Tag Archives: Google Sheets

Offline syncing available for opened Microsoft Office documents

What’s changing

In 2019, we announced Office editing to make it easier to work with Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides and launched better features allowing you to work anywhere with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides in offline mode. Starting today, you can work offline with Microsoft Office files on your desktop. 


Who’s impacted 

End users 



Why you’d use it 

This feature brings the collaboration benefits of Google Workspace to Microsoft Office files. At times when your device is offline, you’re now able to edit, comment, and collaborate on Office files using Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Any changes made to files while offline will then sync to Drive once you are connected again. 


Additional details

This change only applies to files that have already been opened in Office editing mode. 


Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 
  • Available to users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

Roadmap 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – June 24, 2022

New updates 

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are fully launched or in the process of rolling out (rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete), 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), and available to all legacy Google Workspace and G Suite customers. 


Frictionless sharing across Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides 
In the effort to make collaboration simpler for users, we've introduced a new sharing experience in Workspace. Now, when you click the "Share" button in the top-right corner of your file, you'll see a streamlined design that makes it easier to share files with others and/or specific groups of people in your organizations, control whether your file is searchable to groups with access, and to copy the file link. | Learn more. 

new-sharing-experience

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. 



Data Loss Prevention for Drive helps protect sensitive data when users upload files to external Google Forms, now generally available 
Users can now respond to external forms that contain file upload questions, while also helping to prevent the leak of sensitive and confidential information. | Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Education Plus customers. | Learn more. 


New options for styling fonts in Google Forms 
We’ve added additional font style and sizing options, and the ability to customize header, subheader, and body text separately in Google Forms. | Learn more. 


Adjust spacing between content in Sites using new density theme setting 
Site editors can now adjust the spacing between the content on their site with a custom theme setting that offers Compact, Cozy, or Comfortable spacing options. | Learn more. 


Easily print your Tasks List 
You can now print personal and Chat spaces Task lists on web, making it easier for you to track assigned items offline or plan with pen and paper if that’s your preference. | Learn more. 


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

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – May 27, 2022

New updates 

There are no new updates to share this week. Please see below for a recap of published announcements. 


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.


Send group membership information in outbound SAML responses 
Admins can now configure and send group membership information as part of SAML responses. | Learn more. 


Add personal tasks from Google Chat 
In Google Chat, you can now create personal tasks from individual or group messages. | Learn more. 


Take action on multiple text selections in Google Docs 
Using Google Docs, you can now make multiple text selections at once, and apply actions such as delete, copy, paste, or format to all selections. | Learn more. 


Add shared drives to specific organizational units 
Admins can now place shared drives into sub organizational units (OUs), enabling them to configure sharing policies, data regions, access management, and more at a granular level. | Learn more.

Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Nonprofits customers. 


Embed content as a full page in new Google
Sites Site editors using new Google Sites can now add content as a full page from the following sources: custom code, other websites, and Google apps, such as Maps and Docs. | Learn more. 


Copy your client-side encrypted Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files 
If you have client-side encryption enabled for Docs, Sheets and Slides, you can now make a copy of an existing encrypted document, spreadsheet or presentation. | Learn more. 

Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus customers. 


Cut, copy and paste files using keyboard shortcuts in Google Drive Web 
You can now use familiar keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + C (or ⌘ + C on Mac), Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V to copy, cut and paste Google Drive files in your Chrome browser. | Learn more. 


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

Copy your client-side encrypted Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files

Quick summary 

If you have client-side encryption enabled for Docs, Sheets and Slides, you can now make a copy of an existing encrypted document, spreadsheet or presentation. Encryption will be preserved when copies of the file are made. This feature makes it easier to leverage existing content as a baseline for new encrypted Docs, Sheets, or Slides. 



Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus customers 
  • Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

Use Connected Sheets with VPC-SC protected data, improved Cloud Audit Logs for Connected Sheets events

What’s changing 

BigQuery datasets that are behind a perimeter created by VPC Service Controls can now be accessed using Connected Sheets. 


We’ve also made improvements to the Connected Sheets logging in the Cloud Audit Logs. See the “Additional details” section below for more information. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 



Why you’d use it 

This change gives VPC Service Controls Admins and Editors the ability to allow members of your organization to access, collaborate on, and generate insights from VPC Service Controls protected data via Connected Sheets. 



