Tag Archives: Google Slides

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – May 30, 2025

4 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.

Gemini app conversation history settings are starting to take effect 
Earlier this month, we announced that admins could pre-configure new Gemini conversation history settings. Starting this week, these settings will begin to be enforced for Gemini app users. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains starting June 2, 2025. | This update impacts all Google Workspace users with access to the Gemini app. | For more information, please refer to our original announcement. 

Remove the background from your images in Google Slides, Drawings & Vids using 20+ languages 
Last year, we announced the ability to remove the background from your images in Google Slides, which is a feature that's also available in Drawings and Vids. Previously, this feature was only available to users with their Google Account language set to English. This week, we’re happy to announce this functionality is now available for users utilizing any of these 20+ languages. | Rollout to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to Google Workspace Business Standard and Plus; Enterprise Standard and Plus; customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on, and anyone who previously purchased a Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-on. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about removing an image background. 

Send feedback directly to the owner of a Google Form 
We’re adding a new setting to Google Forms which will allow form responders to contact form owners. This can be helpful in a variety of situations, including reporting potential issues within the form, general questions, and more. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release domains; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for June 10, 2025. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about how to contact form owner.
contact a form owner
Translate the Workspace Updates blog in over 100 languages
You can now use Google translate to view content on the Workspace Updates blog in over 100 languages. The translation option can be found in the footer of the website and it can also be used on mobile browsers when you select “View web version” at the bottom of the page.Translate the Workspace Updates blog in over 100 languages
Use the “Select Language” drop down and choose the language you would like to translate to. To access this feature on mobile, select the “View web version” option first.


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 video engagement insights in Google Drive 
You can now see the total number of times a video is opened under a new Analytics section within the Details panel. | Learn more about video insights in Drive. 

Understand your videos much faster using Gemini in Google Drive
Starting this week, you can now use Gemini in Drive to get summaries and ask questions about the content of videos in your Drive. | Learn more about understanding videos using Gemini in Drive. 

Configure Calendar interoperability with Microsoft Office 365 using the Microsoft Graph API
Admins can now use the Microsoft Graph API to enable Calendar interoperability with Microsoft Office 365. | Learn more about Calendar Interoperability.

New Gemini summary cards now available in the Gmail app on Android and iOS devices
Starting this week, summaries will be available at the top of the email content for messages where a summary is helpful, such as longer email threads or messages with several replies. Gemini will synthesize all the key points from the email thread and any replies thereafter will also be a part of the synopsis, keeping all summaries up to date. | Learn more about Gemini summary cards in Gmail.

Preview summaries in the Google Chat home view with the help of Gemini in four additional languages
Gemini summaries in home are now available in four additional languages: French, Italian, Japanese and Korean. | Learn more about Gemini summaries in Chat home.


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.

Rapid 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).

Enhance Your Organization’s Security with Out-of-Domain File Warnings in Google Workspace

What’s changing

Today we’re launching Out-of-Domain file-level warnings, now publicly available to all Google Workspace users. Specifically, a badge will be displayed on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files when the file is owned by or shared with someone outside of your domain. You'll also see a pop-up with more details and the option to report the externally owned file for abuse. 

An image showing a Google Doc with the word "External" displayed in a small yellow badge next to the document title. The badge has been clicked, and a pop-up window appears with more information stating that “This document is owned by someone outside your organization. Be cautious about sharing sensitive information
Image of "External" badge displayed in Google Docs


This feature helps users identify potentially risky files and avoid phishing scams when working with files shared from outside your organization.


Additional details

  • Known Limitations:
    • For externally shared content, the badge will not be displayed if any internal Google Groups have access to the document, even if these groups have external members.
    • If any service accounts have access to the document, the External badge will be displayed, even if the service account is owned internally.


Getting started

Screenshot of the Google Workspace Admin console, navigated to Sharing settings. At the bottom of the page, a new section labeled "Highlight external files" is highlighted. The checkbox is checked, and the description reads: "Mark external files shared or owned externally as “external” to flag that content may be viewable outside your organization.
 Image of the Google Workspace Admin console, Sharing settings, showing the "Highlight external files" option enabled


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available for all Google Workspace customers, as well as Cloud Identity customers

Resources

Introducing even more high-quality Google Slides templates to elevate your presentations

What’s changing 

Last year, we released a collection of modern, professionally designed templates in Google Slides to help make it easier for users to build presentations. Today, we’re excited to introduce a second wave of templates that cater to a wide range of use cases such as business proposals, product pitches, marketing plans, quarterly reviews, team intros or celebrations, and more. These make it easier for you to get started building impactful presentations for collaborative teams, businesses, educational users, and more. 
high-quality Google Slides templates to elevate your presentations



Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Slides templates enable users to jumpstart their presentation creation, maintain a consistent look and feel, and focus on what matters most—your content. More specifically, they help users overcome the blank canvas and spend less time on design and instead, dive straight into crafting a compelling narrative that is visually cohesive and professional. 


Getting started

  • Admins: This feature will be ON by default for domains that do not have default templates & themes turned ON. Domains that have default templates & themes turned ON, will continue to see their company specific template. Visit the Help Center to learn more about default templates & themes. 
  • End users: 
    • You can access templates via the new sidebar or by going to Insert > Templates. Once clicked, you can browse the collection, select a template that aligns with your vision and style, and choose to insert all slides or just the ones you need before personalizing the template with your own content. 
    • Note: This feature is only available for users using the "English (United States)" language setting. Visit the Help Center to learn more about updating your language. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about templates in Google Slides. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts (using the "English (United States)" language setting) 

Resources 

New sidebar with design elements in Google Slides makes building presentations easier

What’s changing

To help you find the features you need when creating, building and presenting Google Slides faster, users will now be able to access templates, image generation, new design components and more in a new sidebar on the right side of your canvas. 


From the new sidebar, you’ll also be able to access the following new features: 
  • Building blocks: A new library of pre-formatted pieces of content, such as agendas, quotes or key statistics, that help you create professional, visual presentations much quicker. These blocks, which function similarly to building blocks in Docs, are composed of native Slides elements and can be de-grouped and customized once inserted into your slide. 
  • Stock Images: Easily access millions of high-quality stock images in our expanded library, web images, stickers, and GIFs to bring additional visual elements into your presentation. 
You’ll also be able to access the following existing features from the sidebar: 
  • Templates: Modern, professionally-designed templates that make getting started on a new presentation much easier. 
  • Image generation: Generate compelling AI-powered visuals for presentations with a prompt. 
  • Speaker spotlight: Presenters can insert their video feed directly into their Slides content. 
  • Slides recordings: Users can easily record themselves presenting, and then share the presentation with others to view when it works for them. 
new sidebar on the right side of your canvas in google slides.png

Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it matters 

This update provides you with a consistent location for insertion-related actions and saves you time by giving you design tools and inspiration to build beautiful presentations, without ever leaving Google Slides. 


Getting started 

Rollout pace 

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 31, 2025 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on April 14, 2025 

Availability 

Templates and building blocks:
  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts (using the "English (United States)" language setting) 

Speaker spotlight and Slides recordings: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Education Plus 
Gemini features in Google Slides: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on 
  • Customers with the Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-on* 
*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

Google Slides introduces proportional scaling for objects to maintain visual clarity

What’s changing 

When multiple objects are selected in Google Slides, resizing your selection will now scale everything proportionally and maintain visual clarity. This ensures fonts, borders, shadows, and other attributes scale seamlessly and eliminates the hassle of adjusting elements individually. 
scale everything proportionally in google slides

In addition, we’re making it easier to select specific items on slides with many overlapping objects. When hovering over an object, users will now see an outline appear, making it easier to select objects that are layered. 
select specific items on slides with many overlapping objects.


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

This update helps you spend less time getting objects to fit on a slide with proportional scaling. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: Please note these features will work while you are in edit mode in Slides, not when you are presenting them. In addition, proportional scaling will only apply to object groups and selections of multiple objects using the corner handles (side handles will still function as they do today). Additionally, an object selection can be scaled by using the format options sidebar resize controls.Visit the Help Center to learn more about inserting and arranging text, shapes, diagrams, and lines.

Rollout pace


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources 

Use Gemini in the side panel of Google Slides in even more languages

What’s changing

Following up on our recent language availability announcement, we’re excited to announce that you can now use Gemini in the side panel of Google Slides, which includes the ability to generate images, in the following languages: 
  • Arabic
  • Catalan
  • Chinese
  • Czech 
  • Danish 
  • Dutch 
  • Finnish 
  • Greek 
  • Hebrew 
  • Hungarian 
  • Indonesian 
  • Malay 
  • Norwegian 
  • Polish 
  • Romanian 
  • Russian 
  • Swedish 
  • Thai 
  • Turkish 
  • Ukrainian 
  • Vietnamese 
With Gemini in the side panel of your Workspace apps, you can get help summarizing, brainstorming, and generating content by utilizing insights gathered from your emails, documents, and more—all without switching applications or tabs. Check out our original announcements for Gemini in the side panel of Slides, Docs, Sheets, and Drive, and Gmail for even more information. 


Additional details 

  • Users may see the “Alpha” badge as we bring more features into Gemini in the side panel of Google Workspace. 
  • Image generation of people is not supported in these additional languages at this time. 

