Tag Archives: Google Slides

More collaboration insights in the Activity dashboard

This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘19 in San Francisco. Check out Next OnAir to tune into the livestream or watch session recordings following the event.

Quick Launch Summary 

We’re introducing two new features to the Activity dashboard in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides:

Sharing history
Sharing history provides users with granular visibility into how your document is being shared with others across your organization and elsewhere. You’ll now see who shared access with who and what level editing access they’ve been granted.



Comment trend 
Comment trend will help users visualize the conversations in a particular document, showing the number of comments, suggestions, and replies created per day. A graph will display the number of new comment threads, replies, and unresolved comments over the lifetime of a document.



These updates add more context to the Activity dashboard, a feature we launched last year to help users see who’s viewed a particular document and viewer trends. These additions will further flesh out the Activity dashboard, making it a centralized hub where document owners and editors can see how other collaborators are engaging with their content.


Availability 

Rollout details 

G Suite editions 
  • Available to all G Suite editions. 
On/off by default? 
  • This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Office editing makes it easier to work with Office files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides

This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘19 in San Francisco. Check out Next OnAir to tune into the livestream or watch session recordings following the event.

What’s changing 

With Office editing, you can now edit, comment, and collaborate on Microsoft Office files using Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. This feature brings the collaboration benefits of G Suite to Office files while streamlining workflows by eliminating the need to convert file types.


Who’s impacted 

End users

Why you’d use it 

Office editing will make it easy for G Suite users to open and edit Microsoft Office files that have been shared by partners, vendors or other teams. In cases where some members of your organization use Office while others use G Suite, this ensures seamless collaboration and eliminates the need to consider or convert file types.

Office editing brings everyone the benefits of G Suite’s real time collaboration tools and intelligence features to Office files.

How to get started 

Admins: If your organization uses the Office compatibility app in Chrome, you may experience issues using this feature. To learn more about disabling this app for your domain or having users remove it, see here.
End users:
  • In Google Drive, double-click your Office file. This will open a preview of the file. 
  • At the top, click Open in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. 
  • From here, you can edit, share, view version history, collaborate in real-time with others, and more. 
  • All changes you make will be saved to the original Office file. 

Additional details 

The following Office file types are supported: 
  • Word files: .doc, .docx, .dot 
  • Excel files: .xls, .xlsx, .xlsm (macro enabled Excel files), .xlt 
  • Powerpoint files: .ppt, .pptx, .pps, .pot 
Note: If you edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents older than Office 2007, files will be saved to a newer format when editing using Office editing. 

Helpful links 

To learn more about removing the Office compatibility app, see here. 

Availability 

Rollout details
  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on April 17, 2019. 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting no earlier than May 6th, 2019. 
G Suite editions 
  • Available to all G Suite editions 

On/off by default? 
  • This feature will be ON by default. 

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Enhance presentations in Slides with audio

What’s changing

We’re adding the ability for users to embed MP3 and WAV audio files from Drive into Slides.



Who’s impacted 

End users

Why you’d use it 

We have listened to your requests and are adding audio files as additional media types in Slides. We know that adding audio clips can bring your presentations to the next level. Short audio clips can grab attention, while longer ones can set the tone for the entire presentation.

How to get started 

  • Admins: No action required. 
  • End users: To insert an audio file into Slides:
    • Insert > Audio and select from your audio files in Drive 
    • Hover over the icon to see playback controls
Once the audio file is inserted, you can find more audio settings by clicking “Format options” in the toolbar. From there, you can set playback options, volume, and looping. You can also hide the audio icon, or replace it with an image of your choice.



Additional details 

The ability to add an audio file into Slides is currently only available on desktop, though audio will play on all platforms.


Helpful links 

Availability 

Rollout details 
G Suite editions
  • Available to all G Suite editions. 

On/off by default? 
  • This feature will be ON by default.


Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Minor updates related to the Activity Dashboard in Editors and the Admin console

Quick launch summary 

We’re making two minor updates to verbiage found in the Activity Dashboard in Editors and related settings within the Admin console. As we launch more features to the Activity Dashboard, these updates will help keep things clear for both admins and end users.

In the Admin console: 
In the Activity dashboard settings, where it previously read “Access to activity dashboard” on the left hand navigation, it will now read “Access to view history.”



From here, Admins can set the ability for users to access Viewers and Viewer trend activity in the dashboard to ON/OFF. To learn more about file activity visibility, see this article in the Help Center.

In Editors: 
Within the Activity dashboard, the “View time” tab has been renamed to “Viewers.” From this tab, document owners can see the last time users with Edit access viewed the file and take action to follow-up. To learn more about view history in Docs, Sheets, and Slides, see this Help Center article. 

We’re also changing the icon for the Viewers tab — previously it was a clock, now it will be a person. This change is to better indicate the purpose of this tab, which is viewer history, not time viewers spent in the document.



Availability 

Rollout details
G Suite editions 
  • Available to all G Suite Editions.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Accessibility settings are now easier to access on Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Quick launch summary

It’s now easier to discover accessibility features like screen reader support, braille support, and screen magnifier support in Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

While these accessibility features were previously available, they required additional steps to access the accessibility menu. This change will make these settings more readily available by placing the Accessibility settings in the Tools menu.

