A new version (v4.2.1) of Google Apps Directory Sync (GADS) is now available:

What’s Fixed 

• Fixed an issue where GADS wasn't updating the a user’s primary organization value, when the primary organization previously existed but didn't originate from GADS. 
• Fixed an issue where GADS wasn't saving the custom email address attribute defined in the license sync configuration. 

Check out the Help Center for more details and download the latest version of GADS.

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: 
Admin action required (download the latest version of GADS)

More Information 
GADS Overview
What’s New in GADS

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

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Google Drive allows users to easily share files with collaborators through access control permissions and sharable links. With this launch, we are making it even easier to turn on file sharing in Drive on the web. Just select a file and click on the “Get sharable link” icon on the top right-hand side menu. You’ll then have the option to turn on link sharing with one click on the toggle switch.* The sharing link will then be copied to the clipboard for easy distribution and will provide view access to anyone in your domain who receives the link.

To prevent accidental over-sharing, the user will see an animation when clicking the toggle switch that makes it clear that the permissions are being changed to allow the link to be shared with view access with those who will be receiving it. In addition, there is a confirmation message that appears on the screen, alerting users of the change in permissions, and giving them the option to easily undo it.
*Note: this post was edited on April 5, 2016 to reflect a change in the default behavior

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in three weeks

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

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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Last year, we launched the new Google Contacts preview to consumer users with several time-saving improvements, such as a rebuilt “Find duplicates” feature, automatic updating of contacts with shared Google profile information, as well as a fresh look and feel. Now, we’re pleased to announce that several new improvements have been added at the request of Google Apps users and we’re making it possible for Apps admins to enable the Google Contacts preview for their users from the Admin console.

Getting started with the new Google Contacts preview

This new Admin console setting is off by default, giving admins full flexibility to enable the new Contacts preview on their own schedule. To enable this feature in the Admin console, click on Apps > Google Apps > Contacts> Advanced settings. Once enabled, all users will see the new Google Contacts by default and will have the ability to switch back to the old Google Contacts by using the “Leave the Contacts preview” link from the More section of the left-hand navigation menu.

After enabling this feature, when users next visit Google Contacts they will see the new UI and a “warm welcome” splash page will guide them through the new features.

Key improvements

Easily get rid of duplicates: No one likes having duplicate contacts, but they inevitably crop up. So we’ve rebuilt our “Find duplicates” feature from the ground up to provide a quick and painless way to clean up your duplicates.

Improved Domain Directory: The directory is easier to navigate through a more intuitive and faster “infinite” scroll.

Automatically Updated Contacts: Users can keep their contacts up to date automatically with shared information from the domain directory, Google+ (if enabled), and more. In addition, Google Contacts also now supports high resolution photographs.

Limitations and switching back to the old Contacts

The following features are not yet available in the new Google Contacts:

• User Custom Fields
• Contact delegation
• Editing group email preferences
• Print

When people try to use these features, they will be prompted with a message that these features are not supported as of yet and presented with a link to go back to the old Google Contacts.
To opt-out and switch back to the old Google Contacts, users can click More > Leave the Contacts preview from the left-hand navigation of the Google Contacts preview.


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

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

Impact: All end users

Action: Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information
FAQ: Contacts preview


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

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The latest version of the Google Admin app for Android brings many of the mobile device management (MDM) capabilities you love on your computer to your mobile phone or tablet. With this launch, you don’t need to be at your desk to view a list of your domain’s managed devices and to activate, block, delete, or wipe them. Because many of these actions may impact the security of your organization’s data, it’s important to be able to perform them anywhere, anytime. Now you can.


In addition to these MDM features, the latest Admin app for Android automatically stores your preferences in the Cloud. Should you get a new device or uninstall (and then reinstall) the Admin app, your preferences will be restored.

Check out the Help Center for more information, and download the latest version of the Admin app for Android on Google Play.

