Android Enterprise Updates from Google Cloud Next
Busy week for Google with Google Cloud Next in full swing.
There's quite a lot already to be excited about and some of it is highly relevant to Android Enterprise.
Let’s dive into the main updates so far:
🕶 Android Enterprise management for Android XR devices
You may well have already seen this one; we covered it in the community back in April, but it's worth a recap given the spotlight Google Cloud Next has put on it. If you want a full breakdown, Lizzie's post has you covered, but the short version is: the same management foundations you already rely on (zero-touch enrollment, Managed Google Play, fully managed deployments) are now integrated for XR. The first device out of the gate is Samsung Galaxy XR, with support from six EMM partners: ArborXR, ManageXR, Microsoft Intune, Omnissa WorkspaceONE, Samsung Knox Manage, and SOTI MobiControl.
🛡️ Mobile download protection
Mobile download protection is coming to Chrome on Android (and iOS), blocking sensitive data downloads on unmanaged devices, which should be a real help for anyone wrestling with BYOD data loss. Chrome also now supports hardware-backed client certificate provisioning on mobile, which opens the door to high-assurance, passwordless mTLS authentication on the devices your teams carry every day.
📱Pixel 10a
The Pixel 10a is now in the mix as a business device, with Gemini Live offering real-time AI assistance (point your camera at something and ask it a question - genuinely useful for field workers), and the Titan M2 chip doing the security heavy lifting. For Pixel 8 and above, desktop mode is now available: connect to a monitor, and you get a full windowing environment, taskbar included, without disrupting what's running on the phone itself.
Dig into the full Cloud Next blog post for everything else that landed this week.
What has you most excited? What do you think you’ll use the most?
