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Update
[March 30, 2023]: This rollout for this feature is now complete.

[May 10, 2022]: Rollout for this feature is now complete for customers in the US. We will share another update when rollout begins for all other regions as soon as possible.

[March 8, 2022]: Rollout for this feature has been temporarily paused. We apologize for the delay and we will share an update once rollout resumes.

What’s changing 

We’re adding a card onto the New Tab Page in your Chrome browser that will surface relevant files from your Google Drive, making it easier and more efficient to find the files you need.  

In 2019, we launched the ability for some users to quickly search for files in the Chrome browser URL bar. Today, we’re taking that experience one step further by bringing intelligent file suggestions directly into your New Tab Page in Chrome . 


Search for files in the Chrome browser URL bar

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

End users will be able to access their highest priority Drive files straight from the Chrome Desktop new tab page. The easily accessible interface will save end user time and mental load to navigate to relevant files. 

Getting started

Admins: 

  • This feature will be ON by default and can be disabled at the domain/OU/group level as long as the default New Tab Page experience is available to our users. This feature will not impact users for whom admins who have set a different New Tab Page experience using Chrome policies. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Google Drive cards on or off for your organization. 


Allow or disable Google file suggestions

End users: 

  • This feature will be on by default as long as users have not changed their New Tab Page experience. It can be disabled and re-enabled by the user by clicking the ‘Customize Chrome’ button in the bottom right of the new tab page. 

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers. 
  • Also available to users with personal Google Accounts. 

Resources

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What’s changing 
Google Drive stores your most important files, whether they are Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, images or the hundreds of other file types we support today. Today, we are announcing more ways to make sure you can make them all accessible to you even when your internet connection is unavailable. 

In 2019, we launched a beta which enabled you to mark non-Google file types, like PDFs, images and Microsoft Office files, available offline when using Google Drive on the web. Now, we’re making this functionality generally available. When you mark these files available offline, you can easily open these files from your browser even when you aren’t connected to the internet.

Easily find files offline


 

ChromeOS users can now also use the easily accessible Files app on their Chromebook to select Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files to be available when offline. This streamlined access eliminates the need to open Google Drive or Google Docs to select files to make them available offline. 

Find files offline
 

Who’s impacted 
Admins and end users 
 
Why you’d use it 
Users can access all of their important Drive files while offline such as when they’re traveling or when there’s poor internet connectivity. 

Additional details 
Non-Google files such as PDFs, images and Microsoft Office files will need to be opened using apps installed on your computer through Google Drive Web when offline. This feature is already available for Google Drive for desktop users. 

Getting started 

Rollout pace 
Availability 
  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as Cloud Identity Free, Cloud Identity Premium, G Suite Basic and Business customers. Available on personal accounts as well. 

Resources 

Roadmap 
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What’s changing 
Earlier this year, we announced that we were working towards unifying our two existing Google Drive sync clients – Backup and Sync and Drive File Stream – into a single sync client called Drive for desktop. By doing this, we’re creating a powerful and unified sync client with the best and most used features from both Backup and Sync and Drive File Stream. 

We also mentioned in this announcement that Google Workspace customers with Backup and Sync users would need to transition these users to Drive for desktop. Now, we want to provide a more detailed timeline for this transition: 

  • Starting July 19, 2021: Backup and Sync will support a guided flow to help users transition onto Drive for desktop. 
  • Starting August 18, 2021: Any users still on Backup and Sync will start to receive in-product notifications prompting them to transition to Drive for desktop. 
  • Starting October 1, 2021: Any users still on Backup and Sync after that point will no longer be able to sign in to Backup and Sync. To continue syncing with Drive and/or Google Photos, users will need to transition to Drive for desktop. 


Users can easily see which files and folders are synced using Drive for desktop 

Who’s impacted 
Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 
Drive for desktop is a unified sync client that provides a consistent experience for anyone who uses Drive, whether for business, education or personal purposes. It enables you to quickly sync and access content directly from Mac or PC, which can save you time by helping you access files and folders in a familiar location. Drive for desktop also automatically syncs local files to the cloud in the background, which minimizes the time you need to spend waiting for files to sync while also freeing up your disk space and saving network bandwidth 


Getting started 
Rollout pace 
  • Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: 
    • Starting July 19, 2021: Backup and Sync will support a guided flow to help users transition onto Drive for desktop. 
    • Starting August 18, 2021: Any users still on Backup and Sync will start to receive in-product notifications prompting them to transition to Drive for desktop. 
    • Starting October 1, 2021: Any users still on Backup and Sync after that point will no longer be able to sign in to Backup and Sync. To continue syncing with Drive and/or Google Photos, users will need to transition to Drive for desktop. 
Applicability 
  • Applicable to Backup & Sync users at all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers. This is also applicable to users with personal Google Accounts, and these users can learn more in this Keyword blog post. 
Resources 
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Quick launch summary 
You can now restrict the use of Google Drive for desktop to company owned devices. This functionality was previously available in beta. 

Drive for desktop (formerly known as Drive File Stream) is a simple and efficient way for users to access Drive data on Windows and Mac devices. This launch more fully integrates it with Google endpoint management, and enables admins to restrict use to company-owned devices only. This helps admins to ensure users can access the files they need safely and efficiently whether they’re online or offline, while helping to protect corporate data on devices. 


Getting started 
  • Admins: This feature will be off by default. To turn it on for your organization or specific OUs, go to Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs > Features and Applications. Visit our Help Center to learn more about using Drive for desktop with Google endpoint management. 
  • End users: No end user impact unless configured by an administrator. If personal (not company-owned) devices already have Drive for desktop when the admin restricts usage for your account, devices will lose access after they're restarted or Drive for desktop checks the device's compliance (a maximum of 3 hours), whichever comes first. 

Rollout pace 
  • This feature is available now for all users. 
Availability 
  • Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Frontline, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers. 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, and Enterprise Essentials, and Nonprofits customers. 
Resources 
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What’s changing 
In the coming months, we’ll make some changes to the solutions we offer to access Google Drive files and keep them in sync on your desktop. There is no immediate action required, but we suggest familiarizing yourself with the changes and plans described below. 

Currently, we have two sync solutions available—Drive File Stream, which was built for business users, and Backup and Sync, which was built for consumer users. 

Some of our Google Workspace customers have deployed both sync solutions, which can be confusing for end users and challenging for IT departments to manage. To address this, we're planning to unify these sync clients later in 2021, bringing the most used features from both Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync to all of our users. Check out the Additional details section below for more information, and sign up to preview the unified sync client in beta. 


Who’s impacted 
Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 
We’re planning to unify our sync clients and bring all of our customers the best and most used features from both Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync. This will create a powerful and unified sync client for anyone who uses Drive, whether for business or personal purposes, and will: 
  • Make it easier for admins and IT teams to manage deployments 
  • Reduce user confusion around which app to use 
  • Result in better performance for end users 
The beta for the new unified client will help organizations currently using Backup and Sync understand how the new client will work prior to it becoming generally available later in 2021. 


Additional details 

Drive File Stream is now Google Drive for desktop 
As of version 45, Drive File Stream is known as Google Drive for desktop. This is simply a name change; all functionality will remain the same and most admins and end users won’t need to take any action to continue using the client. See our release notes for more details. 


Backup and Sync functionality and users will be transitioned to a new version of Drive for desktop later this year 
Later this year, Backup and Sync users will need to transition to Drive for desktop, the unified sync client. Until then, we’re working to incorporate features from Backup and Sync into the new solution and to make it as easy as possible for users. 

We’ll announce when Drive for desktop is ready for Backup and Sync users. We will share more details later this year on how Backup and Sync users can get started with Drive for desktop. We will provide 3 months’ notice for Google Workspace admins and end users before the deadline to transition to Drive for desktop. The transition will be self-serve for end users. More details on consumer timelines will be announced closer to availability. Visit our Help Center to learn more about which features will be transitioned to Drive for desktop. 


Google Workspace customers can now preview the new Drive for desktop client in beta 
Google Workspace customers with end users who are currently using Backup and Sync can apply for a beta of the new unified Drive for desktop experience, which includes Backup and Sync features. Learn more, and sign up for the beta. 


Getting started 
  • End users: The name change from Drive File Stream to Drive for desktop will take place by default. Functionality won’t change, and there is no user action required. 
    • Note that there’s also no action required for Backup & Sync users with personal Google accounts at this time. 

Rollout pace 
Drive File Stream renaming to Drive for desktop 

Drive for desktop unified client beta 

Availability 
  • Drive for desktop is available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, Nonprofits customers, and users with personal Accounts. 
  • The beta for the new unified client is available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers who currently have users with the Backup and Sync deployed. 

Resources 
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Quick launch summary 
You can now share folders in shared drives. Previously, this feature was available in beta. 

