Google Chat file and image sharing can now be disabled by Workspace admins

Abner Li | Jul 26 2021 - 2:03 pm PT

Google Chat conversations let you quickly schedule a Calendar event, add a file from Drive, or start a Meet call. The secondary file and image-sharing options in Google Chat can now be disabled by Workspace admins.

Files often contain confidential information, and some organizations, particularly in regulated industries, need to control the flow of this information within and outside of their organization. With this launch, admins now have more ability to help manage sharing in specific scenarios.

With the new “Chat File Sharing” control in the Google Admin console, your organization can choose between three options: Allow all files, Images only, or No files. The UI in the chat box will change depending on what’s permitted. Additionally, users will be informed with error messages on both the Android and iOS apps, as well as the web clients (Gmail and standalone Google Chat).

Admins can further set independent preferences for communication “Internal” to a Workspace domain and chats with people outside.

These policies will have no impact on links. For example, sharing links to Google Drive files or giphy links will all continue to work. Emojis will also not be impacted.

The new setting will be available for admins of Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Enterprise Essentials over the coming days. The following tiers are currently excluded:

Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.