Forward messages in Google Chat

To make it easier to share information across different conversations, we’re introducing the ability to forward messages in Google Chat. This new feature  eliminates the need for manual workarounds such as  copying and pasting text or sharing screenshots.

This feature helps improve team collaboration through: 

  • Simplified sharing: Users can quickly share information between various direct messages and spaces, without clunky workflows.
  • Context preservation: Forwarded messages display the original sender, source, and any attachments instantly; recipients can view this content even if they are not members of the original conversation.
  • Enhanced visibility: Messages forwarded from a thread can be moved into the main conversation stream, ensuring they get necessary attention.

At this time, users cannot forward messages

  • From entirely internal conversations to conversations that include users from other organizations, and
  • From conversations that include users from external organizations to other conversations that include users from external organizations
Users can, however, forward messages from conversations with people outside their organization to conversations entirely with people inside their organization.
Note that when users forward a message from a DM or group DM, a reminder to protect sensitive information will appear.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: To forward a message, select "Forward message" from the message action list and choose your target conversation. Visit the Help Center to learn more about message forwarding in Chat.

Rollout pace

Availability

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

Resources

  • Google Help: Forward a message in Google Chat

Increasing flexibility when rebooting Google Meet hardware with "Reboot when idle"

What’s changing

We’re introducing more flexible control for administrators to reboot Google Meet hardware devices from the Admin console.

Previously, admins could only trigger an immediate reboot, which required careful timing to avoid disrupting ongoing meetings or device activity. Going forward, we are adding a “Reboot when idle” option. This feature gives admins the ability to reboot devices without worrying about interrupting users, as the system intelligently waits for the device to become inactive before initiating the restart.

The device is considered “in use” if it is:

  • Connected to a Google Meet, interoperability, or livestream call.
  • Presenting content via HDMI.
  • Engaged in an add-on activity (e.g., a whiteboard session).
Admins will now see two options when initiating a reboot:

  • Reboot when the device becomes idle: Queues the reboot to occur only when all user activity has ceased.
  • Reboot now, even if the device is in use: Forces an immediate reboot, overriding current activities.

Admins can now choose to wait for device inactivity before rebooting.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet hardware devices

Resources

Neat now a certified Google Meet hardware partner

Google Meet is committed to helping organizations bridge the gap between distributed teams with hardware that is easy to deploy, manage, and use. Today, we’re excited to announce that Neat has joined the Google Meet hardware ecosystem as a certified partner, bringing more variety and specialized video conferencing technology to Google Workspace customers. Newly certified devices include:

  • Neat Bar Generation 2: A compact, all-in-one device optimized for huddle spaces and small to medium rooms
  • Neat Bar Pro: A high-performance solution for larger spaces, supporting multiple screens and advanced zoom capabilities
  • Neat Pad: A dedicated touch screen that serves as both a meeting controller and a room scheduling display
This new partnership expands our portfolio of certified devices, ensuring that IT teams have the flexibility to choose the hardware that best fits their unique office layouts while maintaining the native Google Meet experience users expect.

Getting started

  • Admins: Administrators do not need to take any action. If a Neat Bar Generation 2, Neat Bar Pro, or Neat Pad have been set up, it will automatically appear as a supported device within the admin console. Furthermore, these Neat devices will provide the same level of telemetry data as other AOSP-certified hardware.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet hardware devices. Neat devices certified for Google Meet are available for purchase through Neat’s global sales channels and authorized resellers.

Resources

Mentor Org Applications for Google Summer of Code 2026 open through Feb 3

by Stephanie Taylor, Mary Radomile & Lucila Ortíz, Google Open Source

Attention open source enthusiasts! Mentoring organization applications for Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2026 are officially open. This is your opportunity to guide students and developers early in their careers. The application window begins today, Monday, January 19th, and will remain open until February 3, 2026, at 18:00 UTC.

To find more information about the process of becoming a mentor organization, please review our official GSoC site. We also recommend consulting the Mentor Guide and the GSoC Organization Admin Tips, as both provide tips for preparing your community and strengthening your application.

