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Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – May 29, 2026

Introducing a fresh visual identity for Google Workspace app icons

We’re updating icons across Google Workspace to introduce a modern visual design that gives every app a more distinct identity. Over the next several weeks, users will see new icons for Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Meet, Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Vids, Keep, Forms, Voice, Sites, and Tasks. | Learn more about the new fresh visual identity for Google Workspace app icons.

Simplify decision-making with Polly, now available for Google Chat

Making decisions in a fast-paced environment often leads to long, messy threads and lost consensus. Polly helps teams solve this by enabling the creation of interactive polls within existing Chat conversations. | Learn more about how to Simplify decision-making with Polly, now available for Google Chat.

Improvements to Out-of-Domain file-level warnings

We’re announcing improvements to our Out-of-Domain file-level warnings. First launched in April 2025, these badges alert users to documents and users outside of their Workspace organization, helping to prevent accidental data exfiltration and potential phishing attacks that spoof internal content. | Learn more about the improvements to Out-of-Domain file-level warnings.

Keep your sources up to date with automatic Drive syncing in NotebookLM

We’re making it easier to keep your sources and insights current in NotebookLM by enabling automatic syncing with Google Drive. Previously, if you uploaded a file in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, you’d have to manually update it in NotebookLM to see the changes. With this update, as the content in your Drive files evolves, the information within the notebook updates automatically to match. | Learn more about how to Keep your sources up to date with automatic Drive syncing in NotebookLM.

Gemini LTI Update: Include your LMS sources when using NotebookLM in Powerschool Schoology

When creating a notebook in Powerschool Schoology, Gemini LTI users can now add content directly from their course as sources. This integration allows educators and students to seamlessly bridge their course materials with AI-powered research and analysis, and generate Studio artifacts like Audio and Video Overviews, infographics, slide decks, and more based on their Schoology resources. | Learn more about how to include your LMS sources when using NotebookLM in Powerschool Schoology.

More granular admin controls for Workspace Studio steps and starters

We’re introducing more granular admin controls for Workspace Studio steps and starters. With these new controls, admins can define which steps and starters people in their organization can use to create flows, including by Workspace service or individually. | Learn more about more granular admin controls for Workspace Studio steps and starters.

Easily identify data irregularities with anomaly detection in Connected Sheets

You can now easily identify critical irregularities and outliers in your time-series data when using Connected Sheets to analyze BigQuery data sets from Google Sheets. Anomaly detection in Connected Sheets allows users to distinguish between expected trends and true outliers without requiring manual model training or complex SQL knowledge. | Learn more about how to easily identify data irregularities with anomaly detection in Connected Sheets.

Ask Gemini in Google Meet is becoming more easily accessible on web

We’re excited to announce that we’re making the feature more easily accessible by moving the Ask Gemini prompt box into the bottom left-hand corner of the Google Meet web interface. | Learn more about how ask Gemini in Google Meet is becoming more easily accessible on web.

Prevent account takeovers with Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC), now generally available in the Chrome browser for Windows

Previously available in beta, Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC) in the Chrome browser on Windows is now generally available and enabled by default for Google Workspace users. | Learn more about how to prevent account takeovers with Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC), now generally available in the Chrome browser for Windows.

Share chats, canvases, and generated media from the Gemini app securely via Google Drive

We are introducing the ability for Workspace users on the web to share snapshots of their chats, canvases, and generated media in the Gemini app. | Learn more about how to share chats, canvases, and generated media from the Gemini app securely via Google Drive.

Google Chat external interoperability with Microsoft Teams via NextPlane OpenHub is now available 

Organizations often need to collaborate with customers, partners, and suppliers who use Microsoft Teams. NextPlane OpenHub was built to bridge this Google Chat and Microsoft Teams divide, and it is now launching external interoperability to allow communication across organizational boundaries. | Learn more about how Google Chat external interoperability with Microsoft Teams via NextPlane OpenHub is now available.

Available in beta: Convert your client-side encrypted Slides after a Vault or Takeout export

Admins can now bulk export client-side encrypted (CSE) Slides using Vault or Data Export (takeout), and then convert those exports into PowerPoint files. This allows your organization to retain complete ownership, access, and control of sensitive data in a highly portable format. | Learn more about how to Convert your client-side encrypted Slides after a Vault or Takeout export.

Keep track of student progress with learning standards and skills in Google Classroom

Google Classroom now allows educators to tag coursework and rubrics with learning goals, including specific learning standards and skills, providing a more structured way to monitor student growth. | Learn more about how to keep track of student progress with learning standards and skills in Google Classroom.
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Early Stable Update for Desktop

The Stable channel has been updated to 149.0.7827.53/.54 for Windows and Mac as part of our early stable release to a small percentage of users. A full list of changes in this build is available in the log.

You can find more details about early Stable releases here.

Interested in switching release channels?  Find out how here. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug. The community help forum is also a great place to reach out for help or learn about common issues.


Srinivas Sista

Google Chrome

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Chrome Beta for Desktop Update

The Beta channel has been updated to 149.0.7827.53 for Windows, Mac and Linux.

A partial list of changes is available in the Git log. Interested in switching release channels? Find out how. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug. The community help forum is also a great place to reach out for help or learn about common issues.

Chrome Release Team
Google Chrome

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Keep track of student progress with learning standards and skills in Google Classroom

Google Classroom now allows educators to tag coursework and rubrics with learning goals, including specific learning standards and skills, providing a more structured way to monitor student growth. When creating assignments, quiz assignments, questions, or materials, educators can search for available, established standards and skills or click on suggested goals, which use AI to analyze assignment and course content. By tagging coursework with these goals, teachers can view analytics that visualize student performance and identify instructional gaps across individual students, entire classes, or specific learning areas.

Learning standards from around the world are made available in Classroom through partnerships with 1EdTech and Common Good Learning Tools. These standard frameworks are pulled from Satchel Rosetta Exchange, a public space hosted by Common Good Learning Tools where anyone can browse various learning standard sets that leverage the 1EdTech® Competencies and Academic Standards Exchange® (CASE®) standard specification. Visit the Help Center to learn more about getting new standard sets added to Classroom.

This update enables systematic tracking for standards-based learning, offering several benefits across the school community:

  • For educators and leaders: Teachers can utilize data-driven student performance analytics to adjust instruction, while education leaders with Google Workspace for Education Plus can use the "Visit a class" feature to see how coursework aligns with required standards.
  • For students and guardians: Students and guardians can see the learning goals tagged on assignments, giving them clarity for how curriculum relates to required learning milestones and targeted skill growth.
  • Global availability: Classroom has a growing list of standards already available and periodically brings in new ones from the Satchel Rosetta Exchange. Learning standards are available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Italy, and Australia. Learning skills are currently supported in a selection of languages including English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, and Brazilian Portuguese.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available in all courses owned by a Google Workspace customer, including Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus

Resources

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Available in beta: Convert your client-side encrypted Slides after a Vault or Takeout export

Admins can now bulk export client-side encrypted (CSE) Slides using Vault or Data Export (takeout), and then convert those exports into PowerPoint files. This allows your organization to retain complete ownership, access, and control of sensitive data in a highly portable format.

Eligible Google Workspace admins can sign up for the CSE Office Interop beta program, which provides immediate access to CSE compatible export, import, takeout and office editing features. Organizations who’ve previously signed up for the beta program should see this feature in their domains now.

Getting started

  • Admins: Admins with eligible Workspace licenses can sign up for the CSE Office Interop beta. We’ll provide more information on how to get started if you’re accepted.
  • End users: This launch has no impact on end users.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Enterprise: Enterprise Plus
  • Education: Education Standard and Plus
  • Other Editions: Frontline Plus, Assured Controls, Assured Controls Plus

Resources

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Chrome for Android Update

 Hello Everyone! We've just released Chrome 149 (149.0.7827.48) for Android to a small percentage of users. It'll become available on Google Play over the next few days. You can find more details about early Stable releases here.

This release includes stability and performance improvements. You can see a full list of the changes in the Git log. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.

Harry Souders
Google Chrome
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