Google Workspace Updates

Generate interactive simulations and models in the Gemini app

2026-08-24T10:51:01.660-07:00

Gemini can transform your questions and complex topics into custom, interactive visualizations — directly within your Gemini app chat.

Previously, responses were largely text with static diagrams. Now, we’re delivering functional simulations that can help you better understand the topic you’re asking Gemini about. Whether you’re rotating a molecule or simulating a complex physics system, you can explore further with just one prompt. Responses include visual elements — like tables, grids, and simulations — made specifically for your question. For example, ask about a topic that could be explained visually, like “show me how DNA works in 3D,” and you’ll be able to interactively rotate and zoom into a 3D DNA structure. Or ask to watch a pendulum trade energy back and forth, or learn about cash burn rates through an interactive table.

Getting started

Admins: This feature is ON by default for all organizations with Gemini enabled. The Gemini app and related in-app tools are controlled by the Generative AI settings in the Workspace Admin console. This feature is subject to these existing controls. Visit the Help Center for more information on turning the Gemini app on or off.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. To get started, users can ask Gemini to “show me” or “help me visualize” a complex concept.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and as well as users that meet minimum age requirements. Usage limits apply.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn the Gemini app on or off for users
News from Google Blog: The Gemini app can now generate interactive simulations and models

Now available: A refreshed user interface for Google Meet hardware touch controllers on Neat and Poly devices

2026-08-24T08:26:38.970-07:00

On August 26, 2026, we are officially launching our updated user interface for Neat touch controllers and the Poly TC8.

Overall, the design allows users to concentrate on their meetings rather than searching for controls, resulting in a more efficient and aesthetically pleasing experience.

Here's what you can expect:

Simplified Access to Key Controls: The controls you use most frequently, like mute and hand raise, are more prominent and easily accessible, helping you cut down on time searching for features and spend more time focusing on your meeting.
Intuitively Organized Features:

In-meeting experience: If you need to access more advanced features, like camera controls or the meeting layout, you can find them under the “More actions” menu. This keeps the main interface clean while ensuring less frequently used features are still readily accessible.
Pre-call experience: You'll also notice a refresh for the pre-call meeting UI, which prominently features the option to enter a meeting code or nickname, and a drop-down menu for Webex or Zoom meetings.

A Familiar Interface: The touch controller UI will now look and feel similar to the Google Meet UI as seen on Laptop & Desktop devices, which will help navigating the menu more intuitively.

Pre-meeting experience UI refresh Neat/Poly touch controller will now have

In-meeting experience UI refresh featuring quick action controls

This launch brings the modern UI experience to an expanded lineup of hardware, ensuring visual consistency across your meeting rooms. These improvements are designed to reduce user friction and support tickets by mirroring the exact interaction layout users are already accustomed to on their individual workstations.

Expanding availability

With the addition of Neat Pad andPoly TC8, we are continuing our commitment to expanding support for the new UI across all Google Meet touch controllers, including various Android Open Source Project (AOSP) ecosystem devices.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be enabled by default for supported Neat Pad and, Poly TC8. You can visit the Help Center to learn more about managing settings and layouts for your organization's devices.
End users: No action is required. You will automatically see the updated, intuitive interface the next time you interact with your in-room touch controller. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using the new Google Meet Hardware touchscreen features.

Rollout pace

Early Preview devices: Gradual rollout (up to 7 days for feature visibility) starting on August 26, 2026
Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 3 days for feature visibility) starting on September 2nd, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers with supported Google Meet hardware devices.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Using the new Google Meet Hardware touchscreen
Google Help: Try the new Google Meet Hardware touch controller UI

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - August 21, 2026

2026-08-21T12:10:10.605-07:00

Enhanced external sharing insights now available in Drive Inventory Reporting

Administrators using Drive Inventory Reporting in Google BigQuery can now access granular external sharing fields designed to simplify complex permission structures. By automatically consolidating direct permissions, group memberships, and public links into clear signals, this update helps organizations easily identify external exposure across their Drive environments. | Learn more.

