Expanding noise cancellation in Google Meet to more devices

Quick summary 

To limit distractions during meetings, Google Meet offers noise cancellation to filter out background noises such as a closing door or the sounds of a nearby construction site. Beginning today, noise cancellation is: 
  • Available for users with personal Google Accounts on a wider variety of Android mobile devices. 
  • Available for Google Workspace Business Starter, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard customers. 
  • Enabled by default for third-party devices that connect to Meet using Pexip 

Expanding this functionality helps make calls more productive by reducing distractions across a wider variety of devices. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: 
  • End users: 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning filtering out noise from your meeting on Google Meet.
    • If you’re joining using a Workspace account, the meeting host's Workspace edition will determine the default state. You can turn the feature on or off from the settings menu. 
    • If you’re joining a meeting on an Android device with your personal Google Account, noise cancellation is OFF by default. 

Rollout pace 


Resources 

Now’s the time to learn Android development with Jetpack Compose!

Posted by Murat Yener, Developer Relations Engineer

We are thrilled to announce that the full Android Basics with Compose course is now available. Whether you're a beginner with no programming experience, or a developer looking to learn Jetpack Compose and brush up on their Android development skills, it's a great time to start learning.

This course is designed to teach you how to create Android apps using Jetpack Compose, Android's recommended modern toolkit that simplifies and accelerates Android UI development. Along the way, you'll explore fundamentals of the Kotlin programming language, Android app architecture, and commonly used Jetpack libraries. We also include a unit on Views-Compose interoperability so you can apply your Compose skills when you are working on an existing app built with the legacy View-based UI toolkit.

Android Basics with Compose is divided into 8 units, each covering a different aspect of Compose and Android development. Some of the topics covered are:

  • Fundamentals of the Kotlin programming language
  • Building basic user interfaces with Compose
  • Working with data and state in Compose
  • Using navigation to build apps with multiple screens
  • Persisting data using Room and DataStore
  • Fetching remote data and images
  • Scheduling tasks with WorkManager
  • Using Compose and Views side-by-side in the same app

Each unit is packed with hands-on exercises, quizzes, and open-ended projects to help you solidify your understanding of the content.

Image of five phone screens side by side displaying different modules in Android Basics with Compose

You'll learn how to test what you built and use Android Studio tools to further debug and troubleshoot your app. Plus you will earn badges to showcase your achievement in your Google Developer Profile!

Image of 17 different badges that can be earned to showcase your acheivement in your Google Developer Profile

Compared with our previous training course, Android Basics in Kotlin, we have expanded our coverage of Kotlin language basics. We used the same app concepts as in the older course so you can compare the same app built with Compose and legacy Views side-by-side.

Image if two phone screens side by side showing the 'unscramble the word' concept being used in Android Basics in Kotlin course (left) and in Jetpack Compose for Android Developers (right)

If you are already familiar with developing Android apps with Kotlin and are only looking to learn Compose, you may also want to check out the Jetpack Compose for Android Developers course.

The Android Basics with Compose course is available online and self-paced, making it easy for you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule. This course provides up-to-date information and guidance on each topic, and all apps are updated with our latest architectural best practices.

We hope you enjoy the course and find it valuable in your journey as an Android developer. Happy coding, and please share what you've built on social media, using #AndroidBasics!

All newly created spaces in Google Chat will be in-line threaded beginning March 13, 2023

What’s changing 

As previously announced, we’re streamlining the way you organize conversations in Google Chat. Starting March 13, 2023, all newly created spaces in Google Chat will be in-line threaded. Users will no longer have the option to organize them by conversation topic, where related messages and replies were grouped together in the main conversation window. Existing spaces organized by conversation topic will continue to function as they do today. 


Later this year, existing spaces organized by conversation topic will be migrated to the new in-line threaded experience — we will provide more information on the Workspace Updates blog and via email to the primary admin in your domain ahead of this change.


