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Google Workspace Updates

This official feed from the Google Workspace team provides essential information about new features and improvements for Google Workspace customers.

  • Updating the access experience in Google Drive

    What’s changing

    Last year, we introduced a beta that allows shared drive managers and My Drive owners to restrict folders to specific users. Today, we’re excited to announce the general availability of this feature in shared drives and My Drive, which means that users can restrict access to their My Drive folders using the two options outlined below, and by 2026, we will simplify and align the restricted access principles for My Drive and shared drives.

    Current experience for My Drive folders & files (until February 2026): 
    Users have two options to restrict access to files or folders in their My Drive: 


    1. Update item only: Go to your My Drive > choose a file or folder you want to limit access to for a specific user > Change the role of the specific user (e.g. from Commenter to Viewer) > click on "Update item only"

    updating role on a parent folder in drive

    2. Limit folder access: Go to your My Drive > choose the folder you want to limit access > click the overflow menu > share > select share settings in the top right corner > click limit access to “Folder Name”.

    limiting access to a folder in drive

    For My Drive folders & files after February 2026:
    By February 2026, we will stop allowing restricted access on specific files and folders as outlined in option 1 above (update item only), and limited access will be done consistently via the limited access folder setting as outlined in option 2 above (limit folder access). In the future, we will identify all the files and folders that are shared less broadly than their containing folder and enable limited access on them. This will not immediately change who has access to those items, but it will make it so that if someone were to share or unshare the item’s parent later, those changes will not apply to the item with limited access. We will provide an update in early 2026 before this process takes place.


    For shared drives:
    Only shared drive managers and content managers with sharing access can specify who can open a folder and see what's inside. Everyone else with regular access to the shared drive folder will be able to see that a "sensitive" file or folder exists, and can request access to it. This provides shared drive managers with greater flexibility to keep restricted and unrestricted content within a single shared drive, instead of having multiple folders for different access levels.


    Who’s impacted 

    Admins, end users and developers 


    Why it’s important 

    For My Drive, folders with limited access allow users to control the information viewed by others in their organization. For shared drives, folders with limited access allow users to organize files by project, in a single shared drive or shared folder, while ensuring that sensitive information is only accessible to the right team members. 


    Additional details 

    Drive’s public API 
    We’re adding improvements to Drive’s public API that make it easier for developers to adopt the expansive access changes outlined above. Given these updates better align the behavior for items in My Drive and in shared drives, we recommend developers opt in to the expansive access API behavior in My Drive ahead of 2026. Visit this developer guide for more information on managing folders with limited and expansive access.

    “Editors can change permissions and share” setting 
    As a result of this update, the “Editors can change permissions and share” setting will change by August 2025. 
    • Turning the setting off will still prevent users with Editor access from sharing the item directly, but if the owner places the item into a shared folder, any changes to the containing folder’s access will be applied on the item. Previously, those changes were only applied if the item’s owner was the one making the folder access change. 
    • By August 2025, we will apply limited access to items that have this setting turned off. Due to the limited access, the owner will still be the only person who can share those pre-existing items. Limited access will not be applied to items that have the setting turned off after August 2025.

    Getting started 

    • Admins: Admins need to set up shared drives for their organization in order for end users to access this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about folders with limited access.
    • End users: 
      • As a shared drive manager or My Drive folder owner, go to your shared drive or My Drive folder > choose the folder you want to limit access > click the overflow menu > share > select share settings in the top right corner > click limited access to “Folder Name”. 
      • Folders with limited access can only be opened by people who have been added to it directly. People with general access to the shared drive or shared folder can see the restricted folder in Drive, but will not be able to open it. 
      • Folders with limited access are available in both shared drives and My Drive: 
        • Shared drive managers can always access folders with limited-access 
        • Folder owners can always access limited-access folders in their My Drive 
      • For users whose access has been limited, you will see the folder name, but the folder will be grayed out: For users whose access has been limited, you will see the folder name, but the folder will be grayed out
      • Visit the Help Center to learn more about folders with limited access. 
    • Developers:Visit the Developer Documentation to learn more about managing folders with limited and expansive access. If you decide to opt into the expansive access API early, your app's behavior will not change when Drive stops allowing restricted access in 2026. 

    Rollout pace 

    Folders with limited access: 
    API changes for Expansive Access: 

    Availability

    • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

    Resources 

  • Scroll through live captions and translated captions in Google Meet

    What’s changing

    We’re improving the live captions and translated captions experience in Google Meet by including the ability to scroll through the text. Previously, captions were displayed in real-time, but disappeared once they were no longer relevant to the current conversation. This update makes it possible to scroll back and review the last 30 minutes of captions at your own pace. This can be particularly helpful if you’ve missed a portion of the conversation or you want to review specific details mentioned earlier in the conversation. 

