Google Workspace Updates

Improved file importing in Google Sheets with tables and linked pivot tables

2026-08-11T09:22:22.941-07:00

We’re introducing two key improvements in Google Sheets that preserve formatting and linked data when converting files from Microsoft Excel. First, Excel tables will now seamlessly import as Sheets tables. Second, Sheets now fully supports importing Excel pivot tables that are backed by table ranges.

Previously, when converting Excel files, Excel tables did not import as Sheets tables, causing users to miss out on the structural and formatting benefits of tables, and pivot tables linked to tables were replaced with static grids. These updates ensure your data structures remain intact and beautifully formatted upon import. Most importantly, your imported spreadsheets will be ready to use right away, no manual reconstruction needed.

Table with linked pivot table imported into Google Sheets

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for both features.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using tables in Google Sheets or using pivot tables in Google Sheets.

Rollout pace

Table imports

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Linked pivot table imports

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 11, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Docs Editors Help: Use tables in Google Sheets
Google Docs Editors Help: Create & use pivot tables

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - August 7, 2026

2026-08-07T12:12:19.533-07:00

Provide more clear, contextual feedback with timestamped comments in Google Drive videos

We are introducing timestamped comments for videos in Google Drive on the web. Users can now anchor comments to a specific time mark in a video, making video collaboration more direct, precise, and contextual. | Learn more.

Visual screenshots now included in Google Meet meeting notes

We’re improving the ‘Take notes for me’ feature in Google Meet by giving you the ability to automatically capture and include screenshots of presented content directly in the meeting notes document. | Learn more.

Gemini in Google Classroom is expanding to users of all ages, with contextualized Gemini starter prompts for students

Last year, we launched Gemini in Google Classroom to help educators save time on planning and create more engaging lessons, and later expanded Gemini in Classroom to higher education students 18 years of age and older to help them study and learn. Starting August 10, 2026, Gemini in Classroom will also be made available to K-12 and higher education students of all ages who have already been granted access to Gemini in Classroom, Gemini and Gemini Notebook by their admin, offering a guided space to interact with these tools. | Learn more.

Streamlining rubric generation in Google Classroom with Gemini

To make it easier to create rubrics and grade in Google Classroom, educators can now instantly generate a new Classroom-ready rubric during their assignment creation workflow, using context from their assignment. | Learn more.

Automatically add sources to your Gemini Notebooks in Workspace Studio

Historically, keeping Gemini Notebooks up to date would require you to manually add sources one by one. Now, this new integration lets you automate adding sources to your Gemini Notebooks as part of a recurring workflow. You can use the new Add a source to Gemini Notebook step to add text, links to Drive files, or generic Youtube or web URLs as sources to your notebooks to ensure your notebooks are always up to date on the latest content. | Learn more.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Automatically add sources to your Gemini Notebooks in Workspace Studio

2026-08-07T07:56:05.284-07:00

Historically, keeping Gemini Notebooks up to date would require you to manually add sources one by one. Now, this new integration lets you automate adding sources to your Gemini Notebooks as part of a recurring workflow. You can use the new Add a source to Gemini Notebook step to add text, links to Drive files, or generic Youtube or web URLs as sources to your notebooks to ensure your notebooks are always up to date on the latest content.

Use Add a source to Gemini Notebook to automatically keep your notebooks up to date

Getting started

Admins: This step is available by default if you allow Gemini for Google Workspace steps. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing access to steps and starters in Workspace Studio.
End users: Try the feature in Google Workspace Studio. Visit the Help Center to learn more about the Add Source to Gemini Notebooks step.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 business days for feature visibility) starting on August 6, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Education: Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Workspace Studio
Workspace Studio Help: Get Started with Workspace Studio
YouTube: Workspace Studio Playlist
Discord: Workspace Studio Channel

Streamlining rubric generation in Google Classroom with Gemini

2026-08-05T09:41:26.175-07:00

With this update, there will now be multiple ways to create and use rubrics in Classroom:

[New] Draft relevant Classroom rubrics from the assignment creation page: Within the “Rubrics” section, generate a new Classroom-ready rubric with help from Gemini based on their assignment. Educators can review and edit the proposed rubric criteria before adding it to the assignment, saving valuable prep time.
Convert existing rubrics files from the assignment creation page: Within the “Rubrics” section, educators can select an existing rubric they have and instantly convert it to a Classroom-ready rubric.
Create rubric files from the Gemini tab: When planning their lessons, educators can collaborate with Gemini to draft a rubric based on information that they provide. They can then export the rubric to Sheets or Docs before attaching it to their class.