Shared drives empower teams and organizations to store, access, and collaborate on files. With this launch, you can share a specific folder with other users, or upgrade member access to provide users with additional permissions on specific folders within shared drives. 

At launch, the feature is available via Drive on the web, the Drive API, Drive File Stream (v. 42+) and the latest Google Drive apps for iOS (v. 4.2020.36202+) and Android (v. 2.20.321+). It will be available through the native file system on ChromeOS with an upcoming release. 

See our beta announcement for more details and examples of how you could use the feature. 

Some updates and reminders from the beta post: 
  • Commenter role available in My Drive: In order to align My Drive and shared drives, ‘Commenter’ roles will now be available for folders in My Drive. Previously, only Viewer and Editor were available.
  • Manager role required to move folders between shared drives: As explained in our previous post, moving folders between shared drives are only allowed for users who are managers on both the original as well as the target location. 

Getting started 
Rollout pace 

Availability

  • Available to G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education, G Suite for Nonprofits, and G Suite Essentials customers 
  • Not available to G Suite Basic customers
Resources Roadmap 
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What’s changing Last year, we announced a beta for shortcuts in Google Drive. This feature is now generally available and has started rolling out to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google Accounts. 

Shortcuts in Drive make it easier to organize content and point users to relevant information and files across various drives.
Who’s impacted Admins, end users, and developers

Why you’d use it 
Shortcuts are pointers to content that can be stored in another folder or drive, a shared drive, or an individual user's “My Drive.”

For example, Paul, a marketing manager, creates a “Marketing Strategy” document and shares it with the sales team. Greta, the sales manager, can now create a shortcut to the document in the “Sales” shared drive, enabling everyone on the sales team to quickly and easily access the file.

Additional details 
Shortcut visibility and sharing permissions 
Shortcuts are visible to anyone who has access to the folder or drive containing the shortcut. Even if someone can see the shortcut, however, they can only open it if they have the appropriate access to the original file or folder.

Simplifying how files and folders appear in multiple locations 
In order to create a consistent experience for managing and viewing reference files across Drive, we’ve changed the “Add to My Drive” option to “Add shortcut to Drive.”


Changes to Drive’s folder structure and sharing model starting September 30 
Starting September 30, 2020, it will no longer be possible to place a file in multiple folders in My Drive, including via the Drive API. Going forward, every file will live in a single location.

After September 30, 2020, all files already living in multiple locations in My Drive will gradually be migrated to shortcuts.

No admin or end user action is required. We recommend developers read more about this and other Drive API changes on the Cloud blog.

Getting started 


Rollout pace Drive Web



Drive Android/iOS

  • Gradual rollout starting on March 26, 2020. Requires app version 2.20.10 and up for Android and 4.2020.08 and up for iOS 


Drive File Stream

  • This feature is already available and requires app version 37.0 and up 


Backup and Sync

  • This feature is already available and requires app version 3.46 and up 


Availability 
  • Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google Accounts 


Resources 


Roadmap 
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Quick launch summaryEarlier this year, we gave admins more control over their corporate data by integrating controls for Drive File Stream in Google’s device management interface. The option to restrict the use of Drive File Stream to company owned-devices only is now available to opt into.

Admins can access the setting by going to the Admin console and navigating to Apps > G Suite > Settings for Drive and Docs > Features and Applications. Then, select “Allow Drive File Stream in your Organization” and “Only allow Drive File Stream on authorized devices (Beta)".
AvailabilityG Suite editions

  • Available to all G Suite editions


On/off by default?

  • This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the OU level.



Stay up to date with G Suite launches
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Update (December 5, 2019): The option to restrict the use of Drive File Stream to company-owned devices is now available. See this post for more details.

Update (July 10, 2019): We’re still working on the feature that allows you to restrict use of Drive File Stream to company-owned devices only. We’ll update this post when that feature becomes available. We apologize for the delay!




This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘19 in San Francisco. Check out Next OnAir to tune into the livestream or watch session recordings following the event.

What’s changing We’re giving admins more control over their corporate data by integrating controls for Drive File Stream into Google’s device management interface. Drive File Stream streams data between devices and the cloud to ensure users can access the files they need safely and efficiently whether they’re online or offline. Device management helps you easily manage and protect corporate data on devices.
This integration will allow admins to:

  • Control which devices can use Drive File Stream by restricting use to company-owned devices only. 
  • See the status of Drive File Stream on a device (size of the offline content cache, software version, time of last sync etc.). 
  • Remotely block the device and wipe the account specific offline content cache from a machine should it become lost or they no longer want Drive File Stream to be used on the device. 


