Managed Google domains allow IT admins to manage various Google products like Workspace, Cloud Identity, and Gemini using the Google Admin console. It’s highly recommended to use a managed Google domain because of the benefits this provides for admins and employees.
IT admin benefits- Login and manage Android Enterprise settings with a work email address.
- Leverage SSO to improve security for admin access.
- Bind multiple EMM instances to your organization. Allowing simultaneous testing of production and pre-production, and gradual transitions to new EMM providers.
- Simplified admin account recovery.
- Manage multiple Google products in one place.
- Enroll devices with corporate credentials.
- Unlock the full Google Workspace capabilities on Android.
- Improved on-device experiences through access to Google AI tools, including Gemini.
- Explore cross devices experiences like: syncing Chrome across devices, easily sharing files, transferring meetings between devices, using Phone Hub on your Chromebook, and sharing mobile connections through instant tethering.
Upgrading to managed Google domain facilitates a more streamlined and integrated approach to managing Android devices within an organization.
Upgrade flow
Upgrade in the Managed Play iFrame
- Navigate to the managed Google Play iFrame in your EMM console.
- Select “Upgrade for free”.
- Sign-in with the existing owner account of the enterprise.
Note: If the enterprise has no owner, create a new Google account and contact your EMM to associate the new account with your enterprise. Read our FAQ for details on these steps.
- Create an admin account for the managed Google domain.
To ensure a smooth setup, double-check the domain of the work email. This choice will be permanent once the upgrade is complete.
- If your organization already has an existing managed Google domain.
- Login with the domain's super admin account.
- Select Upgrade.
Note: If your managed Google domain has users synced to it, you may receive an additional prompt to enable Authenticate using Google during binding.
- If your organization does not have an existing managed Google domain.
- Follow the steps to create a managed Google domain with your work email address. You will be prompted via email to confirm your email address and there is an optional step for full domain verification.
- Select Upgrade.
- If your organization already has an existing managed Google domain.
- (Recommended) Follow steps 3 to 6 of the EMM setup guide.
After successful upgrade
After successfully upgrading, play.google.com/work should no longer be used. Instead, enterprises should be managed via the Google Admin console and apps should be managed via your EMM console.
The contact info for the previously associated binding (Gmail address, Data Protection Officer, EU Representative, etc.) is deleted upon successful upgrade. If the organization wishes to update this information, it must be done in the admin console of the now associated managed Google domain.