Note: This feature is only available for users over age 18.

Streamline grading setup by instantly generating custom rubrics directly within the assignment creation workflow.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be available by default if Gemini in Classroom is enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing access to Gemini in Classroom.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating and reusing rubrics for an assignment.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on August 5, 2026

Availability

Education: Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus

Resources

Google Classroom Help: Create or reuse a rubric for an assignment
Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage access to Gemini in Classroom

Gemini in Google Classroom is expanding to users of all ages, with contextualized Gemini starter prompts for students

2026-08-04T12:56:04.643-07:00

Last year, we launched Gemini in Google Classroom to help educators save time on planning and create more engaging lessons, and later expanded Gemini in Classroom to higher education students 18 years of age and older to help them study and learn. Starting August 10, 2026, Gemini in Classroom will also be made available to K-12 and higher education students of all ages who have already been granted access to Gemini in Classroom, Gemini and Gemini Notebook by their admin, offering a guided space to interact with these tools.

In Classroom, students can access the Gemini tab to transform their class materials into interactive experiences that help them study and learn. For example, students who have access to Gemini can select course materials to create flashcards or practice quizzes with Gemini that are tailored to their class. Students with Gemini Notebook access can also sync the materials provided by their teacher to Gemini Notebook, enabling them to create interactive study guides, audio overviews, infographics, and more.

Additionally, starter prompts on the student Gemini tab can now use context from Classroom to tailor Gemini interactions specifically to students’ schoolwork. This update transforms the existing starter prompts into highly contextualized experiences, eliminating the need to go back and forth between Classroom and Gemini to get support relevant to what they’re learning in the classroom.

When a student clicks on one of these starter prompts, a new box now appears that allows them to select a specific class and assignment. The Gemini prompt will then incorporate the relevant title, assignment instructions, and curriculum materials as context directly from Google Classroom, ensuring that the resulting interaction is grounded in the student’s academic context.

If Gemini in Classroom and the Gemini app are enabled, students will also be able to access “Learn with Gemini” when they hover over any assignment in “Due Soon” on the redesigned Classroom homepage. “Learn with Gemini” helps students get guided help or create study guides, practice quizzes, and flashcards – all based on their class curriculum.

Access to the Gemini tab in Classroom is currently available globally in all Classroom-supported languages in which Gemini is also available.

Getting started

Admins:

Access to the Gemini tab in Classroom is On by default for teachers and students of all ages, and is controlled using the Gemini in Classroom control. If Gemini in Classroom is currently turned off for students, access will remain off for all students, including students younger than 18.
As an administrator of your organization's Google Accounts, you can control who is allowed to use Gemini in Google Classroom. The student capabilities are only available to users:

Whose role is defined as “Student” in Classroom
Who are in a group or OU with Gemini in Classroom set to On
Who are in a group or OU with Gemini Notebook set to On and/or Gemini set to On

Note: Users do not need to have both the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook set to On in order to see the Gemini tab. For example, if Gemini is set to Off, Gemini features will not be visible.

If you would like to disable Gemini in Google Classroom for users who are under 18 years old, you can create an OU with only those users and turn off access for that OU only. Visit the Help Center to learn about managing access to Gemini in Classroom, Gemini app, Gemini Notebook, and the option to turn these services on or off for users in your Admin console.
Ensure roles in Classroom are appropriately assigned to users. Learn more about teacher and student roles.

End users:

Navigate to the Gemini tab in the navigation bar in Google Classroom.
When using generated content, you should always review the outputs as AI can make mistakes and refine the output so that it fits your context and local policies.
Visit the Help Center to learn more about Gemini in Classroom and learn more about how to use generative AI for students.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on August 10, 2026, on the web and on August 17, 2026 on mobile

Availability

Education: Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus

Resources

Workspace Updates Blog: Gemini in Google Classroom is expanding to students in higher education
Workspace Updates Blog: Students can now create personal class notebooks with NotebookLM in Google Classroom
Google Classroom Help: Learn about Gemini in Google Classroom
Google Classroom Help: Verify teachers and set permissions
Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage access to Gemini in Classroom
Google Workspace Admin Help: Control access to Google services by age

Visual screenshots now included in Google Meet meeting notes

2026-08-03T11:24:18.050-07:00

While meeting transcripts capture what is said, they often miss critical visual context, like content that was presented. Without these visuals, notes can lack necessary detail or even be confusing if a speaker refers to a chart or diagram without describing it out loud.