Who’s impacted Admins only

Why you’d use it Drive File Stream is a simple and efficient way for users to access Drive data on Windows and Mac devices. This integration provides tools for administrators to gain extra visibility into how it’s used in their organization, and ensure corporate data is protected by controlling which devices can be used to access Drive File Stream. With the ability to block or wipe drive cache with a few clicks, admins have more control on over remediation activities.

How to get started 
  • Admins: 
    • To see the Drive File Stream information for specific devices in the Admin console at Admin console > Device Management > Devices. 
    • To restrict Drive File Stream to company owned devices, go to Admin console > Apps > G Suite > Drive and Docs > Features and Applications > Drive File Stream > Only allow Drive File Stream on authorized devices. 
    • To manually approve new Drive File Stream installations, go to Admin console > Device management > Setup > Device Approvals > Requires Admin approval 
  • End users: No action needed. Notifications are sent to the user when a device is blocked, account is wiped, or if a device is pending approval. 


Additional details Control which devices can use Drive File Stream 
If you do not choose to manually approve devices before they can use Drive File Stream (see above), there will be no change to how your users set up Drive File Stream today unless the device also has a pending admin approval for Endpoint Verification. However, you will still be able to block and wipe Drive File Stream data from the devices. If you activate the “Requires Admin approval” setting, devices with Drive File Stream already installed will be grandfathered to continue working, unless the device also has a pending admin approval for endpoint verification.

See the status of Drive File Stream on devices 
With the new integration, you can see and manage the Drive File Stream information for specific devices in the Admin console at Admin console > Device Management > Devices. You’ll be able to see information such as the Drive File Stream offline content cache size, when Drive File Stream last synced, the device model, OS and more.

Remotely block the device and wipe the Drive File Stream data 
If a device is lost or you don’t want Drive File Stream to be used on a device, you can block the device. If you do this, all Drive File Stream data will be wiped, and the device will not be able to re-login and access Drive File Stream again.


You can see and manage Drive File Stream information in the Devices section of the Admin console. 


New admin policies to control the use of Drive File Stream 

Helpful links 




Availability Rollout details

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially more than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on April 10, 2019.
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially more than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on April 10, 2019. 


G Suite editions 

  • Available to all G Suite editions. 


On/off by default? 

  • By default, devices will be able to use Drive File Stream without specific approval. You can require manual approval by adjusting the endpoint verification setting as described here. 
  • Devices already using Drive File Stream will be grandfathered to continue working with Drive File Stream, unless the device also has a pending admin approval for Endpoint Verification. 
  • The setting to only allow Drive File Stream on company-owned devices will be OFF by default.


Stay up to date with G Suite launches
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What’s changing We’re updating Drive File Stream to replace the functionality of the “Google Drive plug-in for Microsoft Office.” As a result, the outdated plugin will be shut down on June 26, 2019. This only impacts users of the Google Drive plug-in for Microsoft Office. Those users will notice two key changes:

  1. New Drive / Outlook integration: The update to Drive File Stream will include a plugin to manage Google Drive files from Microsoft Outlook on Windows. This will make it easier for users to use Google Drive without leaving the Outlook interface. 
  2. New process to save to, or open from Drive: Drive File Stream users can save and open Drive files through the regular menu, rather than using the Google Drive plug-in for Microsoft Office interface. 
    • To save to Drive, use File > Save, then choose a destination in Drive File Stream. 
    • To open from Drive, Open through the File > Open menu and find the file you want. 

If your organization uses the Google Drive plug-in for Microsoft Office, you should make sure your users are using the latest version of Drive File Stream before June 26, 2019 to ensure continued access to this functionality.
The new plugin will bring Drive to the Outlook interface 

Who’s impacted Admins and end users

Why you’d use it Drive File Stream offers an easy way to integrate Microsoft Office and Google Drive. The latest versions (30.1 and up) will include the new Outlook plugin that will make it easier for users to:

  • Save attachments from Outlook to Drive 
  • Attach Drive files to Outlook messages 
  • Ensure recipients always have access to Drive links sent in Outlook emails 

Drive File Stream already makes it easy to save to the local Drive File Stream folder through the regular “Save” menu.

