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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.

  • More ways to get started quickly with building blocks in Google Docs

    What’s changing 

    For the last few years, users have added building blocks, including custom blocks, to their Google Docs to quickly spin up email drafts, meeting notes, reusable templates and more. 

    Today, we’re excited to introduce a new collection of building blocks designed to help you manage important business workflows in Docs, including team task management, project tracking, hiring, and more. 

    • Task trackersquickly add and track tasks at a glance with titles, assignees, due dates, and status, in a cleanly organized format. Additionally, users can add their own columns for more personalization, and new tasks with an assignee and title can be synced with Google Tasks individually or by syncing the whole table at once: 

    task tracker building block
    • Use a Contact list to organize contact information for applicants, sales contacts, team members, project assignments and more. Contact lists offer a structured table format that breaks out critical contact information into glanceable columns that are clear and easier to read: 
    contact list building block
    • Decision logs centralize open questions, aid in decision-making, and organize final decisions in an easily-digestible table. With decision logs, teams can quickly align around a single source of truth with clear owners: 
    decision log building block

    Get started with building blocks by clicking the buttons at the top of a newly created document or via Insert > Building blocks. In addition, a new Docs sidebar, accessible by going to Insert > Building blocks > View more or by clicking “More” at the top of a new document, makes it easier to browse, find, and preview building blocks in context: 

    browse, find, and preview building blocks in docs sidebar
    Lastly, we’re improving table building blocks by adding table title rows, a formatted, full-width row with heading styling. Table title rows allow you to clearly call out a visually appealing table name and saves you time from formatting manually. The new column types will set a data type (dates, dropdown chips, files or people) and provide friendly warnings when table content does not match, ensuring your table data is accurate and organized. 


    Getting started 


    Rollout pace 

    • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 19, 2024, with expected completion by December 5, 2024 
    • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 12, 2024 

    Availability 

    • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 
      • Note: the Task Tracker building block is available to Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers only. 

    Resources 

  • Add multiple multimedia files to a single message in Google Chat

    What’s changing

    Users can currently send & share files such as images, PDFs and videos in Google Chat messages and use the Shared tab to access all conversation-related artifacts including files, links and media. However, only one image can be uploaded in a single Chat message on web at a time. 


    To improve upon this functionality, provide a highly-requested feature, and match the mobile experience, we’re excited to announce that users can now upload and send up to 20 multimedia files (photos and videos) in one Chat message. Dragging and dropping multimedia files into the compose bar from your desktop is also supported. 

    Adding multiple multimedia files to a single message


    Getting started 

    • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
    • End users: An error message will show if a user exceeds size limits or uploads unsupported file combinations. Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending & sharing files in Google Chat messages. 

    Rollout pace

    • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 19, 2024, with expected completion by December 3, 2024
    • Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on December 12, 2024 

    Availability 

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

  • Automatic framing is now available to everyone in Google Meet video calls, plus an improved experience when using virtual backgrounds

    Quick summary 

    In 2022, we introduced automatic framing for select Google Workspace editions. Beginning today, we’re pleased to announce that we’re expanding this functionality to all users, as well as introducing an improved experience while using a virtual background. This feature will be on by default. 


    Depending on their camera placement, some meeting participants might be less visible than others. With automatic framing, Google Meet will automatically center your video before joining a meeting to help ensure equal visibility for all participants. The automatic framing happens only once, so there are no motion distractions that can divert attention from the content of the meeting. Additionally, Meet will now continuously keep you centered when using a virtual background, ensuring your background is fixed and not constantly reframing which can be distracting.

    Meet frames you in the center of the screen to improve your visibility

    Getting started

    • Admins:There is no admin control for this feature.
    • End users:This feature will be ON by default and can be turned off by the user. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning video framing on or off for your account. Note when no virtual background is used, you can manually reframe the video at any time by hovering over your video tile and clicking reframe.

    Rollout pace


    Availability

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

    Resources


  • Educators can now request access to third-party apps for their students

    What’s changing

    We’re introducing a new workflow that allows educators to request access to unconfigured third-party apps on behalf of their students.

    Admins can allow educators and users who are over 18 years of age to request access to apps for themselves or on behalf of others (proxy requests). For example, admins may create a group of trusted users who are responsible for vetting third party apps and allow them to make proxy requests on behalf of students.




    Educators can view a list of apps they have recently accessed with their Google Workspace account and request access for their students.




    Admins can review and take action on these requests in the Admin console by going to Security > API Controls > App Access Control. Requests will be denoted with a “Proxy”  label when the request is made on behalf of another user. 




    Once admins have configured access, they can opt to notify users and/or users who made proxy requests via email about the outcome of their request.




    Who’s impacted

    Admins and end users

    Why it’s important

    Administrators can now allow a group of trusted users to vet and request third party app access on behalf of other users. This allows admins to better control who requests access and create a more streamlined process for app approvals.

    Rollout pace

    Availability

    • Available for Google Workspace Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching & Learning Upgrade

    Resources


  • Table reference improvements in Google Sheets

    What’s changing

    Since introducing tables in Google Sheets, we’ve made numerous improvements to ensure users are equipped with the tools they need to accelerate spreadsheet building. Table references, a way to refer to a table or parts of a table in a formula, are just one example of how tables reduce time spent manually formatting data. 

    Today, we’re excited to announce updates to table references that enhance discoverability and usability. Specifically, users will now see: 
    • Improved table reference availability, which allows users to reference the items below across both single (e.g., =Table2[[#ALL],[Column 1]]) and multiple columns (e.g., =Table2[[#ALL],[Column 1]:[Column 2]] ): 
      • Full table columns, including column headers, data, and footers (#ALL) 
      • Table headers (#HEADERS) 
      • Table footers (#TOTALS) 
      • Table data, excluding headers and footers (#DATA) 
        Improved table reference availability
    • Formula suggestions, which help you identify formulas that could be more robust. For example, if a user types a working formula that overlaps with a table range, a table reference suggestion will show. 
    Formula suggestions
    • Formula corrections for table references, which show a formula correction with a proper table reference when a formula is written incorrectly. 
    Formula corrections

    Getting started 

    Rollout pace 

    Availability

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

    Resources 

  • Easily respond to comments and access requests without leaving Google Chat with the auto-installed Google Drive Chat app

    What’s changing

    Starting this week, the previously introduced Google Drive Chat app will be automatically installed and send you notifications about recent activity in Google Drive documents, such as new comments and share requests. Directly in Chat, you can now: 
    • Reply to or resolve comments in Docs, Sheets and Slides, which includes the ability to mention your colleagues easily while replying. 
    • Choose the appropriate access level (e.g. viewer, commenter, editor) for share requests. 
    • See when you’ve been mentioned in Docs, Sheets or Slides using Chat’s “Mentions” shortcut. 
    • Easily block a sender or report abuse from the Drive Chat app’s notifications when they come from a user outside of your organization. 
    While this new app will be automatically installed, you can easily manage notifications, mute or uninstall the app at any time by going to the three dot overflow menu. 
    responding to a comment using Drive Chat app


    Getting started 


    Rollout pace 


    Availability 

    • Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers 

    Resources 

  • Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - November 15, 2024

    New updates 

    There are no new updates to share this week. Please see below for a recap of published announcements. 


    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.


    Upload Google Docs and other file types to Gem instructions
    Beginning this week, you can upload reference documents, including Google Docs and Google Sheets via Google Drive, when creating Gems. By adding reference documents to your Gems instructions you can further tailor Gems to meet your specific needs. | Learn more about uploading Docs and other files types to Gem instructions.

    Reference your Google Calendar using Gemini in the side panel of Gmail
    Users can now ask Gemini in Gmail to perform calendar related actions or answer questions about their calendars. | Learn more about using Gemini in Gmail to reference Calendar.

    Respond to conversations without leaving the home view in Google Chat
    We’re introducing a split pane in the home view of Chat that allows users to respond directly to a space, group or direct message without ever navigating away from the home view in Chat. | Learn more about replying in Chat home.

    Use Gemini in Google Docs to create unique images for your documents
    Following our introduction of uploading full-bleed cover images in Google Docs and AI-generated images in Google Slides with help me visualize, we’re launching the ability to create unique inline images and full bleed cover images using Gemini in Docs. | Learn more about using Gemini in Docs to create images.


    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: 
    Scheduled Release Domains: 
    Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

  • Use Gemini in Google Docs to create unique images for your documents

    What’s changing 

    Following our introduction of uploading full-bleed cover images in Google Docs and AI-generated images in Google Slides with help me visualize, we’re launching the ability to create unique inline images and full bleed cover images using Gemini in Docs. 

    These new image generation capabilities benefit from our latest image generation model, Imagen 3, our highest quality, text-to-image model. Now you can create photorealistic images of people, landscapes, and more with even better detail than before.