Access the Accessibility menu by selecting Tools > Accessibility settings.

The accessibility settings dialog showing screen reader, braille, and screen magnifier support options.
If the screen reader option is selected from the accessibility settings dialog, an Accessibility menu will be displayed at the top of Docs, Sheets, and Slides for easy access.

Availability 

Rollout details 

G Suite editions 
Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default? 
This feature will be ON by default.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Additional Thai fonts available in Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Quick launch summary

We’ve expanded our font offerings for Thai users in Docs, Sheets, and Slides by adding several fonts that are part of the Thai “National Fonts” collection. This collection of fonts has been distributed and used by the Government of Thailand as public and official fonts since 2007. We updated the collection so that it could be part of Google Fonts in 2019.

The complete list of new fonts is below:
  • Bai Jamjuree 
  • Chakra Petch 
  • Charm 
  • Charmonman 
  • Fah Kwang 
  • K2D 
  • KoHo 
  • Kodchasan 
  • Krub 
  • Mali 
  • Niramit 
  • Sarabun 
  • Srisakdi 
These updated fonts are now available in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides with modern OpenType technology, expanded weights and more harmonious designs between Latin and Thai scripts.

These fonts will be made default in the drop down menu for users who have their Google language preference set as Thai.

G Suite editions
Available to all G Suite Editions.
    Stay up to date with G Suite launches

    Material Design for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites on Web

    What’s changing

    Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites will be getting a new look and feel on the web. While there are no functionality changes, users will notice some visual improvements, including:

    • Interface typography that uses Google’s custom-designed and highly-legible typefaces
    • Controls (like buttons, dialogs, and sidebars) that are updated and consistent
    • Iconography that is legible and crisp, with a fresh feel

    The four products in this update join other G Suite products like Gmail and Calendar in sharing a common design language.

    Before

    After


    Who’s impacted

    End users

    Why you’d use it

    This style change is part of a new, consistent design approach from Google. You can expect to see similar changes across other G Suite applications in the future.

    How to get started 


    • Admins: No action needed
    • End users: You’ll see the new look coming your way.


    Availability

    Rollout details

    • Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 15, 2019
    • Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on February 11, 2019


    G Suite editions
    Available to G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits

    On/off by default?
    This feature will be ON by default.

    Stay up to date with G Suite launches
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    Share files more easily with non-Google accounts in Drive Beta

    Soon, people without Google accounts will be able to view, comment, suggest edits to, and directly edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files.

    Organizations often work on documents with external vendors, partners, contractors, and customers. When these partners don't have Google accounts, it is a significant barrier for collaboration.

    We are introducing a beta for an easy pincode identity verification process that will enable G Suite users to invite non-G Suite users to collaborate on files as visitors, using PINs (Personal Identification Numbers). Below is an example of how it works:



    File owners and admins are in full control of sharing 

    File owners can view all the detailed activity on their files and see where it originated, and revoke access from the Drive sharing dialog at any time. Admins can manage all external sharing and audit usage. For more information on sharing settings, check out this Help Center article.

    Apply to join Pincode Sharing in Drive Beta 

    Pincode Sharing in Drive is launching initially in beta. If you're an admin, see more details, review the eligibility requirements, and apply to join the beta.

    Launch Details 
    Editions: 
    Beta is available to all G Suite editions

    Impact: 
    Admins and end users

    Action: 
    Admin action suggested/FYI

    More Information 
    Help Center: Set Drive users' sharing permission
    Join the beta

    Launch release calendar
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    Now your Activity Dashboard is one click away in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings

    We’ve made it easier for you to open the Activity dashboard directly from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings. You’ll now see the Activity dashboard icon (a jagged arrow pointing upward) next to the comments button in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

    Clicking on the icon opens the dashboard, where you can analyze time statistics and adjust privacy and document settings. This gives you instant access to the Activity dashboard information you’re seeking. Hovering over the icon enables you to view the information others can see about you in the Activity dashboard. To learn more about seeing the view history of your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files, consult the Help Center.

    Launch Details

    Release track:
    Launching to Rapid Release, with Scheduled Release coming in 2 weeks

    Editions:
    Available to all G Suite editions

    Rollout pace: 
    Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility)

    Impact:All end users

    Action:
    Change management suggested/FYI

    More Information 
    Help Center: See the view history of your Google Docs, Sheets & Slides

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    Launch detail categories
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    Copy formatting to multiple objects in Google Slides

    We’re making it easier to copy formatting from one object (like a block of text or a shape) to multiple others in Google Slides. Previously, you could use the paint format tool to copy formatting from one object to another, but you’d need to reclick it every time you wanted to apply it to a new object. Now, you can simply double-click the tool icon to enter “persistent” mode and apply that formatting to multiple objects in a slide. Just re-click the icon or tap Escape on your keyboard to stop.



    Launch Details 
    Release track:
    Launching to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release

    Editions: 
    Available to all G Suite editions

    Rollout pace: 
    Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)

    Impact:
    All end users

    Action: 
    Change management suggested/FYI

    More Information
    Help Center: Copy and paste text and images

    Launch release calendar
    Launch detail categories
    Get these product update alerts by email
    Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates