Chrome Beta for Desktop Update

The Chrome team is excited to announce the promotion of Chrome 146 to the Beta channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. Chrome 146.0.7680.0 contains our usual under-the-hood performance and stability tweaks, but there are also some cool new features to explore - please head to the Chromium blog to learn more!

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

Making Gemini CLI extensions easier to use

To simplify the user experience and prevent startup failures, the Gemini CLI has introduced structured extension settings that eliminate the need for manual environment variable configuration. This update enables extensions to automatically prompt users for required details during installation and securely stores sensitive information, such as API keys, directly in the system keychain. Users can now easily manage and override these configurations globally or per project using the new Gemini extensions config command.

Control if new Meet hardware can join calls with a new on/off setting

We’re introducing a “Video calling” setting for Google Meet hardware, allowing you to turn video calling on or off for a device. 

New device-level controls: On each device's settings page in the Admin console, admins will find a new Video calling setting with an ON/OFF toggle. This lets admins enable or disable a device's ability to join meetings at any time. When a newly-enrolled device has video calling turned off, it will display the device’s serial number or name and a short URL on the screen. We've also moved Calendar into its own distinct setting. 


Admin console > Google Meet hardware > [Select a device] > Video calling and calendar

New default enrollment policy for secure setup: To support large-scale or third-party installations, admins can now set a Google Meet hardware customer-level setting so all newly-enrolled devices have video calling on or off. By default, devices will continue to enroll with video calling ON.


Admin console > Devices > Google Meet hardware > Settings > Service settings > New device video calling

This feature enables a two-stage process when installers provision devices in insecure environments. First, installers with only the “Enroll Google Meet hardware” privilege enroll the device with video calling turned off. Later, admins with the “Manage devices” privilege can turn on video calling when the device is in a secure environment.

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • All Google Workspace customers with Google Meet hardware devices 

Resources 

Data loss prevention policies for Google Calendar now available in beta

We’re introducing data loss prevention (DLP) policies for Google Calendar in beta. Currently, DLP policies protect Calendar attachments such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides in meeting invites. To further expand our data protections, administrators can now prevent sensitive data from being shared in the event details for Calendar, including event title, location, and description. 

Key functionalities include:

  • Choice of actions: Admins can choose to audit when an event is saved with sensitive content, warn users about sensitive content in their event, or block event creation or updates if a DLP policy is violated. 
  • Event details: DLP rules scan free-text fields in the event, including the event’s title, description, and location fields. 
  • Owner-based policies: Rules are applied based on the organizational unit (OU) of the owner (event organizer on primary calendars or calendar owner on secondary calendars), consistent with other Workspace DLP configurations. 
  • User notifications: With DLP policies for Calendar, users receive immediate feedback when sensitive data is detected. On the web, users see a pop-up notification explaining the issue. Admins can also customize this message with more specific details. If a meeting update is blocked on Android, iOS, or via the Calendar API, the user will receive an automated email notification explaining the policy violation and why changes to the meeting invite were not successful. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: To participate in this beta, sign up via this form before February 27, 2026. Please note you may not see the feature in the Admin console immediately; you will be notified via email once the setting is available. The feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the OU or group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about DLP for Calendar.
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.
DLP settings in the admin console to configure policies for sensitive data, including actions and alerts when creating Calendar events 

An end user is prompted with a message asking them to remove sensitive information 

Availability 

  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Essentials 
  • Frontline Standard and PlusEducation Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Education Plus 
  • Cloud Identity Premium

Resources 

Move shared content in Google Meet to a separate window with the “Open in new window” option

We’re introducing the ability for meeting participants to move screen shared content into a standalone window with the “Open in new window” option. 

This update gives viewers more flexibility in how they view content during a meeting. By undocking screen shared content—whether it is a presentation, a spreadsheet, or a document—you can move it to a secondary screen or resize it independently. This makes it easier to simultaneously view the screen shared content and participants in the video meeting, helping you stay connected and collaborate more easily.

GIF moving shared content in Google Meet to a separate window with the “Open in new window” new option

This feature works for all screen share content types.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature will be ON by default. When viewing shared content in a meeting, select the "Open in new window" option to move the presentation to a new window. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

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

Resources