New enterprise security controls for Workspace Studio enable expanded collaboration use cases

Workspace Studio enables users to boost their productivity with custom, no-code agentic automation. Today, we are adding a new set of enterprise security controls to enable additional collaboration use cases. These granular identity, data protection, observability, and governance controls provide admins with more confidence to safely enable and adopt agentic capabilities in their organization. | Learn more.

Make a copy of a notebook in Gemini Notebook

Use Gemini to help manage Google Workspace for your organization

We are introducing Admin Assist, bringing two new Gemini-powered capabilities to the Google Admin Console: the Sidepanel and Search Overviews. Designed to simplify complex administrative workflows and troubleshooting, this launch makes managing Google Workspace easier and faster. | Learn more.

Managing unsolicited event invitations with user blocking in Google Calendar

You can now protect your calendar from repeated calendar spam and unwanted invitations. When you block a user in Google Calendar, the current event is automatically removed and you no longer receive new calendar invitations from that person. | Learn more.

Elevate your Google Meet experience for shared meeting spaces with Room Display mode

We are excited to introduce Room Display mode, a new dual-window experience for Google Meet on the web. Launching in beta, this feature is designed specifically for "Bring Your Own Device" meeting spaces, where users connect a personal laptop to a shared external display, such as a TV or projector. | Learn more.

Introducing Ask Gemini in Chat: your new partner in productivity

Google Chat is the central hub for real-time collaboration in Workspace, and starting August 26, 2026, it becomes the place where you can bring the power of Gemini into your flow of teamwork. We’re introducing Ask Gemini in Google Chat, a unified command line for your work, powered by Workspace Intelligence. | Learn more.

Granular space creation restrictions now available in Google Chat

We are introducing a new admin setting in Google Chat that allows administrators to restrict specific users or groups from creating spaces, while continuing to permit them to create 1:1 direct messages (DMs) and group direct messages (gDMs). | Learn more.

Allowlisted Domains API now generally available

The Google Workspace Allowlisted Domains API is now generally available. Previously, administrators had to manage their allowlisted domains list manually through the Google Workspace Admin console. With this release, hosted under the Cloud Identity API suite as a top-level resource, organizations can securely automate and programmatically manage their list of allowlisted domains. | Learn more.

View Google Chat usage metrics in Gemini reports dashboard

Admins can now access Google Chat usage metrics in the Gemini reports dashboard across both organization- and user-level reports. | Learn more.

Record presentations in Google Slides with Google Vids

We are introducing a seamless way to record presentations in Google Slides using Google Vids directly from the Slides interface. Moving forward, you will see a new Record option in the right-hand menu of Slides. Selecting this option guides you through a streamlined recording workflow and outputs an immediately shareable link. | 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.

Record presentations in Google Slides with Google Vids

2026-08-20T10:28:12.845-07:00

This new integration provides advanced creation capabilities—including transcript-based editing and voiceover generation—helping you turn simple slide decks into polished, professional video assets in seconds.

Note: For organizations currently using the existing Slides recording experience, here is what you need to know about the transition:

Users with access to the existing Slides recording experience will have access to both the legacy experience and the new Vids recording experience.
The legacy Slides recording option will move to the View menu (View > Slides Recording).

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Use the Help Center to learn more about recording a presentation in Google Slides.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) started on August 20, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on September 7, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Help: Record a presentation in Google Slides with Google Vids

View Google Chat usage metrics in Gemini reports dashboard

2026-08-20T10:05:35.549-07:00

Admins can now access Google Chat usage metrics in the Gemini reports dashboard across both organization- and user-level reports.

At the organization level, this allows admins to track active Gemini users in Google Chat, analyze usage trends, and identify who benefits most from Gemini-powered summarization and generation features.

At the user level, admins can now view the level of Gemini adoption for specific users who actively engage with the app.

This launch also updates a few Gemini summarization interactions in Chat to “Active” as they are initiated by the user. Given this, you may see updated metrics reported for active users and overall usage of Chat.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about Gemini reports.
End users: There is no end user impact or action required.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

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: Gemini Reports Dashboard Help
Google Developer Documentation: Gemini in Workspace Apps Activity Events

Allowlisted Domains API now generally available

2026-08-20T10:01:51.266-07:00

By programmatically managing trusted external sharing boundaries, Workspace administrators can easily automate domain lists. This allows organizations to restrict external collaboration to verified, trusted partners, thereby mitigating data exfiltration risks and strengthening overall security posture without manual administrative overhead.

This launch includes a robust set of core capabilities to support your domain management workflows:

Core CRUD operations: Programmatic Create, Delete, List, and Get capabilities to manage your list of allowlisted domains
Exact-match filtering: Easily check and verify the presence of specific domains using exact-match filtering within the List API

Note: Reseller-managed workflows are not currently supported.

Getting started

Admins: To configure these rules via the API, administrators must have either domain management or domain allowlist management privileges for Google Workspace. See our documentation to learn more.
End users: There is no end-user setting or action required for this feature.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) started on August 19, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Google Cloud Documentation: Allowlisted domains API overview

Granular space creation restrictions now available in Google Chat

2026-08-20T08:13:17.877-07:00

Previously, Chat restriction settings functioned as a single all-or-nothing toggle, which disabled all conversation creation. With this update, administrators gain more flexible policy enforcement with the following restriction levels:

No restrictions: All chat creation (1:1 DMs, group direct messages, and spaces) is permitted.
Restrict space creation: Users can create 1:1 DMs and group direct messages, but are restricted from creating new Chat spaces.
Restrict all creation: Users are restricted from creating 1:1 DMs, group direct messages, and Chat spaces.

This enhancement is particularly useful for organizations—such as educational institutions, frontline environments, and external vendor/contractor teams—that want to ensure space creation is managed through designated approval workflows or admin creation, without disrupting day-to-day direct communication.

Getting started

Admins: This feature is available at the domain, Organizational Unit (OU), and group level. To configure space creation restrictions, open the Admin console and navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Google Chat > Chat and space restrictions. Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting up Chat restrictions.
End users: There is no end-user setting for this feature. Restricted users will notice that the option to create a space in Google Chat is disabled, but they will maintain the ability to create 1:1 DMs and group direct messages.

Rollout pace

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

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus
Education: Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Starter, Standard and Plus

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up Chat restrictions

Introducing Ask Gemini in Chat: your new partner in productivity

2026-08-19T16:20:07.264-07:00

Google Chat is the central hub for real-time collaboration in Workspace, and starting August 26, 2026, it becomes the place where you can bring the power of Gemini into your flow of teamwork. We’re introducing Ask Gemini in Google Chat, a unified command line for your work, powered by Workspace Intelligence.

Ask Gemini in Chat helps you navigate your day, stay on top of the flow of collaboration, find what you’re looking for, and help you take action.

Find answers quickly: Search across your Workspace data (like Gmail, Drive, or Calendar) to gather information.
Create content: Generate images or draft critical updates without leaving the conversation.
Stay on top of discussions: Catch up on all your conversations in one place.
Manage tasks and events: Schedule your meetings and manage tasks without breaking your flow.
Organize your work: Structure your conversations with individual sessions to revisit and continue work on specific topics over time.

Ask Gemini helps you reduce time spent searching for information and toggling between tabs, to ensure you have everything you need to take action and keep up with the busy pace of modern teamwork.

Ask Gemini is available in the Shortcuts menu in Chat

Important changes to Gemini side panel in Chat

Ask Gemini in Chat provides many of the functions previously available in the Gemini side panel in Chat, including finding files, capturing action items and summarizing conversations. With this launch, you’ll no longer see the side panel in Chat.
In addition, you’ll no longer be able to access Gems via Gemini side panel in Chat. However, Gems will remain available in the Gemini side panel of other Workspace apps.
Your conversation history from the Gemini side panel in Chat will not migrate to the new Ask Gemini surface in Chat. However, admins will be able to export Gemini conversation history, including conversation history from the Chat side panel, and if permitted by their organization, end users will be able to download their conversation history as well. Note that in the Data Export tool and Google Takeout, this data is stored under “Gemini in Workspace,” not “Google Chat.”

Language availability

This change will only affect users who have English as their Google account language. Users with other language preferences will be able to continue using the side panel as this update will not apply to them. Support for more languages will be added in the future.

Getting started

Admins: This feature is available by default if Gemini in Workspace in Chat and Workspace Intelligence for all apps are enabled.
End users: To use Ask Gemini features, you must be enrolled in Workspace Smart Features. Once enabled, Ask Gemini will be available on the left under "Shortcuts" in Google Chat. You can also quickly access it using the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + g on ChromeOS/Windows or Command + g on macOS). Visit the Help Center to learn more about Ask Gemini in Chat.

Through October 1, 2026, Workspace customers will get promotional access to higher limits for Ask Gemini in Chat, allowing users to experiment with this feature. Usage limits will apply after that date; we’ll provide more information in the Help Center in advance of updated usage limits going into effect.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 26, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Chat Help: Get started with Ask Gemini in Google Chat

Elevate your Google Meet experience for shared meeting spaces with Room Display mode

2026-08-19T12:36:20.966-07:00

Joining in Room Display mode

Historically, setting up a meeting on a shared display (e.g. in a meeting room) meant manually dragging browser windows across screens, dealing with clunky display layouts, and risking showing your browsing windows. Room Display mode removes this complexity by automatically splitting your meeting interface into two dedicated views the moment you connect your device and join the call:

Shared View (TV/Monitor): A clean, distraction-free, entire-screen view on your external display. It displays remote participant video tiles and shared presentations edge-to-edge. You can choose to go full screen by clicking the full-screen window button.

Shared View (TV) in Room Display mode with and without and active presentation

Personal View (Laptop Controller): Your laptop screen becomes a private personal view and "control center" for the meeting. In addition to your persona
l view of the active presentation, it houses the meeting controls, peripherals selection, presentation controls, the participant roster, chat panels, and your "Ask Gemini" panel. This ensures you can manage the meeting privately without displaying your browser window or personal workspace to the entire room.

Personal View (Laptop) in Room Display mode with an active presentation with speaker notes and with the Ask Gemini side panel open

Whether you’re hosting a team sync, leading a pitch, or watching a presentation, Room Display mode makes running meetings on a shared display and collaborating in hybrid environments more seamless and professional.

Note: This requires a Chromium-based browser (such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge) with Window Management permissions enabled.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: This feature will be available by default when a laptop running a Chromium-based browser is connected to an external display (set to Extended mode, not mirrored). Room Display mode will be highlighted as the main option to join the call when the laptop detects a shared external display like a meeting room TV. To help us improve the feature, provide feedback via the thumbs up/down icons and the feedback link in the Personal View UI. Visit the Help Center to learn more about joining meetings with Room Display mode.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 19, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Starter, Standard, and Plus; Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Nonprofits

Resources

Google Meet Hardware Help: Join meetings with Room Display mode

Managing unsolicited event invitations with user blocking in Google Calendar

2026-08-18T11:25:46.882-07:00

In addition, when you block an individual in Calendar, they’re added to your account-wide blocklist, and interactions across all supported Google products are blocked. Similarly, if the individual was blocked in another supported Google product, their Calendar invitations will now also be blocked.

This feature allows blocking invitations from users with a Google account. To block invitations from a non-Google Calendar user, use the Gmail blocking functionality. This will block all emails from them, including emails that create Calendar events.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid & Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 18, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Calendar Help: Block someone in Google Calendar
Gmail Help: Block an email address in Gmail
Google Account Help: Block or unblock people's account

Use Gemini to help manage Google Workspace for your organization

2026-08-17T14:27:55.771-07:00

Previously, administrators often had to toggle back and forth between different browser tabs, troubleshooting documentation, and the console to manage domain policies. With this update, we are integrating conversational AI assistance directly into your Google Workspace management surface to provide instant, contextual support.

Gemini-powered Sidepanel: Conveniently accessible via the One Google Bar (OGB) on most of the pages of the Admin Console. Super admins can use the sidepanel to get help with complex tasks, learn about administrative best practices, and receive interactive, step-by-step guidance.
Gemini-powered Search Overviews: A proactive search feature that triggers when you ask a question in the main Admin Console search bar. Admin Assist will automatically synthesize Google Workspace Help Center articles into conversational summaries, presenting you with the exact answers you need alongside direct, actionable next steps.