Getting started

Admins: You can configure this feature in the Admin console to either always allow screenshots of presented content or only allow them when a recording is enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: When you begin presenting in a meeting where notes are being taken, you will see a notification alerting you that Gemini may capture screenshots of your presentation to add to the notes. This feature can be disabled from the notes panel.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 3, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Education: Google AI Pro for Education

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Let Google Meet AI take notes for my users
Google Meet Help: Take notes for me in Google Meet (Optional customizable settings)

Provide more clear, contextual feedback with timestamped comments in Google Drive videos

2026-08-03T09:37:24.338-07:00

When reviewing a video file, users can choose between adding a timestamped comment or a general file-level comment using a split button in the commenting interface. Each timestamped comment generates a visual marker directly on the video player timeline. Clicking a marker automatically jumps to that point in the video and highlights the associated comment, allowing reviewers and video owners to navigate feedback without manually scrubbing through media files. Standard commenting capabilities—such as editing, resolving, replying, and mentioning colleagues with @ notifications—remain fully supported and integrated with time-anchored notes.

This feature streamlines cross-functional workflows by eliminating the need to track timecoded feedback in separate documents, chat threads, or emails. Teams producing demos, training videos, marketing content, or recorded presentations can now conduct precise, asynchronous reviews directly within Drive. While timestamped comments must be created on the web, mobile users viewing videos on iOS or Android will still see these entries formatted as standard file-level comments.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be available by default for all users. There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about commenting on videos.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

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

Resources

Google Help: Store & play video in Google Drive - Comment on a video

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - July 31, 2026

2026-07-31T12:25:01.723-07:00

Visual screenshots in Google Meet meeting notes will soon be generally available, pre-configure admin settings in advance

In the coming weeks, we’re starting the rollout of visual screenshots for the ‘Take notes for me’ feature in Google Meet. Visual screenshots automatically capture presented content (such as slides, diagrams, and charts) directly into the generated meeting notes document, ensuring critical visual context is preserved alongside spoken summaries and transcripts. | Learn more.

Streamline collaboration in Google Docs with Gemini-powered comment workflows

We’re introducing Gemini-powered comment workflows in Google Docs to help you quickly understand and respond to collaborator feedback. These new features enable Gemini to read, summarize, and act on comments throughout your document, saving you time and streamlining collaboration. | Learn more.

Generate and edit visuals with Gemini in Google Docs

You can now create and edit images, diagrams, and infographics directly alongside your text using Gemini in Google Docs. These images leverage the context of your document, so you can generate relevant visuals to accompany your writing without ever leaving Docs or relying on external tools. Plus, you can refine your existing visuals and graphics using simple natural language prompts. | Learn more.

Updated options to better view Google Calendar on large monitors

To provide users with more control over their viewing experience, we’re updating information density options for the calendar grid. These updates allow users to customize how calendar events scale on their screens to accommodate various monitor sizes and personal preferences. | Learn more.

Create and import scatter charts with multiple x-series in Google Sheets

Google Sheets now supports creating and editing scatter charts with multiple independent x-series. This update allows users to map separate data series to their own unique x-axis, rather than forcing all series in a single chart to share the same horizontal axis domain. | Learn more.

Use Gemini in Google Forms to quickly create a new quiz

Help me create in Google Forms now supports generating quizzes. With this launch, you can quickly create a quiz by writing a specific prompt for Help me create describing the quiz you want to create. Your prompt can reference Google Drive files like Docs, Slides or PDFs to use as sources for the quiz, should you choose. | Learn more.

Prevent accidental disclosures with new Reply All BCC warnings in Gmail

To help protect your privacy and ensure intentional communication, we are introducing a new caution notification in Gmail. This feature is designed to prevent accidental information disclosure by alerting users when they are about to "Reply All" to a thread where they were originally BCC’ed. | Learn more.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Prevent accidental disclosures with new Reply All BCC warnings in Gmail

2026-07-30T10:24:38.575-07:00

Previously, users might inadvertently reveal their presence on a confidential thread by hitting "Reply All" while BCC'ed. With this update, Gmail will now display a prominent warning prompt to confirm your intent before the message is sent to all recipients, ensuring that your participation remains private unless you choose otherwise.

Getting started

Admins: This feature is available by default.
End users: This feature is available by default and will trigger automatically when a BCC'ed recipient attempts to "Reply All" on a thread.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

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

Use Gemini in Google Forms to quickly create a new quiz

2026-07-30T08:42:17.205-07:00

Help me create in Google Forms now supports generating quizzes.

With this launch, you can quickly create a quiz by writing a specific prompt for Help me create describing the quiz you want to create. Your prompt can reference Google Drive files like Docs, Slides or PDFs to use as sources for the quiz, should you choose.

Gemini then generates a quiz incorporating details from any files you reference, with appropriate quiz settings, including correct answers for each question. Gemini supports different question types like multiple choice, grid, checkboxes, and grid question types.

You can preview the quiz after it's generated, and adjust the content of the generated quiz after inserting it, as needed.

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. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating a form or quiz with Gemini in Google Form.

Users can create a quiz using a prompt and pdf file with Gemini in Google Forms

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) started on July 24, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 5, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Google AI, Pro, and Ultra
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning

Resources

Google Help: Create a form or quiz with Gemini in Google Forms
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Use Gemini in Google Forms to quickly create a new form

Create and import scatter charts with multiple x-series in Google Sheets

2026-07-29T10:55:47.014-07:00

Additionally, this feature improves import and export compatibility with Microsoft Excel. Previously, importing Excel files with multiple x-series scatter charts into Google Sheets would drop the extra axes and revert to a single x-axis. Now, these configurations are accurately preserved when moving spreadsheets between platforms.

User creating a scatter chart with multiple x-series in Google Sheets

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about adding and editing a chart in Google Sheets.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 29, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 14, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Docs Editors Help: Add & edit a chart or graph

Updated options to better view Google Calendar on large monitors

2026-07-29T09:03:47.421-07:00

The available information density options now include:

Responsive to your screen: Your calendar dynamically scales and enlarges events to fill larger monitors, which makes events easier to read.
Comfortable: Your calendar keeps the standard layout with traditional spacing, regardless of your screen size.
Compact: Your calendar shows a denser view with tighter spacing, which allows you to see more events at once.

New options in Calendar information density to adjust for large monitors

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Change your density settings from the Appearance settings menu in Calendar on the web. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 29, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 10, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Calendar Help: Change event color set and density in Google Calendar

Generate and edit visuals with Gemini in Google Docs

2026-07-28T09:20:08.304-07:00

With this new functionality, you can:

Create rich infographics or diagrams summarizing your docs: Ask Gemini to "Add a diagram providing an overview of the proposal at the top of my doc" or "Create a rich infographic visually summarizing my doc."
Refine existing visuals: Use natural language to "Change the aspect ratio to 16:9" or "Make the style more aesthetic to match the rest of the document."
Create or edit multiple visuals at once: Ask Gemini to add infographics in each key section, or update the style of multiple visuals at once.

You can access these capabilities from the bottom bar or the Gemini side panel in Google Docs.

Note: This feature is currently supported on the web only.

Getting started

Admins: These features are available by default if Gemini for Workspace in Drive is enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing access to Gemini features in Google Workspace.
End users: You must have Workspace smart features enabled to use these features. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating personalized documents with Gemini in Google Docs.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 28, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage Gemini for Google Workspace
Google Docs Editors Help: Create personalized documents with Gemini in Google Docs
Google Docs Editors Help: Learn how Gemini in Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Drive, Sheets, Slides, Meet & Vids protects your data

Streamline collaboration in Google Docs with Gemini-powered comment workflows

2026-07-28T09:14:48.543-07:00

Synthesize and Q&A comments: Ask Gemini to summarize comment threads, extract key themes, or identify unresolved issues blocking your project. For example, you can say "Summarize all comments from Sarah" or "Based on the comments, what are the unresolved issues?"
Add new comments: Ask Gemini to insert comments on your behalf, such as "Add a comment asking Roberta to verify the stats in the launch readiness section" or "Review this blog post as a copy editor, leaving comments focused on clarity and narrative flow."
Draft contextually grounded replies: Quickly respond to open comment threads with drafts generated by Gemini. For example, "Reply to the thread confirming that we’re approved to launch on April 1" or "Respond to Sarah’s question with a link to the latest CSAT deck from my Drive."
Suggest document edits: Ask Gemini to suggest updates to document content based on reviewer feedback, such as "Rewrite the introduction to address Roberta’s feedback." Gemini will generate suggested edits for you to review, approve, and seamlessly apply to your document.

You can access these capabilities by submitting queries from the bottom bar or the Gemini side panel in Google Docs. In addition, you may see proactive nudges to summarize comments when opening a new document or automatically generate a reply when clicking into an existing comment thread.

Note: Gemini-powered comment workflows are currently only available for Google Docs users with edit access.

Getting started

Admins: These features are available by default if Gemini for Workspace in Drive is enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing access to Gemini features in Google Workspace.
End users: You must have Workspace smart features enabled to use these features. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating personalized documents with Gemini in Google Docs.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 28, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education, Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage Gemini for Google Workspace
Google Help: Respond to & manage comments with Gemini in Google Docs
Google Docs Editors Help: Learn how Gemini in Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Drive, Sheets, Slides, Meet & Vids protects your data

Visual screenshots in Google Meet meeting notes will soon be generally available, pre-configure admin settings in advance

2026-07-27T07:55:37.695-07:00

Ahead of the general availability rollout, admins can decide whether visual screenshots of presented content are allowed in meeting notes for their users and pre-configure their preferred setting in advance. Admin controls can be configured to either always allow screenshots of presented content (default) or only allow them when a meeting recording is enabled.

We’ll share another update on the Workspace Updates blog with more details when visual screenshots begin rolling out to end users.

Visual Context in Meeting Notes

While meeting transcripts accurately capture what is said during a call, they don’t currently include visual context—such as presented slides, financial charts, or architecture diagrams. Visual screenshots will soon be automatically embedded into the Google Doc created by “Take notes for me”.

Data Protections and Privacy Controls

Presenter Notifications: When a user begins presenting in a meeting where Take Notes for me is active, an on-screen notification will alert the presenter that Gemini may capture screenshots of the presentation to include in the meeting notes document.
In-Meeting End-User Control: Presenters and end users can manage or disable visual screenshot capture at any time directly from the Google Meet notes panel.
Enterprise Data Protections: Visual screenshots captured during meetings are covered by Google Workspace enterprise-grade data protections.

Getting started

Admins: Admin settings are available starting today. You can configure visual screenshot settings in the Admin console at the domain, Organizational Unit (OU), or group level. Navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Google Meet to choose between allowing screenshots always or only when recording is enabled.
End users: There is no end user action required at this time. When the feature officially rolls out, presenters will receive a notification when presenting during a meeting with note-taking enabled and can manage setting preferences from the notes panel.

Rollout pace

Admin Console Settings

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now.

End-User Feature Rollout

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) in Q3 2026. We’ll share another update on the Workspace Updates blog with more details when visual screenshots begin rolling out to end users.

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Education: Google AI Pro for Education

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Let Google Meet AI take notes for my users

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - July 24, 2026

2026-07-24T12:18:52.919-07:00

Import and create combo charts in Google Sheets

Google Sheets now offers enhanced support for combo charts, providing a more seamless experience when creating multi-series visualizations. | Learn more.

A centralized hub for meeting resources on the new Google Meet homepage

Finding the right notes or attachments for a meeting shouldn't feel like a scavenger hunt. We’re introducing a revamped Google Meet homepage on the web to help you stay organized and prepared throughout your entire meeting workflow. | Learn more.

Redesigned Google Classroom homepage with tailored views based on user’s role

Gemini Alpha is now Gemini Beta

Google Meet now organizes your meeting notes, transcripts, and recordings in your Google Drive

We’re making it easier for users to find meeting notes, transcripts and recordings in Google Drive. | Learn more.

View supporting calendar delegates in meeting guest list

When viewing a guest list in Google Calendar on the web, you will now see a new icon next to leaders who have a calendar delegate assisting them with scheduling support. Hovering over the icon will display the person’s information, allowing you to easily initiate a chat with them directly. | Learn more.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

View supporting calendar delegates in meeting guest list

2026-07-23T08:47:12.836-07:00

This update helps users quickly identify and contact the appropriate scheduling support for a leader to streamline communication and event coordination.

This icon is visible in several calendar views:

Event details view
Full-screen creation
Side-by-side scheduling view

New icon surfacing the calendar delegate of a leader in the guest list in event details view

Although we use the name "delegate," it is actually independent of calendar sharing permissions and it is sourced by PeopleAPI. We are using the following relations from PeopleAPI: "Assistant", "Admin Assistant" or "Exec Assistant". Therefore, it will match the data shown in Google Contacts. See this documentation for using the Workspace Admin SDK API.

If someone is supported by multiple assistants, then all will be displayed - there will be multiple icons shown next to the person, and each one will show one of their assistants details when you hover over it.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: There is no end-user setting for this feature. Simply hover over the icon next to the person’s name to see more information about their scheduling support.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 23, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on August 3, 2026

Availability

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

Google Meet now organizes your meeting notes, transcripts, and recordings in your Google Drive

2026-07-22T09:48:25.286-07:00

We’re making it easier for users to find meeting notes, transcripts and recordings in Google Drive with the following improvements:

After a meeting, we’ll automatically upload these files to a new folder in the host’s My Drive called “Google Meet.”
Within that “Google Meet” folder, these files will be automatically organized into subfolders for each meeting. Files from different instances of a recurring meeting will share one folder.
Any meeting attendees with access to the meeting files will see shortcuts to these source files in their “Google Meet” Drive folders too..

Previously, these files were only uploaded to the host’s My Drive, not the attendees’, and the files weren’t organized by meeting.

Note: Shortly after we roll out this change, we’ll automatically move the existing “Meet Recordings” folder into the new “Google Meet” folder and rename it “Legacy Meet Recordings.” Users may see both “Meet Recordings” and “Google Meet” in their Google Drive for a brief period during this transition.

Getting started

Admins: Existing "Meet Recordings" folders will be renamed to "Legacy Meet Recordings" and moved under the new "Google Meet" folder topology. Admins should audit any API scripts or automated workflows that rely on specific folder names or IDs.
End users: Users will see their meeting artifacts automatically organized into meeting-specific sub-folders within the "Google Meet" folder, with shortcuts for easier findability.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on July 22, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on July 30, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Google Meet Help: Record a video meeting
Google Meet Help: Take notes for me in Google Meet

Gemini Alpha is now Gemini Beta

2026-07-22T09:39:21.207-07:00

We’re updating the name of the Gemini Alpha program to "Gemini Beta." This new name more accurately reflects both the scale and the quality of the features that enter this launch stage. Please note that this is solely a branding change. This update does not alter any customer configurations, data privacy constraints, or pricing tiers. All existing admin controls and customer opt-ins are fully preserved. Your current Terms of Service continue to apply, and customers do not need to re-sign any agreements.

As a reminder, we’ll continue to announce new Gemini Beta features in the Google Developer Program (GDP) forum and the Gemini Beta Help Center. You must be an active Workspace customer and register to access GDP content; follow these instructions to sign up.

Getting started

Admins: There is no change to existing admin controls. You will begin to see the "Gemini Beta" label replace "Gemini Alpha" in the Admin console and Help Center articles over the next several weeks.
End users: There is no end user setting for this change.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 22, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn access to Google Workspace with Gemini Beta on or off
Google Developer Program: Workspace Alpha Forum

Redesigned Google Classroom homepage with tailored views based on user’s role

2026-07-21T11:26:27.657-07:00

Soon, Google Classroom will introduce a redesigned homepage globally across all editions to help teachers, students, and administrators easily find relevant content, resources, and tools tailored to their specific roles. The updated interface transforms the homepage into a dynamic, centralized hub that more easily surfaces existing information and tools that were previously located in different areas of Classroom. Users can still access classes in the side navigation panel and a dedicated classes module on the homepage.

The new experience, which will begin rolling out on July 27, 2026, is personalized based on a user's role and available features:

For teachers, a new dashboard gives actionable insights, highlights student classwork interactions, tracks assignment completion, and surfaces a feature spotlight to help discover instructional tools and resources.

For students, a dedicated ‘Enrolled’ view reminds learners of coursework that is due soon and helps them manage their deadlines.

For school leaders and IT administrators, the homepage provides a centralized view to monitor high-level performance analytics, access shortcuts for backend administrative settings, and discover relevant tools to support educators and staff.

Users who have multiple roles (such as a teacher taking a professional development class) can easily change their view dashboard by clicking into another role (for example, Teaching, Enrolled, or Admin). When a user loads the homepage, it returns to the previous role view.

To help users control their view and focus on what matters most to them, all new homepage modules are collapsible.

Please note that not all features and views will be available to all users. Eligibility is determined by the user’s role, feature access, account type, and settings.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for the new Classroom homepage. Gemini and Gemini Notebook features will only appear if the user is in an OU with Gemini in Classroom, Gemini app, and/or Gemini Notebook enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn about managing access to Gemini in Classroom, Gemini app, Gemini Notebook, and the option to turn these services on or off for users in the Admin console.
End users: There is no end user setting for the new Classroom homepage. Visit the Help Center to learn more about the new Classroom homepage.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for visibility) starting July 27, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Classroom Help: Navigate your Classroom Homepage
2026: What’s New in Google for Education: Overview of Classroom Homepage

A centralized hub for meeting resources on the new Google Meet homepage

2026-07-21T11:20:41.143-07:00

The new homepage provides a centralized view of your meeting agenda and essential artifacts, allowing you to:

Prepare effectively: Quickly access meeting descriptions and calendar attachments for upcoming calls.
Follow through easily: Find meeting notes, recordings, and transcripts from past meetings without digging through your inbox or Drive.
Manage your time: Use the new week and month navigators to look ahead at your schedule or revisit previous discussions.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. The new homepage experience will be available to all users with access to Google Meet on the web.
End users: The new homepage experience will be available to all Meet users on the web. Visit meet.google.com to get started.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 21, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 17, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual subscribers

Resources

Google Meet: Google Meet Homepage
Google Meet Help: Use the Google Meet homepage

Import and create combo charts in Google Sheets

2026-07-20T10:30:35.309-07:00

Google Sheets now offers enhanced support for combo charts, providing a more seamless experience when creating multi-series visualizations. Users can create new “Combo” chart types, enabling complex dataset visualization with different scales and metrics without requiring manual re-plotting. These include:

Clustered Column - Line
Clustered Column - Line on Secondary Axis
Custom Combo

Sheets combo chart support also comes with enhanced Microsoft Excel import compatibility. Previously, importing external files that contained combo charts with a secondary axis would result in the secondary axis being dropped. This update ensures that secondary axis configurations and combo chart types are preserved during file import.

User creating a combo chart in Google Sheets

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about adding and editing a chart in Google Sheets.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 20, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 4, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Google Docs Editors Help: Add & edit a chart or graph

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - July 17, 2026

2026-07-17T12:38:37.711-07:00

Google Credential Provider for Windows (GCPW) now supports FIDO2-compliant physical security keys as a second factor for authentication

Google Credential Provider for Windows (GCPW) has been updated to support FIDO2-compliant physical security keys as a second factor for authentication. This update helps organizations improve their security posture by enabling administrators to enforce 2-Step Verification (2SV) using hardware security keys at the Windows login screen. | Learn more.

Improvement to in-room problem reporting for Google Meet hardware

Maintaining an enterprise-grade video conferencing environment requires visibility into the health of its devices. We're introducing new ways to see Google Meet hardware user-reported feedback directly in the Admin console. | Learn more.

New refinement capabilities allow custom editing with Help me write in Gmail

Users can now edit and revise their email drafts in Gmail via the prompt bar, using custom refine instructions in Help me write. Previously the refines were limited to preset options like Polish, Formalize, and Shorten. | Learn more.

Now available: group conversations with external collaborators in Google Chat

For many teams, it’s essential to be able to work in real-time with partners from outside your organization. We’re improving external collaboration in Google Chat by making it possible to create group conversations that include external users. | Learn more.

NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook

We’re renaming NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. While it remains a standalone product focused on being your premier research tool, the new name reflects how it will evolve to do more across the Google ecosystem. | Learn more.

Easily control the emotions and pacing of AI avatars and AI voiceovers in Google Vids

Users can now easily steer voiceover and avatar speaking in Google Vids by typing content within brackets like “[excitedly]”. | Learn more.

Expanded language support for Gemini in Google Docs

We are now expanding support for these features to 11 more languages, including Mandarin, Dutch, Malay, Hebrew, Polish, Turkish, Czech, Indonesian, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. These new additions join our previously supported languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, Korean, German, and Italian. | Learn more.

