Today we shipped a major Deskfirst update with five new features that move the product forward in a meaningful way. Huge thanks to everyone involved in getting this out the door.

What's New:

Desktop Templates

Teams can now create templates from existing desktops and spin up new workspaces in seconds. This is a big win for onboarding, repeatable projects, and consistency.

Content Libraries

Shared libraries for images, documents, and files are now available, making it easier to reuse assets across desktops without re-uploading.

Team Analytics

We now have visibility into how teams collaborate. Engagement, usage patterns, and high-value desktops are all surfaced in a new analytics view.

Signals Dashboard

Notifications, updates, and action items are now centralized in a redesigned Signals Dashboard to help users stay focused and responsive.

My Desktops Dashboard

A refreshed My Desktops experience that makes organizing and managing workspaces faster and more intuitive.

Please explore the new features and feel free to share feedback!

⭐ Time Tracking for Files

You can now see how much time a shared user spent viewing a file directly in the Signals window.

Supported file types: PDF, TXT, IMAGE, VIDEO, AUDIO, and all Integration Windows

How it shows up:

Viewing time appears on the activity card

Total time is shown in the Most Engaged Files table

If a user is currently viewing a file, you will see “Active now”

Tracking rules:

For pinned windows, tracking starts once the user interacts with the window

If a window is minimized, tracking pauses and resumes only when it appears back on the desktop

If a file is re-opened within a 5-minute interval of the last closing, activities consolidate and time is accumulated

🛠️ Fixes and Improvements

Resolved integration issues with YouTube, Miro, Calendly, and more

Fixed tracking of identified shareable links in Signals (should now show the correct email/name instead of “Guest”)

Improved Signals UI for smaller screens

Fixed Visitor Engagement graph display when fewer than three users are active

Adjusted PDF UI when resizing to smaller windows

Excluded Desktop Owner activity from Signals data

You can now upload files or create shortcuts directly from Google Drive.

How to Upload from Google Drive:

Quick Actions: Navigate to Quick Actions and select Upload from Drive (see the guide below).

Direct Folder Uploads: If you'd like to upload directly to a specific folder:

• Use the right-click menu inside the folder window.

• Alternatively, click the Drive icon in the folder’s toolbar (as shown below).

What Happens Next:

A window will appear with two options:

• Create Shortcuts to Files in Google Drive - Recommended option as shortcuts almost does not require any storage (only 1 byte per shortcut).

• Copy Files from Google Drive - Use this if you prefer to store a copy for your file on your Deskfirst desktop.

Final Steps:

• Choose your desired Google account.
• Use the Google File Picker to select files.

Wait for your shortcuts/files to appear on your desktop!

Important Note for Shared Desktops:

If your desktop is shared with others, ensure that all users have access to the selected resources in Google Drive when creating shortcuts.