab in Gmail or join meetings in Gmail app.

Getting started

• Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
• End users: Meet in Gmail on mobile will be ON by default when users update their Gmail app. Users can hide the Meet tab inside of the Gmail app in their Gmail settings by deselecting “Show the Meet tab for video calling” under “Meet.”

Rollout pace

Availability

• Available to all G Suite customers with the Meet service turned on
• Users with a G Suite for Education account that is enabled to create Meet video meetings will have the Meet tab enabled in Gmail. EDU accounts that are not able to create Meet video meetings will not see the Meet tab in Gmail and should use the Meet mobile app on Android or iOS instead.

Resources

Quick launch summary

Google Meet can now be controlled independently of classic Hangouts chat in the Admin console. Please make sure your service settings are prepared by following the steps in the Help Center.

You can find more information about this change in an email that was sent to your domain’s primary admin between the 11th and 18th of May 2020.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Meet video calling on or off for your organization.

End users: End users are not impacted by this change.

Rollout pace

Availability

• Applies to all G Suite customers

Resources

Quick launch summary

You can now edit Google Calendar events in the quick-access side panel in Gmail and Docs, without having to go to the full Calendar page in your browser. You can even use “Find a Time” to see others’ calendar availability when scheduling events.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Calendar in the side panel.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on June 11, 2020
• Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on June 24, 2020

Availability

• Available to all G Suite customers

Resources