Improved user experience for Google Meet on Android devices
If you’re joining a Google Meet call from Android phone, tablets or large screen devices, you’ll now see a more streamlined, space-efficient experience with edge-to-edge video. We’ve expanded the video feed to encompass spaces where there were previously margins around the video feed. This helps provide a richer, more immersive viewing experience. You’ll also notice a sleeker user interface for meeting controls, and clearer indicators for information such as the meeting title. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available now for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about joining a meeting.
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.
Gemini (gemini.google.com) now shows related content links in its responses
You can now access additional information on topics directly in Gemini’s (gemini.google.com) responses to your prompts. Specifically, you’ll see links to related content in responses to fact-seeking prompts — you can click the arrow chips to dive deeper into the topic. If you have a Gemini for Workspace license and Google Workspace extensions in Gemini are enabled, Gemini will also now include inline links to relevant emails referenced in responses where the Gmail extension is used. | Learn more about related content links shown in Gemini.
View your most relevant Google Drive folders and files on a single page
You will now see a combined, unified view for file and folder suggestions on the Drive homepage that leverages machine learning to help you find and organize your most relevant content faster and intuitively. | Learn more about the view in Drive.
Empowering Google Workspace customers to take control of their emissions with Electricity Maps
To help our customers continue to understand and measure the carbon intensity of their cloud computing, we have partnered with Electricity Maps to provide hourly emissions data within the Carbon Footprint report. | Learn more about Electricity Maps.
Today, we’re excited to announce that the Gmail Q&A feature is rolling out now on Android devices and coming soon to iOS. Gmail Q&A offers similar functionality as the side panel on the web. You can ask Gemini questions about your inbox or to do things like find specific details in your emails, show you unread messages, view messages from a specific sender, or summarize emails about a topic in your inbox.
Who’s impacted
End users
Why it matters
We are excited to help users supercharge their productivity with the help of Gemini in Gmail. Users now have even more capabilities from Gemini to help users get more done during their day at their desks and now, on the go.
End users: Open Gemini in the Gmail app via the black Gemini star at the top right of your app or from a “summarize this email” chip. To start, Gmail Q&A can find information from your inbox. In the future, it will be able to find information from your Drive as well. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Gemini in Gmail.
Previously, there were only options to Reply, Reply all or Forward a message when in the conversation view of an email on your Gmail app. Upon selecting one of those options, you’d be directed to a full screen compose view to send your reply.
Starting today, you can reply to emails directly from the bottom of the conversation, without opening a new screen, making it easier to reference the email you’re replying to. We know this new option is best for quick, lightweight responses, so for longer, more formal responses, you can simply expand the text box to access more formatting options.
Additional details
This feature will be available on iOS devices later this year.
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Using the Gmail app on your Android device, open an email > click into the text box at the bottom > type your reply > tap the send icon. Clicking the “Expand to full screen” icon allows you to switch to the full screen compose view. Visit the Help Center to learn more about replying to messages in Gmail.
[July 31, 2024] We have temporarily paused the rollout for the ability to view a list of keyboard shortcuts in the Gmail & Chat app when pressing “?” on an external keyboard plugged into an Android device. We expect this feature to be fully rolled out by the end of August. We will share another update to confirm when rollout has completed.
What’s changing
We’re introducing numerous improvements across the Gmail and Google Chat apps on Android foldables and tablets in order to enhance your productivity when using these devices.
In the Gmail app, you’ll notice a new formatting bar located on the email compose screen. This now includes additional formatting options like the ability to change the font type and make a bulleted list.
Next, you’ll be able to view a list of helpful keyboard shortcuts in the Gmail app and in the Chat app by pressing “?” when you plug an external keyboard into your Android device.
Lastly, we’re enabling Smart Compose on Android tablets and foldables, a feature originally introduced on Gmail web that intelligently autocompletes your emails. Similar to the mobile experience, Smart Compose suggests text as you type that can be accepted by swiping across the gray text or pressing tab on a physical keyboard.
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
The visibility of add-ons is controlled by the supplemental add-on setting, which has separate toggles for the visibility of Google add-ons and featured third-party add-ons. You can review your configuration by going to Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Google Meet > Meet video settings.
Important note: this setting governs add-on availability for both the desktop and Android app. How you configure this setting will determine what types of add-ons your users will see. If you turn these settings off, they will not see any add-ons. Due to the nature of this rollout, we recommend that admins review and adjust their supplemental add-on settings after rollout has completed (about three weeks from now).
The supplemental add-ons setting in the Admin console
End users: Depending on how your admin has configured your experience, you may or may not be able to access add-ons in Google Meet using your Android device. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using add-ons with Google Meet.