By ensuring your users are using the new plugin before June 26, 2019, there will be little to no disruption to their workflows.

How to get started 


Additional details Users of the Drive for Office plugin will see an in-product notification, pictured below, starting on March 27, 2019. This will encourage them to update to the new plugin to continue using Drive from Outlook.


Helpful links 


Availability Rollout details 

  • Rapid Release domains: Available in Drive File Stream version 30.1 and up, which will become available on March 27, 2019. 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Available in Drive File Stream version 30.1 and up, which will become available on March 27, 2019. 


G Suite editions 
Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default? 
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches
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On December 31, 2018, we will discontinue support for Windows XP and Server 2003 in the following Windows-based G Suite data migration and sync tools:
The Windows XP and Server 2003 platforms are no longer supported by Microsoft. If already installed, the G Suite tools will continue to function on these platforms, but will not be actively tested and maintained, and will not receive security updates. If you are still using one of these unsupported platforms, we encourage you to move to a newer version of Windows.

Launch Details
Release track: 
Launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release on December 31, 2018



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On October 17th, 2018, we’ll begin rolling out real-time presence for Microsoft Office files in Google Drive to all G Suite domains. Admin controls for real-time presence are available today.

This feature, included in Drive File Stream, will help you avoid version conflicts when editing Microsoft Office files in Google Drive. Real-time presence will let users know if another user is editing a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file stored in Drive File Stream, in real time. This feature will start rolling out to end users on October 17th.

Avoid version conflicts when editing Microsoft Office files in Drive

Real-time presence will check to see if someone else is viewing or editing a Microsoft Office file while you have it open. It’ll alert you and them to help avoid version conflicts. When conflicts do occur, it’ll help you resolve them with a side-by-side view of the document versions, allowing you to easily merge them into one up-to-date file. For more details and to fully understand the feature:



Admin controls available now

Admins can choose whether to make real-time presence available to their organizations. Admin controls are live today and on by default. Real-time presence can be disabled for an entire domain or for individual organizational units (OUs) within a domain. To change the setting, go to Apps > G Suite > Drive and Docs > Features and Applications > Allow users to enable real-time presence in Microsoft Office from Drive File Stream in the Admin console.

For more granular control, admins can also deploy a configuration setting to enable or disable real-time presence in Microsoft Office on a per-machine basis.

End user feature available after October 17th

On October 17th, Drive File Stream users will begin to see an educational message when opening Office files stored in Drive File Stream. This message (pictured below), explains that real-time presence helps users see who is editing Microsoft Office files stored in Drive. After opting in to this feature, users will begin to see real-time presence status indicators in the bottom right-hand corner of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint windows that are focused in the foreground.
On macOS, enabling real-time presence may require users to grant accessibility permissions. Additionally, some users may be asked to confirm their identity before using real-time presence, by logging in with their G Suite account. Starting October 17th, employees at G Suite organizations will be able to visit our Help Center to learn more about how to use real-time presence.

Launch Details
Release track:
  • Admin console setting launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release today
  • End user feature included in version of Drive File Stream that will become available to both Rapid Release and Schedule Release on October 17th

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins and end users

Action:
Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information
G Suite Updates blog: Avoid version conflicts when editing Microsoft Office files in Drive
Demo video: Real-time presence in Microsoft Office
Help Center: Use work or school files on your computer with Drive File Stream


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In October 2018, we will make several changes to membership roles in Team Drives. Most importantly, we’ll add a new “Content manager” role, which will make it easier to manage files in Team Drives. When it takes effect, Content manager will become the default role for new members of a Team Drive.

Many organizations have asked for this role in Team Drives. To help them take full advantage at launch and reduce manual work, we’re offering a one-time migration to move users who currently have “Edit access” to the Content manager role. G Suite admins can opt in to this migration by filling out this form before September 26th.

Content manager role will make file management easier 

Users with the Content manager role will be able to edit, reorganize, and delete Team Drive content, but they won’t be able to modify Team Drive membership or settings. Content manager will replace “Full access” as the default role for new Team Drive members.

There are some important differences between the permissions for Content managers and users with Edit access that are particularly helpful if you use Drive File Stream:


  • Unlike users with edit access, Content managers will be able to reorganize and delete files in a Team Drive. 
  • Content managers will have read and write access to files in Drive File Stream, allowing them to easily manage Team Drive files through their computer’s file system or the Drive web interface. Users with Edit access won’t have this access and so will still need to access Team Drive files on the web to edit them. 