Generate higher quality AI video clips and edit any video with Gemini Omni in Vids

Users now have access to Gemini Omni directly within Google Vids. Omni provides higher quality video generation with significant improvements over previous models. Additionally, Omni’s world understanding unlocks simple video edits so you can ask Omni to tweak the video you have to get the video you need. | Learn more.

Cast yourself in AI video clips using your personal avatar with Gemini Omni in Vids

Users now have access to Gemini Omni directly within Google Vids. With Gemini Omni, you can create videos using your personal avatar to scale your presence without the studio time. Use a secure verification process to capture your likeness and then select it as a character in Omni generations within Vids. | Learn more.

New Google Meet 'Take notes for me' settings for admins and end users

To help users remember to capture notes for meetings when it’s most valuable, we’re updating the admin and end user settings that let them pre-configure AI note-taking for Google Meet. | Learn more.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

New Google Meet 'Take notes for me' settings for admins and end users

2026-07-16T13:07:25.744-07:00

To help users remember to capture notes for meetings when it’s most valuable, we’re updating the admin and end user settings that let them pre-configure AI note-taking for Google Meet.

Admin settings

Previously, admins could only enable or disable automatic note-taking for all meetings. Today, we’re starting to roll out a third option, which will allow admins to enable automatic note-taking only for meetings with three or more people.

Customers on Business Standard and Business Plus plans will soon see this setting turned ON by default; the setting will be OFF by default for customers on Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Frontline Plus plans, as well as those with the Google AI Pro for Education add-on. There will be no impact to the end user experience on any plan before September 21, 2026. If you want to change your settings, you can do so in the Admin console.

If you currently participate in the Gemini Alpha program, and previously tested this setting, it may already be ON. Please review the current state of the settings for your organization in the Admin console before September 21, 2026.

End user settings

We’re also introducing a way for end users to enable note-taking only for meetings with three or more participants. Once the “For all meetings I host with 3+ guests” option rolls out, users should revisit their settings to confirm they’re configured as desired. This option will become available no sooner than September 21; stay tuned to the Workspace Updates blog to be notified when that rollout starts.

Getting started

Admins for Business Standard and Business Plus organizations: This new setting is ON by default. If you wish to change your settings, you should do so before September 21, 2026, to avoid any impact for end users. Visit the Help Center for more information on how to adjust these settings.
Admins for Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Frontline Plus, and Google AI Pro for Education organizations: This new setting is OFF by default. You can adjust this setting in the Admin console once it appears, but it will not affect the end user experience before September 21, 2026. Visit the Help Center for more information on how to adjust these settings.
Admins for organizations participating in Gemini Alpha program: Your settings may be impacted by previous configurations. Please review your settings before September 21, 2026, to ensure they’re configured correctly.
End users on all plans: The default set by admins will go into effect for end users no sooner than September 21, 2026. Users can override this default in the Meet user settings after that date. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Meeting settings for “take notes for me”.

Rollout pace

Admin setting

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Rolling out now, with expected completion by August 3, 2026

End user setting

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting no sooner than September 21, 2026*

*We’ll post an update on the Workspace Updates blog when the end user setting rollout begins.

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Plus
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education

Resources

Google Meet Help: Take notes for me in Google Meet
Google Workspace Updates Blog: New user controls for Take notes for me

Cast yourself in AI video clips using your personal avatar with Gemini Omni in Vids

2026-07-16T13:06:53.331-07:00

Personal avatar user experience

Secure verification: Verify and manage your personal avatar directly within your Google Account.
Seamless integration: Easily add your personal avatar from the selector in Vids.
Administrative oversight: Admins can manage or disable this feature through the Admin console.

A note on language and region availability

At launch, personal avatars are available in English only for users 18 years and older. They’re not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. Learn more about personal avatar privacy settings.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be ON by default and can be disabled or enabled at the domain level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing personal avatars in Vids.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using personal avatars in Vids.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 16, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 5, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
Other Editions: Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Nonprofits
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access*

*Users with AI Expanded Access add-on licenses have higher limits on usage of Omni in Vids.

Resources

Google Docs Editors Help: Create, use & manage your personal avatar with Gemini in Google Vids
Google Docs Editors Help: Use Omni in Google Vids