Whether you are looking to audit application usage or investigate configuration drifts, Admin Assist acts as your personal technical co-worker—allowing you to manage your domain securely and efficiently.

Getting started

Super Admins: This feature will be ON by default for Super Admins with eligible Business SKU editions (see ‘Availability’ below). It is not available to Delegated Admins.
End users: There is no end-user setting or impact for this feature, as these capabilities are restricted exclusively to Super Admins at the Google Admin Console.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus

Make a copy of a notebook in Gemini Notebook

2026-08-17T14:23:12.961-07:00

Gemini Notebook users can now copy entire notebooks, including all associated sources and studio items, if they have copy permission for that notebook. This capability allows users to build upon existing work or templates shared by others. For example, a student can copy a notebook shared by a teacher, and then add their personal study notes and generate customized practice quizzes or flashcards to that copy, or a coworker can copy a notebook with foundational information and add on additional sources to tailor it to a specific project.

When you make a copy of a notebook, several key components are copied to the new user's library. This includes sources and studio content.

A few notes:

Sources: Drive-based sources are only included if the user performing the copy has permission to access and copy the original Google Drive file.
Studio content: This includes studio artifacts like Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, Study Guides, Flashcards, Quizzes, and Slide Decks, plus artifact generation prompts and custom chat configurations.

Personal chat history and user-generated notes are not transferred to the new notebook. Additionally, a copied notebook does not sync with the original, so any subsequent updates made by the original owner do not overwrite the copied version.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. Visit the Admin Help Center to learn more about turning Gemini Notebook on or off for users.
End users: Notebook owners can decide whether or not to allow other users to copy their notebooks in the ‘Allow copies’ section of the notebook sharing settings. Allowing others to copy notebooks is on by default. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating notebooks in Gemini Notebook.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts with access to Gemini Notebook

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn Gemini Notebook on or off for users
Google Help: Create a private copy of a notebook
Google Help: Allow others to create a copy of your notebook

New enterprise security controls for Workspace Studio enable expanded collaboration use cases

2026-08-17T14:14:11.106-07:00

Built-in, enterprise security controls in Workspace Studio include:

Agent identities
Agent access management
Agent auditing and observability
Admin settings / human-in-the-loop (HiTL)
Runtime protections

Collaboration use cases

When Studio initially launched, it was only able to assist users in their tasks, such as drafting an email, not executing tasks autonomously, such as sending an email. Now, Studio supports cross-user collaboration through the introduction of several new steps with built-in guardrails.

Collaboration actions in Studio Flows

Agent identities: Automation with flows in Studio will continue to run with the user’s identity, but in a least-privileged way. This means that the flow will have the minimal set of privileges required to run, and not the full set of privileges the owner has. When the flow executes, it will do so with a unique, auditable identifier. Note: the least-privilege agent identity will apply to newly created flows only. Existing flows will be supported in the future.

(Beta) Identity attribution: Admins, through a new setting, will be able to decide whether the actions taken by a flow show the owner's identity, or are attributed to the flow itself, with the owner information made visible. This will default to “on”; meaning the actions by the flow will be attributed to the flow. Note: the agent identity attribution setting will apply to newly created flows only. Existing flows will be supported in the future.

Flow represented as the owner's identity

Flow attributed as the flow’s name with owner’s information

Auditing and observability: Actions in Studio across configuration and execution events are recorded in Studio audit events. Additionally, audit events for actions, such as edits made to a file in Drive or emails sent in Gmail, will include flow context, such as a unique flow identifier and the owner’s information. Note: agent context in audit logs will apply to newly created flows only. Existing flows will be supported in the future.

Agent access management: In the admin console, an Agent access management dashboard gives admins the ability to suspend all flows or targeted OAuth scopes for individual flows, such as revoking Drive access. Additionally, the security investigation tool enables admins to transition directly from an audit event to the agent access management page, facilitating swift remediation during incident investigations. Note: after the rollout, newly created flows will be shown in Agent access management. Existing flows will be supported in the future.