Optional: Enroll your organization in a one-time role migration by September 26th 

We recommend organizations with Drive File Stream enabled use the new role and consider opting in to the migration. However, no action is required in response to these changes. If you don’t do anything, the roles of Team Drive members in your organization will not change in October. If you opt in to the migration:


  • All individual users and groups in your organization who are members of Team Drives with “Edit access” will become “Content managers.” 
  • External users who are members of Team Drives in your organization will not be migrated, unless they belong to a group that also contains internal users. If they belong to a group that also contains internal users and that group is a member of a Team Drive with “Edit access”, those external users will be migrated to the Content manager role. 


To opt in to the migration, complete this form by September 26th, 2018. Note, this form is no longer available as the opt-in period has ended. 

To access the form, you must be a G Suite admin for your organization and have received an email with the subject line “Introducing a new role in Team Drives.” If you received this email but can’t access the form, please contact G Suite support and reference ID: 78256060.

Migration will take place in October 

If you fill out the form above and enroll your organization in the one-time migration, it will start on October 15th, 2018, for Rapid Release domains and October 29th, 2018, for Scheduled Release domains. It will be a gradual rollout, so it may take up to 15 days after those dates to reach all domains. When the migration takes place, users and admins will not be explicitly notified, but will be able to see the different role description when they look at their Team Drive membership.

Launch Details 
Release track:

  • Migration applications open now until September 26th, 2018 
  • Migration will start on October 15th for Rapid Release domains and October 29th for Scheduled Release domains (for organizations who’ve opted in only) 


Editions:
Available to G Suite Business, Enterprise, Education, Nonprofit, and Enterprise for Education editions only

Rollout pace: 
Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact: 
Migration decision applicable to admins only Full launch in October applicable to all end users 

Action: 
Admin action suggested/FYI and change management suggested/FYI


More Information 
Learning Center: Get started with Team Drives
Form to enroll in one-time Team Drives role migration


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Update (July 27, 2018) - While we previewed this feature as part of our Google Cloud Next 2018 conference agenda, it's not quite ready to launch yet. Keep an eye on the G Suite Updates blog and G Suite release calendar to know when it will be available to G Suite customers.



We’re adding a new feature to Google Drive that lets you see when other people are editing files in Microsoft Office products. This will help you collaborate better and avoid version conflicts. This feature uses the Drive File Stream cloud sync solution. Make sure you’re using Drive File Stream to take advantage.

Avoid version conflicts 

When you open a Microsoft Word, Powerpoint or Excel document in Drive, we’ll check if anyone else is currently editing the document. We’ll then let you know if it’s safe to edit or if you should wait. Drive may tell you:


  • Safe to edit: No one else is editing. 
  • Wait to edit: Other people are editing, so your edits will create multiple, conflicting versions. 
  • New version created: Another editor saved a newer version of the file. 
  • New version created (conflict): While you were editing the file, another editor also edited it. Click for a side-by-side comparison to help you create one version.
See when it's safe to edit a file


If conflicts do happen, compare and resolve side by side

If version conflicts do occur, Drive will show the two document versions and their changes side by side. This unique feature will help you quickly merge the multiple versions into a single, up-to-date document.

Compare conflicting versions to create one up to date document 

We believe this feature will go a long way to eliminating “document collisions,” and reduce the frustration and duplicative work caused when they do occur. We also hope that this makes it easier to collaborate on more file types in Drive.

Use Drive File Stream to see this feature 

This features is a part of Drive File Stream. Drive File Stream is a cloud file sync solution that we believe is best for most G Suite organizations. It lets you stream My Drive and Team Drive files directly from the cloud, which:


  • Makes Drive files available for offline access 
  • Frees up disk space and network bandwidth 
  • Minimizes the amount of company data stored on users’ hard drives 
  • Enables new features such as version conflict alerts for Microsoft files 


See the Help Center for how to choose and deploy a sync solution for Google Drive.

Launch Details 
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release

Editions: 
Available to all G Suite editions 

Rollout pace: 
Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

Impact: 
All end users

Action: 
Change management suggested/FYI



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As previously announced, the old Drive desktop sync client for Mac and PC—a feature officially known as “Google Drive for Mac/PC”—will start to shut down on May 12th, 2018. After May 12th, the sync client may not work for your organization.

