Tag Archives: Google Docs

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – July 12, 2024

2 New updates

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.

Shared drives can now have up to 100 levels of nested folders and 500,000 items

Prior to this month, a folder in a shared drive could have up to 20 levels of nested folders and could contain a maximum of 400,000 items. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve increased the nested folder limit to 100 levels and the maximum number of items to 500,000. | Rollout to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Learn more about shared drive limits in Google Drive.

eSignature is now available for select Google Workspace customers

As previously announced, starting July 15, 2024, we will begin rolling out eSignature for Google Docs to end users on select Google Workspace editions. eSignature offers a variety of features to help you streamline requesting and capturing signatures, helping you stay organized and keep your work moving along. Specifically, you can:

Request eSignatures, including signatures from more than one user and from non-Gmail users.
View the status of pending signatures and find completed contracts.
Keep contract templates to initiate multiple eSignature requests.
View an audit trail of completed contracts.
Use custom text fields to request additional information from signers, such as job titles, email addresses and more.
Sign contracts from both mobile devices and PCs.

Rollout to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starts July 15, 2024 at a gradual pace (up to 15 days for feature visibility). | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, and Education Plus customers. | Learn more about sending signature requests & sign documents with eSignature.

Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Introducing a new experience for data regions reporting

We’ve introduced several new enhancements to Google Workspace data regions. | Learn more about data regions reporting.

Access Management is now generally available in the European Union

Access Management is now also generally available in the European Union — these controls allow customers to select the physical location from which Google support teams can access organizational data during support activities. | Learn more about Access Management.

Manage your compliance and data controls from a single source in the Admin console

We’ve centralized relevant features and information into a single location in the admin console: Data. | Learn more about compliance and data controls.

Enhancing the Google Calendar appointment scheduling experience with additional features

We’re updating appointment schedules by adding new features to enhance the overall experience. | Learn more about appointment scheduling updates.

Pre-configure meeting notes, recordings, and transcripts from the Calendar invite

Meeting hosts can now pre-configure meeting notes, meeting recordings, and meeting transcripts from the Calendar invite. | Learn more about meeting host capabilities.

Use the Apple Volume Purchasing Program (VPP) to distribute apps for device enrollment and company owned devices

In November 2023, we announced the ability to purchase and distribute iOS apps to user-enrolled devices through Apple’s Volume Purchase Program. Beginning this week, we’re expanding this functionality to include device enrollment and company-owned iOS devices. | Learn more about the Apple Volume Purchasing Program.

Google Meet and Zoom interoperability now includes presented content via a wired HDMI connection

We’re expanding the interoperability between Google Meet and Zoom to include the ability to present content via a wired HDMI connection. | Learn more about Google Meet and Zoom interoperability.

Rollout Update: setting the default camera framing option for Google Meet hardware devices

We recently announced several updates related to framing options on Google Hardware devices. This included the ability for admins to configure the default camera framing option for their hardware devices. After pausing rollout to optimize performance, we are pleased to announce that this feature is now fully available. | Learn more about default camera framing options for Meet hardware devices.

Access Google Meet artifacts with a new Google Drive API scope

We’re introducing a new OAuth scope for the Drive API: drive.meet.readonly. The new scope grants app access to read and download files from a user’s drive that were created or edited by Google Meet — this includes meeting transcripts, notes, recordings, and more. | Learn more about accessing Meet artifacts.

Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the original blog posts for additional details.

Scheduled Release Domains:

Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains:

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Source: Google Workspace Updates

Gemini in the side panel of Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Drive is rolling out now

What’s changing

We’re pleased to announce the general availability of Gemini in the side panel of Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. Through the side panel, Gemini can assist you with summarizing, analyzing, and generating content by utilizing insights gathered from your emails, documents, and more—all without switching applications or tabs. The updated interface automatically summarizes the content you're working on and provides contextually relevant prompts to help you get started.

Who’s impacted

End users

Why you’d use it

The side panel will use Google’s most capable models including the Gemini 1.5 Pro model with a longer context window and more advanced reasoning, allowing you to harness the power of Gemini directly from your most used Google Workspace apps. Here are a few examples of when you’d use it:

Docs: Gemini in Docs side panel can help you write and refine your content, summarize information, help you brainstorm, create content based off of other files, and more.

Gemini in Docs side panel

Slides: Gemini in Slides side panel can help you generate new slides, generate custom images, summarize presentations and more.

Using Gemini in Slides side panel

Sheets: Gemini in Sheets side panel can help you track and organize data. In the side panel, you can quickly create tables, generate formulas and ask how to accomplish certain tasks in Sheets.

Using Gemini in Sheets side panel

Drive: Gemini in Drive side panel can summarize one or multiple documents, get quick facts about a project, or deep dive on a topic without needing to find and click through numerous documents.

Using Gemini in Drive side panel

Additional details

We’re also introducing Gemini in the Gmail side panel, which you can leverage to summarize email threads, draft an email, suggest responses to an email thread, and more. For more information, see our announcement on the Workspace Updates blog.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: You can access the Gemini in the side panel by clicking on “Ask Gemini” (spark button) in the top right corner of Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive on the web. Visit the Help Center to learn more about collaborating with Gemini in Google Drive, as well as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on June 24, 2024
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 8, 2024

Availability

Available for Google Workspace customers with:

Gemini Business and Enterprise add-on
Gemini Education and Education Premium add-on
Google One AI Premium

Resources

Source: Google Workspace Updates

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – June 21, 2024

3 New updates

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.

Now generally available: Build AppSheet automations using Google Forms

AppSheet helps users automate manual workflows by integrating with data sources like Google Drive, Chat and Sheets, and earlier this year we announced its integration with Google Forms in beta. This week, we’re excited to announce this is now generally available. | Roll out to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus and the Teaching & Learning Upgrade, Frontline Starter, Frontline Standard, AppSheet Starter, AppSheet Core, AppSheet Enterprise Standard, and AppSheet Enterprise Plus customers only. | Learn more about AppSheet's integration with Google Forms and building your first app and automation using Google Forms.

The ability to add and remove Google Groups as space members using the Google Chat API is now generally available

Last year, we announced the ability to create spaces, memberships, group chats, and more using the Google Chat API. This week, we’re excited to introduce the option for developers to add and remove Google Groups as space members using the Google Chat API. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers. | Learn more about accessing Chat APIs through the Google Chat API.

Comments and action items in client-side encrypted Google Docs is now generally available

You can now collaborate with others on client-side encrypted Google Docs to add, edit, reply, filter, or delete comments. You can also assign action items to yourself or others. This functionality was previously available in open beta — see our original announcement for complete details. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for July 2, 2024. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus customers. | Learn more about working with encrypted files in Drive, Docs, Sheets & Slides.