    Scrolling through the caption history in Google Meet
    You can use “Jump to the bottom” to see the latest real-time captions


    Getting started


    Rollout pace


    Availability

    • Available for all Google Workspace customers, as well as users with personal Google accounts

    Resources


  • “Take notes for me” in Google Meet now captures “next steps”

    What’s changing 

    In August 2024, we introduced “take notes for me” in Google Meet. When turned on, this Gemini in Meet feature is designed to boost meeting productivity by automatically capturing key discussion points and sending a recap email, helping keep everyone informed. 

    Today, we’re pleased to announce that “take notes for me” will capture next steps discussed during the meeting in a new “suggested next steps” section. Powered by AI, these next steps and follow-ups will automatically be identified and organized within the meeting notes document. You can review and edit the next steps and follow-ups as needed, and even assign the task to someone. This latest note-taking enhancement will help ensure important follow-ups aren’t missed and keeps everyone aligned on what happens next after your meeting.

    Suggested next steps will be included in the meeting notes document



    Getting started


    Rollout pace

    • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 18, 2025

    This feature will be rolling out at a much slower pace than usual as we carefully monitor performance and quality. We will update this post when rollout for Rapid Release domains is complete and Scheduled Rollout is expected to begin.


    Availability

    Available to Google Workspace
    • Business Standard and Plus
    • Enterprise Standard and Plus
    • Also available with the Gemini Education Premium add-on

    Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature:
    • Gemini Enterprise*
    • AI Meetings & Messaging*

    *As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details.

    Resources


  • Workspace data loss protection (DLP) for Gmail is now generally available

    What’s changing 

    A big threat organizations must prepare for is the risk of data exfiltration through unwanted and/or unauthorized means. Whether it’s small-scale, unintended sharing, or a larger breach scenario, organizations need powerful defenses to protect themselves from these risks. To that end, we’re pleased to announce that today Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is generally available in Gmail, alongside Drive and Chat.

    DLP is one of the most powerful ways organizations can protect themselves from these risks. With DLP capabilities in Gmail, organizations can identify, monitor, and control the sharing of sensitive data. It works through a series of easy to apply data protection rules that can be implemented to instantly detect sensitive content in outgoing messages, including body content, attachments, headers, and subject lines. 


    Additional details

    How does DLP in Gmail compare to Content Compliance rules?
    To prevent the exfiltration of sensitive data from Gmail, data protection rules with DLP are recommended. These rules offer a rich set of predefined detectors and the ability to build flexible conditions. 


    Additionally, organizations can tailor warning messages based on their organization's data governance requirements, terminology, and processes; these messages will help educate users on their organization's specific security and data protection policies to prevent sharing sensitive content.


    Other features, such as content compliance, can still be used for different purposes, like evaluating inbound messages and routing them internally to relevant departments.


    For more information, please refer to our initial open beta announcement.


    DLP within the Google Workspace ecosystem
    As part of Google Workspace ecosystem, DLP for Gmail comes with capabilities available across other applications, such as Drive and Chat, so admins can configure, implement and investigate Data Loss Prevention incidents using unified tools, such as Security Investigation Tool, or build custom dashboards using unified audit logs or export to BigQuery. 


    Taken together, DLP capabilities across Workspace provide powerful protections for organizations to reduce the risk of data breaches, comply with regulatory requirements, and protect their reputation and intellectual property.


    Getting started

    • Admins: 
      • Data loss prevention rules can be configured at the domain, OU, or group level. DLP rules can be enabled in Gmail in the Admin console under Security > Access and data control > Data protection. Visit the Help Center to learn more about controlling sensitive data shared in Gmail. Note that you can modify existing DLP rules for Drive and Chat to also apply to Gmail. 
      • DLP events can be reviewed in the Security Investigation Tool or Security > Alert Center, if alerts are configured in rules.
      • With DLP for Gmail, data protection rules can be scanned synchronously or asynchronously. Visit our Help Center for more information.
      • For new rules, we recommend starting with “Audit only” mode. This allows you to thoroughly test and monitor the rule's performance and ensure it correctly identifies the intended data without interrupting email flow for users. Once you've validated the rule's behavior and are confident in its accuracy, you can then implement actions such as blocking or warning users as needed.

    • End users: Depending on your admin configuration, you’ll be notified if your message contains information that violates DLP rules.

    Rollout pace


    Availability

    Available to Google Workspace:
    • EnterpriseStandard, Enterprise Plus
    • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching & Learning add-on
    • FrontlineStandard
    • Cloud Identity Premium customers

  • Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - February 14, 2025

    4 New updates

    Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.




    2.0 Flash is now the default model in the Gemini app and Gemini Advanced for Workspace users 
    The Gemini app is now operating on 2.0 Flash, which features improved response quality, speed, and efficiency. This update is applicable when using Gemini or Gemini Advanced on web or mobile. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to all Google Workspace users accessing the Gemini app or Gemini Advanced. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about accessing the Gemini app with your Workspace account. 


    Pin conversations on your Google Group
    Users can already star, mark as read/unread, report, delete, or lock a conversation in a Google Group. Today, we’re excited to reintroduce the ability to pin a conversation, which can be useful to highlight a conversation for other users in a group. The ability to pin messages is limited to users who have permissions to “moderate” a group. | Rollout to Rapid Release domains is complete; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for February 18, 2025. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about pinning conversations. 
    pinning a conversation to your google group





    Managing bills & finances using summary cards in the Gmail mobile app 
    Following last month's announcement of event summary cards, we're excited to introduce updated summary cards that enable you to view and pay bills, or set a reminder to pay later using Google Tasks. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains on Android and iOS devices. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about using summary cards in Gmail. 


    summary cards that enable you to view and pay bills, or set a reminder to pay later using Google Tasks

    Now generally available: migrate messages from Microsoft Teams to Google Chat 
    In December 2024, we introduced the ability for Google Workspace admins to migrate conversations from channels in Microsoft Teams to spaces in Google Chat in open beta. Beginning today, this functionality is generally available for all Google Workspace customers, making it easier for organizations to onboard and deploy Chat in their organizations. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available for all Google Workspace customers. | For detailed information, please refer to our original announcement, as well as our Help Center.

    Example of a completed migration

    Example of a completed migration



    Previous announcements

    The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.


    Google Meet Learning Tools Interoperability™ update: control when meeting recordings are shared with a new toggle
    Instructors using Meet LTI™ to create and host meetings can control how meeting recordings are shared. | Learn more about Google Meet Learning Tools Interoperability™.

    Create and vote on polls directly in Google Chat 
    In order to provide users with an easy way to gather feedback directly in their Google Chat conversations, we’re introducing a new Poll app. | Learn more about the poll app.

    Improving the cover images experience in Google Docs 
    We’re introducing improvements to adding and working with cover images in Google Docs. | Learn more about the cover image improvements. 

    Data classification labels in Gmail are now available on all Android and iOS devices
    In November 2024, we launched an open beta for data classification labels in Gmail. Beginning this week, data classification labels will be available when using the Gmail app on mobile Android and iOS devices. | Learn more about Data classification labels in Gmail. 

    Create names for group direct messages in Google Chat 
    Users can now create names for existing and new group direct messages. | Learn more about naming group messages in Chat. 

    Introducing the board tab in Google Chat 
    In our continuing effort to improve the ways Google Chat helps teams communicate and collaborate, we’re excited to introduce board in Google Chat. This feature, which can be thought of as a virtual bulletin board, organizes important information and helps keep your team on the same page. | Learn more about board in Chat.


    Completed rollouts

    The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the original blog posts for additional details.


    Rapid Release Domains: 

    Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 


      For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).            

    • Introducing the board tab in Google Chat

      What’s changing 

      In our continuing effort to improve the ways Google Chat helps teams communicate and collaborate, we’re excited to introduce board in Google Chat. 

      This feature, which can be thought of as a virtual bulletin board, organizes important information and helps keep your team on the same page by enabling anyone to: 

      • Pin and share crucial messages, files, and links for quick access 
      • Use intelligent suggestions to quickly find and add relevant resources 
      • Maintain an organized workspace by displaying the board next to your conversation stream when needed and hidden at other times 
      The board in Chat helps you stay focused and reduces context-switching. By gathering relevant assets in a consistent, accessible location, this feature helps with common tasks: 
      • A project manager can maintain a single source of truth for all project-related files and resources shared with their team 
      • A workgroup leader can provide one location to find relevant information and resources used on a regular basis
      • A new team member can quickly find resources to get up to speed on their role and responsibilities so they can contribute to the team as soon as possible 

      board in google chat
      Who’s impacted 


      End users


      Why it’s important 

      Save time and keep assets and conversations organized with the board in Chat, a place where any team member can pin important messages, files and web links. Curating a repository of relevant information for a team or workgroup can be highly beneficial, but ongoing management can be time consuming and cumbersome. The board in Chat solves for this by providing a dynamic, customizable, and visually appealing way to consolidate important information, with file suggestions from Gemini to ensure that all relevant assets are included. 


      Getting started 

      • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
      • End users: 
        • The board is for everyone in a conversation to use and reference. However, space managers can restrict who can update a board by going to space settings > Modify space board and details. 
        • The board tab will appear in all direct messages, group messages and spaces. Clicking on it will open a dedicated right panel displaying the board alongside the message stream. 
          • By default, all users can pin, add resources, edit, and delete information from the board with the exception of announcement spaces. 
          • For spaces, a space manager has the ability to restrict board modification access. 
          • For announcement spaces, only space managers can edit a Board by default. Managers can change this default if needed to allow all members to edit it. 
        • The board will feature sections for pinned messages and pinned resources. 
        • Visit the Help Center to learn more about the Board tab in Chat.