GSoC welcomes a wide variety of open source projects working in AI/ML, security, cloud, development tools, science, medicine, data, media, and more! For 2026, we are looking for even more innovative projects working on Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning and Security.

Requirements for GSoC Mentoring Organizations:

  1. An established open source project with at least 18 months of history
  2. Software produced and released under an Open Source Initiative (OSI)-approved license
  3. A robust community with members who are enthusiastic and prepared to mentor GSoC participants
  4. An active project characterized by regular engagement, rather than infrequent contributions
  5. A comprehensive list of Project Ideas (refer to the mentor guide for best practices)
  6. A clear grasp of GSoC objectives and program rules
  7. A high-quality application that provides a detailed explanation of your project and its specific goals

2026 Mentoring Organizations will be announced on February 19, 18:00 UTC*.

For first-time organizations interested in participating, we strongly suggest getting a referral from experienced organizations that think that your project is a good fit.

Google Summer of Code: Organizations Apply

Please visit the GSoC site for even more information on how to apply and review the detailed timeline for important deadlines this year. We recommend reading our help page on our website for easy access to all the most important resources for all the applicants.

We look forward to seeing your organization applications and learning more about your communities!

*Interested GSoC Contributor? After mentoring organizations are announced you can (and should!) begin researching each organization and reviewing project ideas to find the community that fits your interests. GSoC contributor applications are open from March 16-31.

Automatic addition of owned secondary calendars to your calendar list

Following our recent announcement regarding the improvements on secondary calendar management with dedicated owners, all secondary calendars you own will consistently be displayed in your calendar list in Google Calendar. Your calendar list is visible in your Calendar settings page. This change ensures that owners always have direct access to manage the settings, sharing permissions, and lifecycle of the calendars they are responsible for. 

Additional details

Owners can always access and manage their calendars through the Settings page, with the flexibility to pin them to their main view by selecting “Show in calendar list.” If you no longer wish to manage a specific calendar, you have the option to either delete it permanently for all subscribers or transfer ownership to someone else—allowing you to unsubscribe while ensuring the calendar remains active for the rest of the team.

To ensure a reliable product experience, we recommend limiting ownership to a maximum of 100 calendars per user. For accounts currently exceeding this threshold, calendars will be added to their list gradually to ensure stability and a smooth transition. For such cases we highly encourage you to review the calendar list and either delete or transfer any calendars beyond the 100-calendar limit.

If you use Apple Calendar to manage your Google Calendar, owned calendars may not sync automatically. To ensure they appear in your list, you can manually select and enable synchronization for specific calendars on this page.

Getting started

  • Admins: No action is required. This update will apply by default to all users.
  • End users: Users will see any previously missing owned calendars appear in their Calendar settings list starting on the dates listed below. For more information on managing these calendars, visit the Help Center. If you use Google Calendar with Apple Calendar, manage your sync preferences at calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect.

Rollout pace

  • Users with personal Google accounts: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 19, 2026
  • Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 27, 2026

Availability

  • Impacts all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts

Long Term Support Channel Update for ChromeOS

A new LTS-138  version 138.0.7204.301 (Platform Version: 16295.86.0), is being rolled out for most ChromeOS devices. 

This version includes selected security fixes including:

463155954  High CVE-2026-0628 Insufficient policy enforcement in WebView tag.


And also:

CVE-2025-37797, CVE-2025-37890, CVE-2025-38177, CVE-2025-38000, 

CVE-2025-38001, CVE-2025-38083, CVE-2025-38350, CVE-2025-38477,

CVE-2025-38618, CVE-2025-38617, CVE-2025-38616

Release notes for LTS-138 can be found here 

Want to know more about Long-term Support? Click here

Andy Wu

Google ChromeOS


A Guide to Fine-Tuning FunctionGemma

FunctionGemma is a specialized AI model for function calling. This post explains why fine-tuning is key to resolving tool selection ambiguity (e.g., internal vs. Google search) and achieving ultra-specialization, transforming it into a strict, enterprise-compliant agent. A case study demonstrates the improved logic. It also introduces the "FunctionGemma Tuning Lab," a no-code demo on Hugging Face Spaces, which streamlines the entire fine-tuning process for developers.