    To create inline images for numerous use cases (e.g. a restaurant menu, marketing campaign brief, or promotional flier), simply type your prompt into Create an image, and Gemini in Docs will generate the image based on your instruction. Plus, you can decide the aspect ratio you want the image to be and choose a style like photography, water color and more. 

    create an image in Docs with Gemini

    You can further customize your document by creating a unique cover image using Gemini in Docs, which can add flavor to a résumé, stylize an invitation, or personalize a client pitch. 

    create a cover image with gemini

    Who’s impacted 

    End users 


    Why you’d use it 

    The ability to generate unique images with Gemini in Docs empowers everyone, regardless of artistic skill, to create differentiated and visually compelling content. Now you can communicate ideas more effectively, without having to tirelessly search for the perfect image. 


    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: 
      • To create a cover image, you can either go to Insert > Cover image > Help me create an image,or Type “@” followed by Cover image > Help me create an image. 
      • To add an image, go to Insert > Image > Help me create an image > type in an image description (optionally select a style for your image) > click Create > then, you will see generated options > select the one you like and it will be added to your document. 
      • Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating images with Gemini in Google Docs and adding a cover image to your document. 

    Rollout pace  

    • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 15, 2024
    • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 16, 2024

    Availability 

    Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: 
    • GeminiBusiness 
    • GeminiEnterprise 
    • Gemini Education 
    • GeminiEducation Premium 
    • Google One AI Premium 

    Resources

  • Respond to conversations without leaving the home view in Google Chat

    What’s changing

    Following the recent announcement of summaries in home and other features that help you find what you need much faster using home, we’re introducing the split pane in the home view. 

    Using the split pane, you can now respond directly to a space, group or direct message without ever navigating away from the home view in Chat. 

    replying in google chat home


    Getting started 

    • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
    • End users: 
      • To reply in the split pane view, simply click on a message and the split pane will open with the conversation. You can click on the expand icon in the conversation header if you wish to view that particular conversation in full screen. You can also toggle the split pane mode in the home header if you wish to completely enable/disable opening conversations in the split pane. 
      • Visit the Help Center to learn more about replying to Chat messages in home with the split pane view. 

    Rollout pace 


    Availability

    • Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers 

    Resources 

  • Reference your Google Calendar using Gemini in the side panel of Gmail

    What’s changing 

    Since its introduction earlier this year, Gemini in the side panel of Gmail has helped many users generate, find and respond to information in their inbox. In addition, Gemini in Gmail has the ability to connect with other Workspace apps like Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive, helping users complete tasks without ever leaving Gmail. 


    Today, we’re excited to add Google Calendar to the list of apps that Gemini in Gmail connects with. Users can now ask Gemini in Gmail to perform calendar related actions or answer questions about their calendars such as: 
    • When is my [first event] next week? 
    • Create a [30 min] calendar event for my weekly [yoga class] every [Monday and Wednesday] at [9 AM]. 
    • Create a [1h] event for [lunch] [tomorrow] at [noon]. 
    Using Gemini in the side panel of Gmail to ask Calendar to set up a personal yoga event


    Who’s impacted 

    End users 


    Why you’d use it 

    Via Gmail, Gemini can now help you: 
    • Create calendar events. 
    • Learn additional details about the existing events in your Calendar. 

    Additional details

    At this time, Gemini in Gmail cannot: 
    • Add or remove guests from events or create events by extracting information from an email. 
    • Pull up attachments or RSVPs related to a meeting. 
    • Find the best time to meet with other people or find time slots when you’re available to meet. 
    • Create tasks, an out of office, focus times or set working locations. 
    • Add or manage meeting rooms. 
    When these features do become available, we will provide an update via the Workspace Updates Blog. 


    Getting started 

    • Admins: To access Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps, users need to have smart features and personalization turned on. Admins can turn on default personalization setting for their users in the Admin console. 
    • End users:
      • On web, you can access Gemini in the Gmail side panel by clicking on “Ask Gemini” icon in the top right corner of Gmail. 
      • This feature is only available in English at this time. 
      • While not required, just like gemini.google.com, you can invoke Calendar by adding "@Calendar" at the beginning of your prompt in the side panel of Gmail to explicitly call on Calendar. 
      • Visit the Help Center to learn more about collaborating with Gemini in Gmail. 

    Rollout pace 

    Availability 

    Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: 
    • Gemini Business 
    • Gemini Enterprise 
    • Gemini Education 
    • Gemini Education Premium 
    • Google One AI Premium 

    Resources