Here are some important things to know: 

1. If you haven’t already, upgrade to a newer sync solution. 

This shutdown is happening because we have better sync solutions available for Drive users. G Suite organizations still using Drive for Mac/PC should transition to Drive File Stream. For non-G Suite users, we recommend Backup and Sync. For more information on choosing the right sync solution for your users, check out this Help Center guide.

2. The turn-down will be gradual. 

We will start the shutdown process on May 12th, but it will be gradual and may take several weeks to impact all organizations. After May 12th, however, updates to files may stop syncing between your users’ computers and Drive, so we recommend upgrading by that date.

3. Once the client shuts down for you, the Google Drive folder will stop syncing. 

When the legacy Google Drive desktop sync client shuts down, it will stop syncing the Google Drive folder to Google Drive. The local Drive folder (containing users’ files) will not be deleted from the machine, but changes made inside this folder will no longer sync to Drive. We don’t recommend editing files inside of this folder after May 12th, as it could lead to users misplacing their edited files (not realizing that this folder isn’t syncing to Drive). To avoid confusion, you may want to delete the legacy Google Drive folder. By default, this folder is located at:

  • Windows: “C:\Users\%USER%\Google Drive” 
  • macOS: “/Users/$USER/Google Drive” 


Use caution when deleting this folder, as it may contain content that has not yet been saved or synced.
In addition, after the legacy desktop client shuts down for you, the app will display this dialog when it starts up:
This message will be shown to end users still using the legacy sync client after it is shut down. 

4. After May 12th, Drive File Stream will display a dialog and rename the old Google Drive folder to clarify that the old folder is not syncing. 

If a user signs in to Drive File Stream and it detects that the old Google Drive folder (from the same account) is still present on the machine, it will append “(Not Syncing)” to the old Google Drive folder, and display the following dialog:


After renaming the old Google Drive folder, Drive File Stream will display this dialog. 
If you don’t want your users to see this dialog, you may remove the old Google Drive folder before May 12th.

After May 12th, if you choose to automate the removal of “~/Google Drive/”, you should remove “~/Google Drive (Not Syncing)/” as well. Note that for users who use Drive File Stream in another language, this folder name will be localized.

It’s important to note that while this folder name change is intended to discourage users from editing files inside the old Google Drive folder, it does not prevent users from making changes in it. We strongly encourage administrators to educate their end users to use Drive File Stream, and not the old Google Drive folder.

More Information 
Blog post (Sept 2017): Drive File Stream launching to all G Suite customers 
Blog post (Jan 2018): Legacy Google Drive desktop sync client now shutting down on May 12th, 2018
Help Center: Deploy Drive File Stream
Help Center: Choose a sync solution


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When we launched Drive File Stream last year, we announced that the Drive desktop sync client for Mac and PC—a feature officially known as “Google Drive for Mac/PC”—would shut down completely on March 12th, 2018. In response to your feedback, we’re delaying that shutdown date to May 12th, 2018.

We encourage enterprise organizations still using Drive for Mac/PC to transition to Drive File Stream. For non-G Suite users, we recommend Backup and Sync. For more information on choosing the right sync solution for your users, check out this Help Center guide.

To help with the transition, on January 30th we’ll start showing pop-up notifications to G Suite accounts still using Drive for Mac/PC. These notifications will include instructions on how to install Drive File Stream. They’ll only be shown if your domain both allows Drive File Stream and shows Drive File Stream download links in the Drive interface.

IMPORTANT: This shutdown has no impact on other Google Drive services.

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Update (March 22, 2018): This post has been updated to reflect that Google Drive for Mac/PC will now stop working on May 12, 2018 (previously March 12, 2018). See this post for details on the date change.

Update (September 26, 2017): Drive File Stream is now available to users in domains for which it is enabled. See the post below for more details.




Launched to early adopters in March, Drive File Stream is a new desktop application that allows you to quickly access all of your Google Drive files on demand, directly from your computer, meaning you use almost none of your hard drive space and spend less time waiting for files to sync.

Starting today, you’ll see settings in the Admin console for Drive File Stream (located at Apps > G Suite > Drive and Docs > Data Access). Note—these settings won’t go into effect for your users until Tuesday, September 26th, when Drive File Stream becomes generally available.


As of today, Drive File Stream will be turned ON for all customers, but we’ll only show download links in the Drive interface if you currently show them for Backup and Sync / Google Drive for Mac/PC. For more information on how to turn Drive File Stream on or off in your domain, check out the Help Center.