Additional details 

By default, Connected Sheets cannot access BigQuery data that is protected by VPC Service Controls; however, VPC Service Controls perimeters can now be configured to allow queries issued through Connected Sheets to succeed. This configuration can only be changed by VPC Service Controls Admins and Editors. 



Improved Connected Sheets logging 
Whenever BigQuery data is accessed in Connected Sheets, entries are recorded for who accessed the data and when in Cloud Audit Logs. 


Now, the Cloud Audit Logs will additionally include the ID of the spreadsheet that generates the BigQuery data access. Every spreadsheet has a unique ID containing letters, numbers, hyphens, or underscores, which can be found in the Google Sheets URL. Use this documentation to learn more about where to find this additional information in the Cloud Audit Logs. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – April 29, 2022

New updates 

Updated rollout schedule for additional Calendar statuses in Google Chat 
We’d like to provide updated rollout information for additional Calendar statuses in Google Chat, previously announced on March 14, 2022: 
  • Rollout for Rapid release domains will be complete on Wednesday, May 5, 2022. 
  • Rollout for Scheduled release domains will begin on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 and is expected to be complete by Tuesday, May 24, 2022. 


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. 



Easily manage storage related activity and policies through new storage management tools in the Admin console 
In the Admin console, storage related activities can now be accessed and managed from a single source. | Learn more. 



Quick access to additional actions when composing a message in Google Chat on iOS 
When using Google Chat on iOS, you can now easily take additional actions by hovering over the plus (“+”) icon next to the compose bar. You’ll see a variety of options such as: 
  • Sharing a Google Meet link 
  • Creating a meeting in Calendar 
  • Accessing Google Drive Text formatting options and more. 




Enhanced menus in Google Docs improves findability of key features on desktop 
We’re updating the menus in Google Docs to make it easier to locate the most commonly-used features. In this update you’ll notice: 
  • Shortened menus for better navigation 
  • Reorganization for more intuitive feature location 
  • Prominent icons for faster recognition 



Warning banners alert users of suspicious Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files on web 
Previously, we announced warning banners for potentially malicious or dangerous files in Google Drive. We’re extending these warnings at the file-level — going forward, if you open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you’ll see these warnings. | Learn more. 


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

Warning banners alert users of suspicious Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files on web

Quick summary 

Previously, we announced warning banners for potentially malicious or dangerous files in Google Drive. We’re extending these warnings at the file-level — going forward, if you open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you’ll see these warnings. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

Warning banners alert users of suspicious Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides files on web

Quick summary 

Previously, we announced warning banners for potentially malicious or dangerous files in Google Drive. We’re extending these warnings at the file-level — going forward, if you open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you’ll see these warnings. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 

Intelligent corrections for formulas in Google Sheets

Quick Summary 

Last year, we launched formula suggestions in Sheets, which recommend formulas for specific cells based on the data you are analyzing. Now, you can write formulas faster and with higher confidence with formula corrections. These intelligent, context-aware corrections help you improve and troubleshoot many different kinds of formulas. Some examples include: 

  • VLOOKUP errors 
  • Missing cells in range input 
  • Locking ranges when applying formulas across cells 

Whenever you insert a formula that Sheets detects may be improved, a suggestion box will appear with details on a new version that can replace the current formula, including the ability to accept or reject it.



Formula corrections in Sheets


For example, the above correction helps users when writing VLOOKUP functions, which only return values to the right of the matched cell. The correction suggests a combination of INDEX and MATCH functions to reverse the column order in the formula. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for these features. 
  • End users: This feature will be available by default and can be disabled by going to Tools > Enable formula corrections or from the three-dot menu of the suggestion dialog box. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using formulas and functions in Google Sheets. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google Accounts. 

Resources 

Join a Google Meet call from Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides

What’s changing 

You can now join a Google Meet call from Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. In addition to the present to Meet option, you can select “Join the call” to quickly join and present a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to all attendees, allowing everyone in the meeting to collaborate while having a conversation.



Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 

To help teams do their best work in the hybrid work world, as many of us begin a return to office, we continue to make enhancements to Google Meet to help ensure that video meetings are inclusive and collaborative no matter the location or device preference. 

We hope this feature makes it easier for everyone in the meeting to collaborate in real-time while having a conversation—all from the same tab. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility starting on April 12, 2022 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 2, 2022 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 

Resources 


Roadmap