Getting started 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available to Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on 
  • Customers with the Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-on* 
*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 

Use Gemini in the side panel of Google Slides in seven new languages

What’s changing

Beginning today, you can use Gemini in the side panel of Google Slides, which includes the ability to generate images, in the following seven new languages: 
  • French 
  • German 
  • Italian 
  • Japanese 
  • Korean 
  • Portuguese 
  • Spanish 
With Gemini in the side panel of your Workspace apps, you can get help summarizing, brainstorming, and generating content by utilizing insights gathered from your emails, documents, and more—all without switching applications or tabs. Check out our original announcements for Gemini in the side panel of Slides, Docs, Sheets, and Drive, and Gmail for even more information. 


Additional details 

  • Users may see the “Alpha” badge as we bring more features into Gemini in the side panel of Google Workspace. 
  • Image generation of people is not supported in these additional languages at this time. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: The default setting for Gemini features in Workspace services is on. See how you can manage access to AI features in Workspace services. 
  • End users: 
    • Gemini in the side panel will work according to the language you set in your Google account (myaccount.google.com/language). If you’re accessing other Gemini for Google Workspace features that are supported in English only, you will need to set your Google Account language to English. 
    • You can access the side panel by clicking on “Ask Gemini” (spark button) in the top right corner of Slides on the web. Visit the Help Center to learn more about collaborating with Gemini in the side panel of Slides. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

Available to Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on 
  • Customers with the Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-on* 
*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

Now generally available: Policy visualization across Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Vids and Drive

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we introduced a beta for policy visualization across Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. Today, we’re excited to announce this is now generally available, and as a result, users who are interacting with policy-protected content, such as those with data loss prevention (DLP) rules or trust rules, will now be informed about what actions are prevented by those policies. 

For example, if a user is interacting with a document affected by DLP-enforced information rights management (IRM) and a trust rule, they will see a shield icon and side panel that informs them of the restricted actions. 

Policy visualization across Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Vids and Drive



Who’s impacted

End users 


Why it matters 

With this update, users will be made aware of which actions they are taking that are disabled on a document, spreadsheet, slides or file due to data protection controls. 


Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: 
    • Any user will be able to see policy visualization if relevant restrictions apply to them. Security limitations can be applied by owners of a document, shared drive policies, or admin policies. 
    • A shield icon will automatically appear when security controls are present. Users can open the side panel to view all restrictions, either using the shield icon or by going to File > Security limitations. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about Policy Visualization and the policies themselves: 

Rollout pace 

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Introducing a refreshed library of high-quality Google Slides templates that elevate your presentations

What’s changing 

We’re introducing a new collection of modern, professionally designed templates in Google Slides to help users build presentations much faster. These new templates cater to a wide range of use cases that provide users with the perfect starting point for their presentations. For example, there are:
  • Sales pitches, product roadmaps and strategic plans templates for business users. 
  • Lesson plans, book reports and project reports templates for education users. 
  • Milestone celebrations, workshop facilitation and team game templates for anyone looking to build collaborative teams. 
Access these templates using the new "Templates" button in the Slides toolbar or by going to Insert > Templates. Once clicked, you can browse the collection, select a template that aligns with your vision and style, and choose to insert all slides or just the ones you need before personalizing the template with your own content. 

high-quality Google Slides templates


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Slides templates enable users to jumpstart their presentation, maintain a consistent look and feel, and focus on what matters most. More specifically, they help users overcome the blank canvas and spend less time on design by enabling them to dive straight into crafting compelling content that is visually cohesive and professional. 


Additional details 

You can expect even more high-quality Slides template options in the coming months. 


Getting started

  • Admins: This feature will be ON by default for domains that do not have default templates & themes turned ON. Domains that have default templates & themes turned ON, will continue to see their company specific template. Visit the Help Center to learn more about default templates & themes. 
  • End users: 
    • In Google Slides, access templates using the top toolbar or by going to Insert > Templates. Visit the Help Center to learn more about templates in Google Slides. 
    • Note: This feature is only available for users using the "English (United States)" language setting. If your language settings are set to another form of English (eg - "English (United Kingdom)" or "English (Australia)", you will not have access to these templates. Visit the Help Center to learn more about updating your language. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts (using the "English (United States)" language setting) 

Resources 

Improved comments experience in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android tablets

What’s changing

Earlier this year, we introduced a new comments experience in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on web. Today, we’re announcing a similar update to Android tablets for viewing, navigating, and replying to comments, especially on-the-go. In addition to improved design and filtering functionality to match the web experience, you’ll now be able to easily: 

  • Keep a pulse on the latest updates: now you’ll see the first comment and the two most recent replies from a comment thread, with the option to show all comments within a discussion.
  • Review comments with full context: enjoy familiar, in-context commenting, similar to the web experience, while taking advantage of larger screen real estate on tablets. 
  • Navigate and filter comments: navigation tabs and filters within the comments panel help you easily find relevant comments, without having to switch to a separate view.
Comment experience in Docs

Comment experience in Docs
Comment experience in Sheets

Comment experience in Sheets

Comment experience in Slides

Comment experience in Slides

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

Resources