      Rollout pace 

      Availability 

      • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

      Resources

    • Create names for group direct messages in Google Chat

      What’s changing 

      Spaces in Google Chat are meant to focus a conversation around a topic, project, or shared interest with multiple people. However, we know there are times when users prefer to message a group instead of a space. In order to manage discussions more easily and find conversations quicker, users can now create names for existing and new group direct messages. 

      Name any group direct messages with the new option in the Chat menu

      Name any group direct messages with the new option in the Chat menu




      Getting started 

      • Admins:There is no admin control for this feature. 
      • End users: 
        • Named group direct messages will continue to show in the direct messages section of Chat. 
        • Named group direct messages are still private to the members of the group. 
        • The group name will be visible to all members of the group direct message. 
        • Visit the Help Center to learn more about naming a group direct message. 

      Rollout pace 

      Web: 

      Android: 

      iOS:

      Availability 

      • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

      Resources 

    • Data classification labels in Gmail are now available on all Android and iOS devices

      What’s changing 

      In November 2024, we launched an open beta for data classification labels in Gmail. Beginning today, data classification labels will be available when using the Gmail app on mobile Android and iOS devices. Expanding data classification labels to mobile enables organizations to protect their data whether their users are sharing and accessing information from desktop devices or from mobile devices in the field or on-the-go.

      Classification labels on mobile when composing a message, reading a message, and a message thread.



      Additionally, these protections provide an automated way to enhance data security. For more information on data classification labels in Gmail, please refer to our original announcement.

      Getting started

      • Admins: 
      • End users: If configured by your admin, you’ll see the “Classification” option when composing a new messaging or replying to or forwarding an existing message on mobile. When you open the menu, you can select labels relevant to your message. Visit the Help Center to learn more about adding classification labels in Gmail.

      Rollout pace



      Availability

      The Label Manager and manual classification is available to Google Workspace:
      • Frontline Starter and Standard
      • Business Standard and Plus
      • Enterprise Standard and Plus
      • Education Standard and Education Plus
      • Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus

      Data loss prevention rules with labels as a condition or labels as an action are available to:
      • Enterprise Standard and Plus
      • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching & Learning Upgrade
      • Frontline Standard
      • Cloud Identity Premium (in combination with a Workspace Edition eligible for Gmail)

      Resources


    • Improving the cover images experience in Google Docs

      What’s changing

      Last year, we made it easier for you to personalize and differentiate documents with full-bleed cover images that extend from one edge of your document to the other. Since then, many users have added cover images to help set the tone for a document, and today we’re announcing the following updates: 
      • In addition to the “Choose from stock images” and “Upload from computer”, insertion options, users can now add images via: 
        • Searching the web 
        • Uploading from Drive 
        • Importing from Google Photos 
        • Pasting a URL 
      insertion options for cover images
      • The addition of 100+ new stock images to provide users with more options. The stock image gallery will also include filtering options for categories like art, food, and abstract 
      100+ new stock images

      • When clicking the “Cover image” chip at the top of your Doc, a placeholder image will appear, followed by the menu with options to create with Gemini or insert a different image via the options outlined in #1.
      When clicking the “Cover image” chip at the top of your Doc, a placeholder image will appear


      Additional details 

      Cover images can only be added to documents set to pageless mode, allowing the image to span the entire width of the document. To set up the more immersive experience of pageless mode, go to File > Page setup > Pagelessor Format > Switch to Pageless format. 


      Getting started 

      • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
      • End users: 
        • A stock cover image is not AI-generated and automatically uploads to your document. You can update or change the image. 
        • Visit the Help Center to learn more about adding a cover image to your document.

      Rollout pace 

      Availability 

      • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

      Resources

    • Create and vote on polls directly in Google Chat

      What’s changing

      In order to provide users with an easy way to gather feedback directly in their Google Chat conversations, we’re introducing a new Poll app. 

      Through a simple creation process, teams and groups can share questions for feedback. This feature can be useful in scenarios in which you need to poll colleagues about an upcoming event, meeting time or team outing. The Poll app provides the ability to see results instantly, along with options to make polls multi-choice or anonymous. Using the Poll app, teams can arrive at faster, more inclusive decisions while keeping the conversation flowing. 

      creating a poll
      Creating a poll

      seeing the results of a poll
      Seeing the results of a poll


      Additional details 

      Some poll questions that ask where to eat, grab coffee, meet may have special icons. 
      Some poll questions that ask where to eat, grab coffee, meet may have special icons.


      Getting started 


      Rollout pace

      Availability 

      • Available to all Google Workspace customers that have enabled Chat apps in their domain, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

      Resources