Rollout pace*
Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on June 11, 2024
*We will eventually add the “Featured” category and “Get add-ons” (plus sign) button to align with the desktop experience. We'll share more info on the Workspace Updates blog when available.
Last month, we introduced numerous improvements to the Google Drive search experience on iOS devices. Today, we’re excited to announce that these enhancements will be available on Android devices as well. | This feature is available for Rapid Release domains and is rolling out now to Scheduled Release domains. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Learn more about finding files in Google Drive.
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.
Build a Dialogflow CX Google Chat app that understands and responds with natural language
The enhanced Dialogflow CX, now generally available, provides a new way of designing virtual agents by taking a state machine approach to agent design. Now, developers have clear and explicit control over a conversation, enjoy a better end-user experience, and gain access to an improved development workflow. | Learn more about Dialogflow CX Google Chat apps.
Dark mode now available in Google Drive web
We’ve introduced a highly requested feature: Dark mode in Drive on web. This new setting aims to provide you with a more comfortable, customizable viewing experience for Drive. | Learn more about dark mode.
Launch the FigJam whiteboard app directly from Google Meet Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 devices
You can now launch FigJam both in and out of an active Meet call from the Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 devices. | Learn more about the FigJam whiteboard app.
Use annotations to enhance your presentations in Google Meet
We’ve introduced annotation tools in Google Meet. Presenters and their appointed co-annotators can use these tools to highlight content or make other notations over presented content. Annotations will be on by default when you begin presenting — you can open the annotations menu to access various tools such as a pen, disappearing ink, sticker, text box, and more. | Learn more about annotations.
Promote space members to space managers using the Google Chat API
Google Chat apps can now subscribe to event notifications
Google Workspace developers registered in our Developer Preview Program have been able to build Chat apps that can subscribe to Chat events using the Google Workspace Events API. We’re pleased to announce that as of today, this functionality is now available to all Workspace developers. | Learn more about Chat apps subscribing to event notifications.
Now generally available: Chat interoperability between Google Chat and other messaging platforms
At Google Cloud Next 2023, we announced interoperability between Google Chat, Microsoft Teams and Slack— powered by Mio and previously available to Workspace customers through a Beta program. We’re pleased to announce that as of today, this solution is generally available for Google Workspace customers. | Learn more about the interoperability of Google Chat.
[May 8, 2024] Rollout to rapid release domains is complete. See the Rollout section below for more details on scheduled release domains.
[April 24, 2024] We have updated the rollout information for this feature. See the Rollout section below for more details.
What’s changing
We’re excited to announce a new feature, markups in Google Docs, which gives you more flexibility when providing feedback in a document. The new markups experience lets you add handwritten annotations to documents with a stylus or your finger when using an Android device.
Markups can be useful in numerous scenarios, such as:
Colleagues giving each other handwritten feedback on diagrams, charts, reports or proposals.
Educators giving students feedback on their essays, reports, short stories and more.
A homeowner providing ideas or updates on construction plans from their contractor.
In order to add annotations, you must use an Android device. From there, you can:
Enter the markups mode and annotate using pen or highlighter tools
Hide/show markups
Erase markups
Insert suggested markups
On iOS devices, you can:
View a document with markups
Delete markups
Hide/show markups
On desktop, you can:
View a document with markups
Delete markups
Hide/show markups
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: To turn on markups, open a document > select the markups tool from the contextual toolbar > draw with your finger or stylus. Visit the Help Center to learn how to use drawings & markups.
Rollout pace
Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 27, 2024, with expected completion by May 8, 2024
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 20, 2024
Availability
Available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts
Today, we’re continuing our enhancements across Chat by improving the in-line threaded experience in spaces. With multiple threads across numerous spaces, we know it can be difficult to identify which unread threads are most relevant to you. In order to provide you with more context upfront, you will now see participant avatars for unread threads in the conversation view. Without having to click to open the thread side panel, it will now be much easier to decide which threads to read and reply to.
Who’s impacted
End users
Why you’d use it
Being able to see the participant avatars for unread threads makes it easier to identify whether a thread is relevant to you.
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
New formatting sidebar in Google Docs, Slides and Sheets apps on Android Tablets
This week, we’re further improving the Google Workspace experience on large screen Android devices by adding a new formatting sidebar in Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. In addition to meeting the Google Material Design 3 guidelines, this new sidebar reduces the number of taps needed to navigate to formatting options, enabling you to more easily arrange text, tables, images and more. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for March 6, 2024. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.
New sidebar experience in Google Docs on an Android tablet
Easily drag and drop an image to replace the background in Google Slides
Hovering over the border of an empty slide before dropping in an image (from your desktop, Content Library or another webpage) will now set the image as the background in Google Slides. Dropping the image anywhere else will simply insert the image onto the slide. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for February 26, 2024. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Learn more about changing the theme, background, or layout in Google Slides.