With this launch, Google Drive for Mac/PC is officially deprecated. It will no longer be supported starting on December 11th, 2017, and it will shut down completely on May 12th, 2018. We encourage you to use Drive File Stream. As an alternative to or in addition to installing Drive File Stream, you can upgrade to the new version of Drive for Mac/PC, called Backup and Sync.

A few important things to note:

  • In October, Drive for Mac/PC users may start seeing messages in the product notifying them that Drive for Mac/PC is going away.
  • If a user is running both Drive File Stream and Backup and Sync on the same machine, they’ll be prompted to stop syncing My Drive with Backup and Sync in order to save disk space.
  • Team Drive editors won’t be able to edit their Team Drive files when they’re opened in Drive File Stream; they’ll only be able to view them. To edit these files, they’ll need to open them in Drive on the web. 

Check out the Help Center for more information on Drive File Stream, including:

  • A side-by-side feature comparison with Backup and Sync.
  • Instructions for turning on Drive File Stream and deploying it to your organization.
  • Sample emails you can send to your users with more information.
  • FAQs.

Say goodbye to time-consuming file syncing and any concerns about disk space. With Drive File Stream, all your files are always ready for you and your colleagues.

Launch Details
Release track:

  • Drive File Stream Admin console settings launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release on September 6th, 2017; Drive File Stream launching to end users on both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release on September 26th, 2017
  • Support for Google Drive for Mac/PC ending on December 11th, 2017; Google Drive for Mac/PC to stop working on May 12, 2018

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:

  • Admin console settings
    • Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)
  • Availability for end users
    • Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) 

Impact: 
Admins and end users

Action:
Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Deploy Drive File Stream


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Update (July 12th, 2017): Backup and Sync is now available to users in domains on the Rapid and Scheduled Release tracks. Please reference our post on The Keyword, as well the post and Help Center articles below, for more information.

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In the coming weeks, we will launch Backup and Sync from Google, a tool intended to help everyday users back up files and photos from their computers, so they’re safe and accessible from anywhere. Backup and Sync is the latest version of Google Drive for Mac/PC, which is now integrated with the Google Photos desktop uploader. As such, it will respect any current Drive for Mac/PC settings in the Admin console.


Backup and Sync is primarily intended for consumer users. We recommend that our G Suite customers continue to use Drive for Mac/PC until our new enterprise-focused solution, Drive File Stream (currently in EAP), is made generally available to all G Suite Basic, Business, Enterprise, Education, and Nonprofit domains later this year. Drive File Stream will allow users to access huge corporate data sets without taking up the equivalent space on their hard drives.

With that in mind, we will not automatically upgrade G Suite users from Drive for Mac/PC to Backup and Sync at this time. If you currently allow your users to install Drive for Mac/PC on their own computers, they will be able to download and upgrade to Backup and Sync when it launches. If you don’t currently allow Google Drive for Mac/PC in your organization, your users won’t be able to use Backup and Sync with their G Suite accounts.

For more details, check out the resources below following the launch. If you’re interested in trying Drive File Stream, sign up for the Early Adopter Program (EAP) today.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release on July 12th

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Install Google Drive for Mac/PC
Help Center: Back up and sync files with Google Drive
Help Center: Delete and restore files in Google Drive
Help Center: Fix problems syncing to your computer
Help Center: Stop syncing Google Drive files with Backup and Sync 



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Google Drive for Mac/PC — the app that syncs your computer with Google Drive — is an easy way to make sure your files are safe and accessible from anywhere. Today, we are releasing a new feature in the Google Apps Toolbox that makes troubleshooting Google Drive for Mac/PC easier and faster for Google Apps admins.

Today, if you are investigating even common problems with Google Drive, it can be a challenge, because even though Google Drive for Mac/PC generates a very rich log file that contains the error message, it’s also nested in the middle of many other log messages.

That's why we created Loganalyzer for Google Drive, a tool to help you diagnose common problems with Google Drive.

Benefits:

  • No need to upload large files, the file is analyzed in the browser
  • Instant scrolling, even with large log files
  • Instant and powerful log filtering
  • It detects Known issues and common configuration pitfalls automatically.
  • It provides suggestions and workarounds.

Loganalyzer for Google Drive is based on the same knowledge and technology our Technical Support team uses, and we thought sharing this tool would be useful for Google Apps admins and power Google Drive users to be able to diagnose their issues more easily.

To get started, visit the Google Apps toolbox, a collection of tools that every Google Apps admin should bookmark.


Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins only

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More information
Help Center


Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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