#WeArePlay: Meet the people building vibrant communities with their apps and games


Posted by Robbie McLachlan – Developer Marketing

In our latest #WeArePlay stories, we meet the founders who turned their interests into vibrant communities through their apps and games on Google Play – from democratizing music production for artists in Brazil to building a global network for Black professionals.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Erik and Kelvin’s app Murb connects and enables indie artists in Brazil to create and distribute music from their phones.

Erick and Kelvin, co-founders of Murb  
São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil

Erik and Kelvin’s app Murb connects and enables indie artists in Brazil to create and distribute music from their phones.

Brothers Erick and Kelvin combined their passion for Brazil’s urban culture from skateboarding to graffiti with their professional experience in tech to create Murb. Their app empowers young, independent artists in the rap, trap, and funk communities to produce music directly on their phones, providing a vital platform for those who lack access to studios. With recent features like producer profiles to help musicians sell their work and plans to integrate with major streaming platforms, Murb is on a mission to democratize music production.

Channing’s app BlackListed empowers Black professionals with a dedicated platform to build community, share career milestones, and directly support Black-owned businesses.

Channing, founder of BlackListed 
Texas, U.S.

Channing’s app BlackListed empowers Black professionals with a dedicated platform to build community, share career milestones, and directly support Black-owned businesses.

After working as a product manager in the energy sector, Channing saw the need for a dedicated space where Black professionals could connect, celebrate achievements, and support each other. She created BlackListed, a social networking app for users to share career milestones and job updates. Channing is now preparing to launch a new shopping feature to support Black-owned businesses directly through the app, with plans to expand the platform to Canada and Africa.

Zeyang, Kan and Susheng built a global community with their popular game Soul Knight.

Zeyang, Kan, and Susheng, co-founders of ChillyRoom
 
Shenzhen, China 

Zeyang, Kan and Susheng built a global community with their popular game Soul Knight.

After meeting in the U.S. while studying computer science, Zeyang, Kan, and Susheng united over a shared passion for gaming to launch ChillyRoom. Their hit title, Soul Knight, is a rogue-like pixel shooter built purely for fun, intentionally avoiding pay-to-win mechanics. The game’s co-op and local multiplayer modes helped it spread rapidly through word-of-mouth in schools and dorms, building a dedicated global community. Today, the team is developing new projects while staying true to their mission of providing opportunities for the next generation of game developers.

Discover other inspiring app and game founders featured in #WeArePlay.

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Create videos from your existing Google Slides presentations using Gemini in Google Vids

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we announced the first iteration of the ability to turn existing Google Slides content into engaging videos using Google Vids. Now, we’re expanding that functionality to include Gemini-generated scripts, AI voiceovers, and background music. This makes it easier and faster to transform your existing content into a shareable, engaging video. 



Just like before, open vids.new > choose “Convert Slides” > select the Slides presentation you'd like to use, and choose the specific slides you want to import. To use the new Gemini features, ensure the “Include AI voiceover, script, and background music” toggle is enabled. 

Vids will then create scenes from each slide and insert scripts, voiceovers and background music. You can make additional edits, such as adding animations to your objects or generating AI video clips with Veo 3. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: 
    • When creating a new Vid, access this feature by selecting the Convert Slides option. 
    • For existing Vids, you can access this feature by going to the File menu > Convert slides. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Google Slides with Google Vids. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Starter (until May 2026), Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Starter (until May 2026), Standard and Plus 
  • Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus 
  • Education Teaching and Learning (until May 2026) and Plus 
  • Nonprofits (until May 2026) 

Also available to 
  • Google AI Pro for Education add-on 
  • Google AI Pro & Ultra add-ons 

Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* Gemini Enterprise* 
*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details. 

Resources 






Create videos from your existing Google Slides presentations using Gemini in Google Vids

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we announced the first iteration of the ability to turn existing Google Slides content into engaging videos using Google Vids. Now, we’re expanding that functionality to include Gemini-generated scripts, AI voiceovers, and background music. This makes it easier and faster to transform your existing content into a shareable, engaging video. 



