Google Apps - Organizations and Chat settings

This is another quick set of instructions on how to access and configure settings within the Google Admin Console. Our topic today is: Talk/Hangouts. 

First, access the Admin Console (admin.google.com)

 Navigate to Google Apps...

 Then Talk/Hangouts...

Finally the Sharing settings of Talk/Hangouts...

From here, you can select between any of your organizations created in the Admin Console to select the behavior of Talk/Hangouts. If for any reason an organization needs to have this access limited, disable Hangouts chat. Vice-versa, keep the App enabled for any organization needing access. 

The original reason I needed to know this: A user was complaining of difficulty using Chat while logged into his email. After investigating and with a ticket request from Google, I stumbled upon the settings discussed in this blog post. This user was in an organization that had it's Enable Hangouts chat disabled. Once re-enabled, chat behavior returned to normal for him. We do not recall any time that one of us (sys admins) would have gone in to specifically disable his organization, so if Chat begins behaving funny or seemingly not working: this is a good setting to check on. Cheerio.

Google Apps - Blocking a sender with Gmail

This is a quick set of instruction for where to locate the configuration for adding a domain (or user) to the blocked list for your domain when using Google Mail as your mail provider.

Access the Admin console

Select Google Apps

Select Gmail

Select User Settings

Select Blocked senders in the Spam section of User settings. This is where you will add the domain or user to block from sending to your Google Mail domain. 

You need to add a new list (I used the name of the domain I wanted to block) and then add the domain to this list. 

Select Edit on the new list created and add the domain you wish to block. 

The newly added domain will be blocked once you select Save (from the configuration) and Save Changes (in User Settings).