In-line threaded spaces


Space organized by conversation topic



Who’s impacted

Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 

Spaces in Google Chat can help you communicate with a group of people or an organization about a topic, project, or shared interest. We’ve heard from users that having two different options to organize their spaces can be confusing. To streamline the user experience and accelerate product development, we’re focusing on the model most users prefer: in-line threading. With in-line threading, you can reply to any message and create a separate discussion isolated from the main conversation. In-line threads can be helpful when you want to reply to a specific message or discuss a topic in-depth without disrupting the flow of the main conversation.

Thread panel to create a separate discussion isolated from the main conversation in an in-line threaded space




In-line threaded spaces are more organized, making it easier for you to: 
  • Scan and understand what’s being discussed in the space 
  • Browse all topics via the active thread navigation panel 
  • Find and follow the most relevant topics and conversations

Additional details 

All spaces created on or after March 13, 2023, will be in-line threaded. Starting on that date, the option to “Organize the conversation by topic” will no longer be visible when users create a new space.


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers Not available to Nonprofits, as well as legacy G Suite Basic 
  • Not available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Changes to location targeting in Google Ads Search, Shopping, Display, and Performance Max campaigns

Starting on April 14, 2023, there will be changes made to the location targeting settings for Search, Shopping, Display, and Performance Max campaigns in the Google Ads API. We are making this change to simplify the location targeting portfolio and improve advertiser performance. All versions will throw errors if you try to set the location target settings to one of the values shown below.

Campaign.geo_target_type_setting fields
positive_geo_target_type can no longer be set to SEARCH_INTEREST for Search, Shopping, and Display campaigns. The default value is PRESENCE_OR_INTEREST.
negative_geo_target_type can no longer be set to PRESENCE_OR_INTEREST for Performance Max, Search, Shopping, and Display campaigns. The default value is PRESENCE.
The error returned if these values are used is SettingError.SETTING_VALUE_NOT_COMPATIBLE_WITH_CAMPAIGN.

On April 24, 2023, we will start performing any necessary auto-migration of fields to the new default values until no more invalid combinations exist. The auto-migration will occur on a per-campaign basis. You can confirm that the migration is complete for a Google Ads account by checking that these two queries return zero rows.


SELECT campaign.id, campaign.geo_target_type_setting.positive_geo_target_type, campaign.advertising_channel_type FROM campaign WHERE campaign.advertising_channel_type IN ('DISPLAY', 'SEARCH', 'SHOPPING') AND campaign.geo_target_type_setting.positive_geo_target_type = 'SEARCH_INTEREST' LIMIT 1
SELECT campaign.id, campaign.advertising_channel_type, campaign.geo_target_type_setting.negative_geo_target_type FROM campaign WHERE campaign.geo_target_type_setting.negative_geo_target_type = 'PRESENCE_OR_INTEREST' AND campaign.advertising_channel_type IN ('DISPLAY', 'PERFORMANCE_MAX', 'SEARCH', 'SHOPPING') LIMIT 1
Where can I get support?
If you have questions, please reach out to us on the forum or at [email protected].
Nadine Wang, Google Ads API Team

Save time with suggested work locations in Google Calendar

What’s changing 

Since announcing the ability to share where you’re working from directly on Google Calendar, we’ve introduced features that enable better planning around in-person collaboration and meeting coordination, especially in a hybrid work environment. A few include: 

Today, we’re adding an update that helps you easily define your work location much quicker with suggested working locations based on your recent locations. 

Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, Teaching & Learning Upgrade, and Nonprofits, as well as legacy G Suite Business customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, and legacy G Suite Basic customers 
  • Not available to users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

Beta Channel Update for ChromeOS / ChromeOS Flex

The Beta channel is being updated to OS version: 15329.31.0, Browser version: 111.0.5563.41 for most ChromeOS devices.

If you find new issues, please let us know one of the following waysInterested in switching channels? Find out how.

Daniel Gagnon,
Google ChromeOS