Agent access management dashboard

Admin settings & human-in-the-loop: Additional admin settings will support disabling specific step types for flows, disabling Gemini data access, enforcing end-user confirmation for steps that share data externally, and disabling webhook integrations.

Flow asking for human approval before it sends an email externally

Runtime protections: Additional data loss prevention (DLP) features for Gemini data access and Studio flows are available for added protection. Gemini DLP restricts Gemini’s ability to access Drive data based on content conditions and labels, with support for additional services coming soon. DLP for Studio will support restrictions on Studio flow execution, including blocking or enforcing end-user review, based on conditions of the sourced data, utilized data, and data visibility of the output.

Studio DLP

Rollout pace

Admin console settings

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Rollout starting today (up to 3 days for visibility)

End-user visible features

Rapid Release domains: Rollout starting August 20, 2026 (up to 3 days for feature visibility).
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual roll out (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting September 1, 2026

(Beta) Identity attribution

Rapid Release domains: Rollout starting today, over a gradual period of 7 days
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting August 24, 2026

Getting started

Admins:

End users: Once available, end users can access the steps by visiting https://studio.workspace.google.com/

Availability

Available for Google Workspace*:

Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus

Also available to*:

Google AI Pro for Education
Google AI Ultra for Business

* Gemini DLP, and DLP for Studio are available only for Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus

Enhanced external sharing insights now available in Drive Inventory Reporting

2026-08-17T10:34:55.369-07:00

Administrators can now distinguish between human users, service accounts, and files published to the web, as well as cross-reference sharing attributes with existing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) metadata to prioritize remediation for high-risk data.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled via the "External sharing calculations" setting under Drive inventory report settings in the Google Admin console. Note that for organizations with large Google groups, enabling this calculation may extend processing time and impact report delivery schedules.

Rollout pace

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

Availability

Enterprise: Enterprise Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Standard, and Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Export your organization’s Drive inventory
Google Workspace Admin Help: Schema and example queries for Drive inventory exports in BigQuery

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - August 14, 2026

2026-08-14T12:41:50.352-07:00

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

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. | Learn more.

New usability features in Connected Sheets

Google Workspace is introducing two usability enhancements to Connected Sheets to improve data presentation and give more flexibility when analyzing BigQuery data. | Learn more.

Use Sheets canvas to visualize data in custom, interactive mini-apps

We’re excited to launch Sheets canvas, a new Gemini-powered capability that transforms your spreadsheets into custom, interactive, read-write applications using simple natural language prompts. It acts as a dynamic visualization layered directly on top of your spreadsheet data, allowing you and your team to work in layouts that best fit your workflows. | Learn more.

Take Notes for me for in-person meetings is now available

We know that balancing active participation with note taking during face-to-face discussions can be a challenge. You shouldn't have to choose between staying present in the moment and capturing critical context for later. We’re excited to start rolling out a new way to make Google Meet the home for all of your meetings, expanding beyond just video calls to support your in-person collaboration. | Learn more.

New admin controls for adding invitations to Google Calendar

Google Calendar users have three options for how event invitations are added to their calendar: auto-add invitations from everyone, auto-add invitations from known senders only, or add invitations only after the user responds in email. To date, administrators can only choose the default value for users in their organization. | 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 admin controls for adding invitations to Google Calendar

2026-08-14T11:03:14.744-07:00

With this release, we’re expanding Calendar settings in the Admin console to offer organizations more granular controls on invitations. Administrators can now determine the invitation options available to end users, providing organizations more control over inbound event invitations from unknown senders and minimizing potential security risks from the content contained within them. While the existing capability only determined the default for new users, the new setting applies to new as well existing users.

Getting started

Admins: This control is set to “From everyone” by default and can be adjusted at the organizational unit (OU) or group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about automatically adding events to calendars.
End users: Users can select the value in their Calendar settings within the boundaries set by their administrator. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing invitations in Calendar.

Rollout pace

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

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Automatically add events to calendars
Google Calendar Help: Manage invitations in Calendar

Take Notes for me for in-person meetings is now available

2026-08-13T10:50:38.054-07:00

“Take Notes” button in Meet on Web

Take Notes button in Meet on Mobile

Start Taking Notes: Launch a session directly from the Google Meet home screen on web or mobile by selecting the "Take notes" button. Once recording begins, Gemini actively captures notes for your in person meetings.

Review the Artifacts: When your meeting finishes, press the button to conclude audio capture. Gemini automatically compiles a structured notes summary, action items, and complete transcript into a Google Doc, saved directly to Google Drive, and emails the link to you.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be controlled by existing Google Meet notes settings.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains:

Android with extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 11, 2026
Web with extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting no sooner than August 14, 2026
iOS with extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting no sooner than August 31, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Use "Take notes for me" for in person meetings

Use Sheets canvas to visualize data in custom, interactive mini-apps

2026-08-13T09:58:36.881-07:00

Whether you need to coordinate cross-functional deliverables or present core insights from dense data to an executive team, Sheets canvas can deliver the visual tool for the job. Key capabilities include:

End-to-end creation: Build an advanced visualization with a single natural language prompt without requiring coding, formulas, or third-party tools.
Fully read-write: Changes made in the canvas, such as dragging task cards or adding new entries, instantly update your source sheet. Likewise, any updates to the source sheet reflect in your canvas in real time.
Flexible adjustments: Continue to polish and refine your Sheets canvas by prompting Gemini to make edits to layout, design, functionality, and more.
Familiar sharing tools: Because Sheets canvas is built directly inside Google Sheets, it inherits the same sharing settings as your spreadsheet, making it effortless to collaborate in real time.

For example, if you’re a financial analyst working out of a budget spreadsheet, you can ask Gemini to “Build an interactive dashboard that helps me analyze how different cost drivers impact a quarterly budget.” If you’re an operations lead overseeing logistics, you can simply prompt Gemini to “Create a custom tracker to visualize regional field assignments.”

Users can build a wide variety of applications with Sheets canvas. Here are just a few examples:

Kanban board: Group tasks by workflow stage, and drag and drop cards to update progress in real time

Dashboard: Create a financial forecasting model with dynamic scenario planning

Whiteboard: Conduct a virtual brainstorming session with sticky notes

Note: This feature is currently only available on the web to accounts with language set to English.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be available by default to users with Gemini in Sheets enabled. Use our Help Center to learn more about managing access to Gemini features in Workspace services.
End users: You must have Workspace smart features enabled to take advantage of these features. Eligible users will see the Gemini icon in the Sheets side panel. Simply describe the spreadsheet or edit you need to begin collaborating. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating a Sheets canvas.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 10, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 31, 2026

Availability

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

Note: Creating and editing Sheets canvases is subject to per-user usage limits. See the Help Center for more information.

Resources

Google Docs Editors Help: Create a Sheets canvas
Google Admin Help: Set smart features & controls on or off for users

New usability features in Connected Sheets

2026-08-11T15:25:40.892-07:00

Google Workspace is introducing two usability enhancements to Connected Sheets to improve data presentation and give more flexibility when analyzing BigQuery data.

List parameters: When writing a query, users can reference multiple values in a single list parameter by selecting a grid range in a sheet. Each cell will function as a unique value in the list. This enables more flexible or robust querying based on values already in the sheet. For example, this feature allows data admins and power users to configure input sheets that allow collaborators or end users to easily select options via drop-down or in the sheet for advanced filtering without needing to modify the underlying query. As a result, more users can independently self-serve insights and interact with Connected Sheets.

Column aliasing: Users can create aliases for BigQuery column names directly within the Connected Sheet. Database column names can sometimes be unwieldy or lack contextual information for broader audience readability. Aliasing provides a way to substitute presentation-ready labels in the Connected Sheets interface without altering the underlying database reference. Users can continue to refer to columns by either the new alias or the original name in formulas and inputs.

Getting started

Admins: 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 using BigQuery data in Google Sheets.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Rolling out now, with expected completion by August 15, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Docs Editors Help: Get started with BigQuery data in Google Sheets

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

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

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)