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

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins only

Action:
Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Manage your users' devices from an Android device

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

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We know that it often takes too long to find the item you’re looking for in the Admin console. To simplify your searches, we’re launching natural-language-based, “free form” queries in the Admin console. Starting today, you can pose questions in everyday language or enter commonly used words into the Admin console search box, then choose from a list of suggested results to navigate directly to your intended destination. There’s no need to jump from page to page! In addition to the tasks, users, and groups that would previously show up as search results, you’ll now see specific settings and prominent Help Center articles listed as well.



Check out the Help Center article below for more information on how you can save time searching the Admin console.

Please note that this feature is currently available for English-language searches only. Support for additional languages is coming soon; stay tuned!

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

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins only

Action:
Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Use natural language search

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

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New versions of the Google Sheets and Slides apps for iOS are available in the App Store. With these updates, you can now:

• View and modify existing filters in the Google Sheets iOS app.

• Change the theme or layout of a presentation in the Google Slides iOS app.

Check out the Help Center articles below for more information.
Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Sort and filter data on iPhone and iPad
Help Center: Customize a slide with layouts and themes

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

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Updated versions of the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android are now available on Google Play. Check out what’s new below:

In the Sheets Android app, you can now:

• Send a copy of or save a spreadsheet as an HTML web page file (provided in a .ZIP folder) from the Share & export menu.

• Save the sheet you’re currently viewing as a .CSV or .TSV file from the Share & export menu.

• View Google Drawings in spreadsheets (note that Drawings will not be visible in frozen rows and columns).

In the Slides Android app, you can now:

• Send a copy of or download the slide you’re currently viewing as a .JPEG, .PNG, or .SVG file from the Share & export menu.

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

Rollout pace: 
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: View and create spreadsheets on Android
Help Center: Use the Google Slides app for Android

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

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A new version of the Google Drive for Android app is available in Google Play. New features include:

• Swipe to preview: You can now swipe through your Drive folders faster while in preview. This lets you quickly scan through all your favorite Google Drive files.

• Reverse Sort: We’ve heard feedback that you want more flexibility in how files are sorted. We’re adding the popular request to allow reverse sorting. Simply tap the sort column at the top of Drive to swap the sort order.
  
• Instantly edit with your favorite apps: If you have an editor app installed on your device, you can now jump into the editor directly from the file preview in Google Drive. This is great if you want to make changes on the fly and have those changes saved back to Google Drive. Some common editor apps include Google Photos, Google Docs, and more.

Launch Details

Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

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

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Get the latest Google Drive Android app on Google Play

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

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Google Hangouts video calls make it easy to connect and interact to get things done. With today’s update, to make it easier to connect with more people, we’re raising the participant limit for Hangouts video calls from 15 to 25 for Google Apps customers.

To help ensure a high quality experience on a variety of computers, only the 10 most active video call participants will have their video feeds visible at the bottom of the screen at any given time.

No action is required to make use of this new participant limit. Check out the Help Center for more information on Hangouts video calls.

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

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

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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We know that businesses today don’t operate in isolation; employees work not only with one another, but with third-party vendors, clients, customers, and other businesses as well—and often on a temporary basis. To keep your organization’s information safe in these situations, we’re introducing the ability to set an “expiration date” for specific user access to files in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

For instance, imagine your business hires an outside contractor for a project lasting three months. To complete the job, that contractor needs to view a spreadsheet containing the contact information of your employees. Following this launch, you’ll be able to share your employee list in Sheets with the contractor, give them view access only, and set that access to expire when their contract does (in three months). If the contractor attempts to open the spreadsheet after the expiration date has passed, they’ll be denied access.


This functionality, coupled with the Information Rights Management (IRM) features we launched last July, should significantly increase the security of your organization’s documents and information.

Please note that you’ll only be able to set expiration dates for users with comment or view access; you will not be able to set expiration dates for file owners or users with edit access.

IMPORTANT: This feature will roll out gradually over the course of two to three months; please note that you may not see the feature in your domains until mid- to late Q2 2016.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (2–3 months for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Change your sharing settings in Google Drive
Help Center: Share Google Drive files and folders

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

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Launch detail categories
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