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 “companion mode” is now supported on your mobile device for great hybrid meetings
Beginning this week, you’ll be able to use companion mode with your Android and iOS devices. | Learn more about Google Meet companion mode.
Creating more immersive presentations in Google Slides
Starting this week, Speaker spotlight in Slides, an experience that lets presenters insert their video feed directly into their Slides content, is generally available for select Google Workspace editions. With Speaker spotlight, you can deliver your message with greater impact by embedding your camera feed directly into your Slides presentations. This feature helps keep your audience focused on you and can help make your content more compelling. | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Education Plus customers only. | Learn more about speaker spotlight.
Assign mobile device management admin privileges based on organizational unit
We’re giving admins more granular control over how mobile device management privileges are delegated. Specifically, admins can be assigned privileges for specific organizational units (OUs). | Learn more about mobile device management.
Sort, filter and manage comments faster in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
We’re introducing an improved comments experience in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to help you find and take action on comments easier than ever before. While you will continue to see and interact with the comments experience you’re familiar with, you’ll also notice updates to our comment cards, icons, and more. | Learn more about comments across Workspace.
Using Companion mode from your mobile device is a quick, light-weight way to participate in meetings without opening a laptop. This can be particularly useful in meeting spaces where room for a laptop is limited, or as an easy, discreet way to participate during large in-person meetings, such as all hands or town halls.
Specifically, you can use companion mode to:
Check-in to the room to be identified by name.
Share an emoji reaction without interrupting the speaker.
Raise your hand to indicate that you’d like to speak.
Turn on captions to view subtitles as everyone speaks during a meeting.
Exchange chat messages with other meeting participants.
View and zoom in on presented content to easily follow along with the presenter on your own device.
You can also use the room check-in feature on mobile as well, making it easier for other attendees to see your name alongside the conference room you’re joining from.
Share an emoji reaction without interrupting the speaker.
Raise your hand to indicate that you’d like to speak.
Turn on captions to view subtitles as everyone speaks during a meeting.
Exchange chat messages with other meeting participants.
View and zoom in on presented content to easily follow along with the presenter on your own device
Getting started
Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users:
This feature will be available by default. You can join a meeting using companion mode from the green room before your meeting. Use this Help Center article and video guide to learn more about using companion mode in Google Meet.
Note: Your audio and mic will automatically be muted—we recommend using meeting room hardware for audio and video to avoid feedback.
Rollout pace
Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 12, 2024.
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 27, 2024
Note that the following minimum builds are required:
We know managing unwanted emails is a source of frustration for many users. That’s why we announced new guidelines for bulk senders a few months ago to help users stay safe. Now, we’re introducing new ways to make it even easier to unsubscribe from unwanted emails in Gmail on web and mobile by:
Adding the unsubscribe button to the hover actions in the threadlist on web. When the unsubscribe button is clicked, Gmail sends a http request or an email to the sender to remove your email address from their mailing list.
Moving the unsubscribe button from the three dot menu to appear more prominently in your email on your Android and iOS devices.
Additionally, we know it is common for people to receive unwanted messages, despite initially signing up to receive them from brands or organizations. These messages often originate from legitimate senders, and marking them as spam can negatively impact the sender's email reputation and can potentially affect the deliverability of future emails. For this reason, we're changing the text of the buttons to make it clearer for users to choose between unsubscribing or reporting a message as spam.
These features are now available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts on web and iOS devices, and are rolling out now on Android devices at an extended pace (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility). | Learn more about unsubscribing from emails and reporting spam in Gmail.
Updating the mobile experience on Android tablets and foldable devices
Last year, we announced enhancements to the Google Drive mobile experience on Android tablets. This included several modernizations, such as shifting the navigation bar to the side of the Drive app. Similarly, we’ve moved the navigation bar for Gmail to the side to optimize the experience on tablets and foldable devices. This migration will make it easier for users to switch tabs in Gmail. | Available now to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.
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.
Launch the Lucidspark whiteboarding app directly from Google Meet Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 devices
By the end of the month, Lucidspark by Lucid Software can be launched directly from Google Meet Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 devices. With this integration, users will be able to share and participate in a Lucidspark whiteboard session in a Meet call, either initiated from the Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 or a remote participant on the call. | Learn more about the Lucidspark whiteboarding app.
Use comments & action items on your client-side encrypted Google Docs
You can now collaborate with others on client-side encrypted Google Docs to add, edit, reply, filter, or delete comments. You can also assign action items to yourself or others. This added functionality helps bring parity to unencrypted docs while also ensuring your data is behind encryption keys you control, including the identity provider used to access those keys. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus customers only. | Learn more about CSE comments & action items in Docs.
Combine multiple video effects, improve lighting and audio in Google Meet
Join meetings as a guest without a Google account on mobile devices
You can now quickly join a meeting as a guest without signing into a personal or work Google account or creating a new Google account. This functionality already exists for meetings on the web and, by expanding to mobile, guests now have greater flexibility for joining Meet meetings on the go. | Learn more about joining meetings as a guest.
Star messages in Google Chat on mobile
Last November, we introduced starred on web, an additional shortcut in the redesigned Google Chat navigation panel that helps you stay on top of your most important messages. We’re excited to announce this is now available on Android and iOS mobile devices. | Learn more about starring messages.
To join as a guest, you need to be on the Calendar invite for the meeting or have been provided the meeting code or the meeting link beforehand. Before you join the meeting, you’ll be prompted to enter your name and “knock” (aka ask to join the meeting) to be admitted. Once a meeting host or co-host accepts your knock, you’ll jump right into the meeting.
Getting started
Admins: Allowing meeting guests can be turned on or off at the domain level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing Meet settings.
New ways to use the Google Sheets app on iOS devices
You can now copy charts from the Google Sheets app on all iOS devices and paste them externally as images or within the same spreadsheet as a duplicate chart. In addition, you can modify text formatting using the contextual toolbar in Sheets when a keyboard is attached to iOS tablets. | Rolling out to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains now. | Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts. | Learn more about adding & editing a chart or graph and editing & formatting a spreadsheet.
Adding ‘Admin managed apps’ category to Google Workspace Marketplace
We’re excited to announce a new featured app category in the Marketplace: Admin managed. These Enterprise apps can be installed only by a Google Workspace administrator for their organization. | Available now to all Google Workspace customers. | Learn more about Featured app categories.
Bulk select in Gmail on Android and iOS devices
We’re introducing a feature that enables you to bulk select a batch of messages in the email threadlist with one tap using the Gmail app on Android and iOS devices. After clicking the select all icon, a batch of messages will be selected, enabling you to easily perform email actions such as deleting multiple messages or marking them as “read”. | This feature is available now on Android devices and is rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains on iOS devices. | Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.
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.
Create shareable video presentations in Google Slides
We’re introducing slides recordings, a new Google Slides feature that lets you easily record yourself presenting, and then share the presentation with others to view when it works for them. | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus and Education Plus only. | Learn more about slides recordings.
The next evolution of automated data entry in Google Sheets
Expanding message bubbles in Google Chat to iOS devices
In September, we introduced message bubbles in Google Chat on web and Android, enabling users to more easily differentiate incoming versus outgoing messages in the Chat message stream. This week, we’re excited to announce the expansion of message bubbles to iOS devices. | Learn more about message bubbles.
Updates to the Google Drive scanner on Android & iOS devices
We’re introducing additional enhancements to the Drive scanner on Android devices, which now powers the Google Pixel camera and includes improvements to the scanner experience when capturing content. We’re also expanding the Google Drive scanner and title suggestion feature to iOS devices. | Learn more about Drive scanner.
Introducing a new homepage view in Google Drive
We’ve added a new streamlined homepage for Drive called Home that makes it easier and faster for you to find files that matter most. | Learn more about Drive home.
Introducing a new mobile experience for Google Chat
Google Vault now supports Calendar, which means customers can take new actions around Calendar data. | Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus customers or customers with the Vault add-on license only. | Learn more about Vault supporting Calendar.
More insights to help admins troubleshoot Google Meet hardware issues
In 2022, we introduced several improvements for managing Google Meet hardware devices. These improvements included surfacing additional information about device issues, such as a description of the issue, when the issue was detected, and more. Now, we’re taking these improvements one step further by providing admins with even more data points. | Learn more about Google Meet hardware issues.
Monitor insider risk of Google Workspace data with Chronicle
Admins can now more seamlessly integrate their Google Workspace data with Chronicle (Google’s cloud-native Security Operations platform), to quickly detect, investigate and take action on risky activity and threats. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus customers only. | Learn more about Chronicle.
Google Classroom now supports roster import from SIS partners
Educators can now easily import students from their student information system (SIS) to Google Classroom using OneRoster. This integration saves educators time and helps make class setup much quicker. | Available to Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade only. | Learn more about roster import.
In the Google Cloud Community, connect with Googlers and other Google Workspace admins like yourself. Participate in product discussions, check out the Community Articles, and learn tips and tricks that will make your work and life easier. Be the first to know what's happening with Google Workspace.
On the “What’s new in Google Workspace?” Help Center page, learn about new products and features launching in Google Workspace, including smaller changes that haven’t been announced on the Google Workspace Updates blog.
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