Just like before, open vids.new > choose “Convert Slides” > select the Slides presentation you'd like to use, and choose the specific slides you want to import. To use the new Gemini features, ensure the “Include AI voiceover, script, and background music” toggle is enabled. 

Vids will then create scenes from each slide and insert scripts, voiceovers and background music. You can make additional edits, such as adding animations to your objects or generating AI video clips with Veo 3. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: 
    • When creating a new Vid, access this feature by selecting the Convert Slides option. 
    • For existing Vids, you can access this feature by going to the File menu > Convert slides. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Google Slides with Google Vids. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Starter (until May 2026), Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Starter (until May 2026), Standard and Plus 
  • Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus 
  • Education Teaching and Learning (until May 2026) and Plus 
  • Nonprofits (until May 2026) 

Also available to 
  • Google AI Pro for Education add-on 
  • Google AI Pro & Ultra add-ons 

Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* Gemini Enterprise* 
*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details. 

Resources 






Gemini in Google Sheets now provides smarter, more conversational formula generation

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we made it easier to generate charts and insights using Gemini in Google Sheets. Building on that momentum, we’re excited to announce a significant enhancement to formula generation in Gemini for Sheets. Specifically, we've upgraded Gemini to include detailed natural language formula explanations, provide formula error explanation and self-correction, and to output multiple formula options. 

With these updates, Gemini can provide a full, reasoned response, making formula generation smarter and more resilient, and helping users to understand the formulas and calculations happening in their sheets. 

1. Detailed natural language formula explanations: 
Complex formulas can now be returned with step-by-step explanations of how they work. This improves user understanding and builds trust, making it easier to learn and adapt formulas for future use. If Gemini doesn’t provide an explanation as part of the response, you can always ask in your next query how the generated formula works. 




2. Error explanation and self-correction: 
Gemini can now explain why a formula failed (e.g., "the date in A1 is formatted as text") and, in a follow-up turn, use the error message to generate a corrected formula that solves the underlying issue. 



3. Multiple formula options: 
For more complex tasks or when there are several ways to achieve a result, Gemini can now provide multiple formulas. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: To access Gemini in Workspace apps, users need to have smart features and personalization turned on. Admins can turn on the personalization setting for their users in the Admin console. 
  • End users: You can access Gemini for Sheets in the side panel by clicking on “Ask Gemini” (spark button) in the top right corner of Sheets. Visit the Help Center to learn more about collaborating with Gemini in Sheets. 

Rollout pace 

  • This update is already available for all Gemini users. 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Google AI Pro for Education

Also available to: 
  • Google AI Pro and Ultra 

Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* Gemini Enterprise* 
*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details. 

Resources 





Gemini in Google Sheets now provides smarter, more conversational formula generation

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we made it easier to generate charts and insights using Gemini in Google Sheets. Building on that momentum, we’re excited to announce a significant enhancement to formula generation in Gemini for Sheets. Specifically, we've upgraded Gemini to include detailed natural language formula explanations, provide formula error explanation and self-correction, and to output multiple formula options. 

With these updates, Gemini can provide a full, reasoned response, making formula generation smarter and more resilient, and helping users to understand the formulas and calculations happening in their sheets. 

1. Detailed natural language formula explanations: 
Complex formulas can now be returned with step-by-step explanations of how they work. This improves user understanding and builds trust, making it easier to learn and adapt formulas for future use. If Gemini doesn’t provide an explanation as part of the response, you can always ask in your next query how the generated formula works. 




2. Error explanation and self-correction: 
Gemini can now explain why a formula failed (e.g., "the date in A1 is formatted as text") and, in a follow-up turn, use the error message to generate a corrected formula that solves the underlying issue. 



3. Multiple formula options: 
For more complex tasks or when there are several ways to achieve a result, Gemini can now provide multiple formulas. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: To access Gemini in Workspace apps, users need to have smart features and personalization turned on. Admins can turn on the personalization setting for their users in the Admin console. 
  • End users: You can access Gemini for Sheets in the side panel by clicking on “Ask Gemini” (spark button) in the top right corner of Sheets. Visit the Help Center to learn more about collaborating with Gemini in Sheets. 

Rollout pace 

  • This update is already available for all Gemini users. 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Google AI Pro for Education

Also available to: 
  • Google AI Pro and Ultra 

Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* Gemini Enterprise* 
*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details. 

Resources 





Reporting rules are now activity rules

What’s changing 

To simplify the admin experience for creating rules and monitoring alerts, we are combining reporting rules with activity rules: 

Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Plus, Cloud Identity Premium, Chrome Enterprise Premium and Enterprise Standard customers will retain all the functionality of the activity rules experience and can now also create rules without thresholds. Thresholds are applied cumulatively across user actions, not on a per-activity basis. 


New threshold mode, which triggers rule every time the event occurs 

For Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Enterprise Essentials customers, all existing reporting rules will automatically be converted to activity rules. Admins gain the ability to configure notification frequencies and access more descriptive alerts. However, applying thresholds and actions to rules are not available for these Workspace editions. 


Admins will now be able to set notification frequency to limit the number of alerts or emails they receive 

Who’s impacted 

Admins 

Why it matters 

Reporting rules inform admins what happened, while activity rules help admins control what happens. By combining reporting rules with activity rules, admins receive the benefits of a more streamlined workflow with additional ways to work with rules and gain insights from more detailed reporting. 

Additional details 

Additionally, “Reporting rules” will be shown as “Activity rules” in various locations within the Admin console, including the “Add rules” user interface at Security > Investigation tool > Create activity rule. 

Getting started 

Admins: 
  • Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating and managing activity rules. 
  • With this change, admins with the “Reports” privilege have automatically been assigned the “Activity Rules View” and “Activity Rules Manage privileges”. Super admins have these privileges assigned by default. These privileges can also be assigned to a custom admin role. 
End users: 
  • There is no end user action required. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 

  • Business Starter, Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus 
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard and Plus 
  • Cloud Identity Premium 

Resources 



Reporting rules are now activity rules

What’s changing 

To simplify the admin experience for creating rules and monitoring alerts, we are combining reporting rules with activity rules: 

Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Plus, Cloud Identity Premium, Chrome Enterprise Premium and Enterprise Standard customers will retain all the functionality of the activity rules experience and can now also create rules without thresholds. Thresholds are applied cumulatively across user actions, not on a per-activity basis. 


New threshold mode, which triggers rule every time the event occurs 

For Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Enterprise Essentials customers, all existing reporting rules will automatically be converted to activity rules. Admins gain the ability to configure notification frequencies and access more descriptive alerts. However, applying thresholds and actions to rules are not available for these Workspace editions. 


Admins will now be able to set notification frequency to limit the number of alerts or emails they receive 

Who’s impacted 

Admins 

Why it matters 

Reporting rules inform admins what happened, while activity rules help admins control what happens. By combining reporting rules with activity rules, admins receive the benefits of a more streamlined workflow with additional ways to work with rules and gain insights from more detailed reporting. 

Additional details 

Additionally, “Reporting rules” will be shown as “Activity rules” in various locations within the Admin console, including the “Add rules” user interface at Security > Investigation tool > Create activity rule. 

Getting started 

Admins: 
  • Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating and managing activity rules. 
  • With this change, admins with the “Reports” privilege have automatically been assigned the “Activity Rules View” and “Activity Rules Manage privileges”. Super admins have these privileges assigned by default. These privileges can also be assigned to a custom admin role. 
End users: 
  • There is no end user action required. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 

  • Business Starter, Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus 
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard and Plus 
  • Cloud Identity Premium 

Resources