Get quick insights on your Google Drive folders with Gemini

What’s happening

Earlier this year, we introduced Gemini “nudges” at the top of folders in Google Drive, and now we’re now making it even easier to get the context of your folders at a glance. Gemini will now proactively provide insights about the files within a folder, right at the top of the folder view. This makes it easier to quickly understand what’s inside without having to open individual files. For a more in-depth look, you can click “Explore with Gemini” to get a full summary or ask follow up questions in the Gemini side panel. 

Get quick insights on your Google Drive folders with Gemini

This feature is designed to help you save time and stay organized by providing at-a-glance insights into your folders. It is an evolution of the previous version of folder nudges, moving from simple suggestions to proactive, intelligent summaries. This feature is currently available in English only.

Getting started

  • Admins: To enable this feature for your users, you can turn on the default personalization setting for smart features in the Admin console.
  • End users: This feature will be ON by default for end users who have smart features and personalization turned on in their Google Workspace apps. To disable, you can “collapse” the “insights by Gemini” section of a folder. You can also disable this feature by turning off smart features entirely. 

Rollout pace

Availability

Available for Google Workspace:

  • Business Standard and Plus
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus

Also available to:

  • Google One AI Premium
  • Google AI Pro for Education

Announcing the Data Commons Gemini CLI extension

The new Data Commons extension for the Gemini CLI makes accessing public data easier. It allows users to ask complex, natural-language questions to query Data Commons' public datasets, grounding LLM responses in authoritative sources to reduce AI hallucinations. Data Commons is an organized library of public data from sources like the UN and World Bank. The extension enables instant data analysis, exploration, and integration with other data-related extensions.

Stable Channel Update for ChromeOS / ChromeOS Flex

M-142, ChromeOS version 16433.57.0 (Browser version 142.0.7444.220) has rolled out to ChromeOS devices on the Stable channel. 

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

  4. Interested in switching channels? Find out how.


Andy Wu

Google ChromeOS

Seamlessly join meetings on Google Meet hardware with “Connect room”

What’s changing

In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce Connect room, a new way to seamlessly begin your meetings on Google Meet hardware directly from your personal device. This will be available in early preview.

Connect room streamlines how you start meetings in a conference room. Instead of manually typing a meeting code, this feature uses ultrasound proximity detection to identify a nearby, available Google Meet hardware device.

When you open the Google Meet green room on your laptop, it will automatically detect the room and present a simple option to connect to it. With a single click, the meeting starts on the room hardware, and your laptop transitions into Companion mode, getting you checked-in and ready to collaborate without missing a beat.


After clicking Connect room, your meeting is started on the room device while your laptop joins in companion mode and checks you into the room.


Google Meet updates the “Use Companion mode” to “Connect room” when it detects a nearby room to start a meeting.
This feature simplifies the meeting join experience. In particular, you can now:

  • Take over a booked, but empty conference room: If a conference room is reserved but unoccupied, open your meeting on your laptop, click “Connect room,” and you can immediately start your meeting on the Google Meet hardware.
  • Join and book an available conference room in one click: If you find an available and bookable conference room and wish to use it, simply open your meeting on your laptop, click “Connect room,” and the Google Meet hardware will instantly join the meeting, simultaneously booking the room for your use.
  • Join private meetings more easily: Simply open a meeting invite on your device, click “Connect room,” and instantly join the meeting directly on Google Meet hardware.
  • Join a meeting not listed on the conference room calendar: If you were sent a Google Meet invitation in chat or email, open your meeting on your laptop, click “Connect room,” and you can immediately start your meeting on the Google Meet hardware.

Additional details

Users on the Rapid Release track will start seeing this feature for devices enrolled in our Early Preview Rooms (EPR) program starting on on December 2, 2025. We’ll share more details on the Workspace Updates blog when we begin a broader rollout.

Getting started

  • Admins: To preview this feature, your domain must be on the Rapid Release track and have devices enrolled in our EPR program. In addition, this feature relies on Google Meet hardware’s Proximity Detection device setting, which is ON by default. For this feature to work, you must enable Proximity Detection on your fleet's devices. In-room booking must also be enabled for Connect room to automatically book the room when joining the call.
  • End users: This feature will be ON by default for users on the Rapid Release track entering a room with enabled hardware. To use the feature, ensure your laptop microphone is selected in the greenroom, then simply click "Connect room" when the prompt appears. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Availability

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

Resources

A refreshed user interface for Google Meet hardware touch controllers

What’s changing

In the coming weeks, we’ll roll out a streamlined user interface for the following Meet Hardware devices: Mimo Vue HD, Mimo Mist, Logitech Tap, Logitech Tap IP, and Lenovo Series One Touch controllers (with Android devices coming soon). This new experience will offer users a more efficient and intuitive way to manage their meetings. It includes:

1.Simplified access to key controls: The controls you use most frequently inside a meeting, like mute and hand raise, are now more prominent and easily accessible. This means less time spent searching for features and more time focusing on your meeting.

2. Intuitively organized features:

  • In-meeting experience: If you need to access more advanced features, like camera controls or the meeting layout, you can now find them conveniently under the “More actions” menu. This keeps the main interface clean and uncluttered while ensuring less frequently used features are still accessible when you need them.
  • Pre-call experience: A refreshed pre-call meeting design prominently features the option to enter a meeting code or nickname, and includes a clear drop-down menu for joining Webex or Zoom meetings, streamlining your connection process.

3. A familiar interface: The touch controller UI will look and feel more similar to the Google Meet UI on the web, making your transition more intuitive.




New touch controller in-meeting experience

Getting started

  • Admins: The new experience will be ON by default. There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: This new experience will be ON by default for eligible Meet Hardware devices in your meeting rooms.

Rollout pace

Availability

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

Resources