Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – May 17, 2024

3 New updates

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


Expanding Google Drive admin settings to additional Google Workspace editions 
We’re expanding the following admin settings to Google Workspace Cloud Identity Free, Cloud Identity Premium and Essentials Starter editions: 
  • Disable Drive Offline 
  • Disable Add-ons 
  • Disable SDK and Drive for Desktop Back-up & Sync 
  • Set Sharing settings including Trusted Domains 
Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 20, 204. | Available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Frontline Starter, Frontline Standard, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, Cloud Identity Free, Cloud Identity Premium and Nonprofits customers only. | Learn more about managing external sharing for your organization. 


View recent shares in the Google Drive Activity page
 
Google Drive’s Activity page shows pending access requests, recent comments, and approvals for files, allowing you to quickly view recent activity and take action, all in one place. Starting this week, we are adding recent file shares in the Drive Activity page, which includes who shared a file and when the file was shared. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains now. | Available to all Google Workspace customers and Google Workspace Individual subscribers. | Learn more about Activity in Drive. 
View recent shares in the Google Drive Activity page


Hover to preview videos in Google Drive 
We’re introducing a new feature that lets you quickly preview videos in Drive in List mode by simply hovering your mouse over their thumbnail. Upon hovering, the video will start to play automatically and clicking on the video will open it in full-screen. While the video is in preview mode, you can turn captions and the sound on or off using the icons in the top right corner. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for June 4, 2024. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Learn more about viewing & reordering your files and folders.

Hover to preview videos in Google Drive



Previous announcements

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


Gemini (gemini.google.com) is now available to Google Workspace users in more territories and languages 
Gemini (gemini.google.com) is now available in more than 35 languages. | Learn more about additional languages for Gemini.

Gemini for Google Workspace feature Help me write now available in Spanish and Portuguese 
Help me write, an AI-powered writing features that help you quickly refine existing work or get you started with something new in Google Docs and Gmail using Gemini for Google Workspace, is now available in Spanish and Portuguese. | Learn more about Help me write in additional languages. 

Preview files in Google Drive with new hovercard feature 
We’re introducing file hovercards in Google Drive to improve this experience and help you complete tasks faster without having to open multiple tabs. Now, when you place your cursor over a file icon in Google Drive on the web, a hovercard will appear with a thumbnail of your file and other relevant information, such as file type, file owner, who recently modified the file and when they last modified the file. | Learn more about hovercards in Drive. 


Completed rollouts

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


Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

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

Beta Channel Update for ChromeOS / ChromeOS Flex

The Beta channel is being updated to OS version: 15853.35.0 Browser version: 125.0.6422.64 for most ChromeOS devices.

If you find new issues, please let us know one of the following ways

  1. File a bug
  2. Visit our ChromeOS communities
    1. General: Chromebook Help Community
    2. Beta Specific: ChromeOS Beta Help Community
  3. Report an issue or send feedback on Chrome

Interested in switching channels? Find out how.

Matt Nelson
Google ChromeOS

Chrome Beta for Android Update

Hi everyone! We've just released Chrome Beta 126 (126.0.6478.8) for Android. It's now available on Google Play.

You can see a partial list of the changes in the Git log. For details on new features, check out the Chromium blog, and for details on web platform updates, check here.

If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.

Harry Souders
Google Chrome

Preview files in Google Drive with new hovercard feature

What’s changing 

To review files in Google Drive, you currently have to open each file manually or right-click on a file and then click “Open with > Preview” from the context menu. Additionally, if you want to see what updates have been made to a file, you have to open the file and view the Activity Dashboard. 

Today, we’re introducing file hovercards in Google Drive to improve this experience and help you complete tasks faster without having to open multiple tabs. Now, when you place your cursor over a file icon in Google Drive on the web, a hovercard will appear with a thumbnail of your file and other relevant information, such as file type, file owner, who recently modified the file and when they last modified the file. 
Preview files in Google Drive with new hovercard feature


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

This new experience may help save time by enabling you to gain context on your files without having to open the information sidebar to view details and recent activity. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources