Tag Archives: Rapid Release

Send video messages in Google Chat

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we announced voice messages in Google Chat, giving users a new way to communicate with others more effectively. Today, we are introducing video messages in Chat, a new capability that helps you save time, convey more information, add tone or emphasis, and can be useful in a number of scenarios, such as: 
  • Sales or customer support team members sending video updates about new features or account changes. 
  • Executives sharing company-wide announcements or strategic updates, fostering transparency and engagement across the organization. 
  • Team members sending a video with outstanding updates in lieu of attending a live meeting. 
Send video messages in Google Chat


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it’s important 

This update offers users with more flexibility in how they communicate within Chat. 


Additional details

Video message cannot be recorded on the following browsers and OS: ChromeOS, Linux and Firefox. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: 
  • End users: 
    • To record a video message, select the record button in the Chat compose box and click “video message.” Then simply record your message and press send.
      • You can preview or re-record your video before sending your video message. 
      • You can send video messages in 1:1 DMs, group DMs, and spaces, and they can be interacted with (quoted, reacted to, replied to in thread, etc) just like any other Chat message. 
      • Video messages will be stored in the Media section of the Shared tab. 
      • You can send video messages on web and receive them on all platforms. The ability to record and send video messages on mobile is not available at this time. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about sending a video message in Google Chat and sending & sharing files in Google Chat messages. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Starter, Standard, Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard, Plus 
  • Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus 
  • Nonprofits 
  • Frontline Starter, Standard 

Resources 

Ask responders for a rating in Google Forms

What’s changing

To add to the list of question types that users can respond to in Google Forms and enable the collection of feedback in a more engaging way, we’re introducing a rating question type. 


This new question type enables you to customize rating questions by setting a rating scale level and include rating icons, such as stars or hearts, to offer a more intuitive way to gather opinions from an audience. 


With this update, you'll be able to analyze responses to these questions (e.g. average rating of responses and visual distributions of ratings) using the summary tab of the responses section. 

rating question in Google Forms

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: 
    • Go to “create a new form” at forms.google.com or an existing form and add a new “Rating” question from the dropdown of different question types. 
    • Add the scale for the rating question, such as 1-5, and choose between the different icons supported: stars, hearts and thumbs up. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about asking responders to provide a rating on a scale. 

Rollout pace

Availability

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

Resources 

New and improved widgets for Google Chat app cards

What’s changing

Google Chat app developers have the ability to add widgets and UI elements to make their app cards customizable and encourage users to interact with their apps in a variety of ways. 

Today, we’re excited to announce new and improved widgets for Chat app cards, including: 
Modern and sleek style buttons in line with the Google Material Design 3
  • The ChipList widget that provides a versatile and visually appealing way to display information. You can use chips to represent tags, categories, or other relevant data, to make it easier for users to navigate and interact with your content. 
The ChipList widget that provides a versatile and visually appealing way to display information.png
  • An Overflow Menu that can be used in Chat cards to offer additional options and actions, without cluttering the card's interface to ensure a clean and organized design. 
An Overflow Menu that can be used in Chat cards to offer additional options and actions
  • The option to customize the control button so that it collapses and expands sections within your Chat cards. You can choose from a range of icons or images to visually represent the section's content, making it easier for users to understand and interact with the information. The option to customize the control button so that it collapses and expands sections within your Chat cards
  • Collapsible text paragraphs that let users reveal more information on demand. This widget is perfect for presenting lengthy content or additional details that can be explored when selected, creating a dynamic and interactive user experience. 
Collapsible text paragraphs that let users reveal more information on demand.

Getting started


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources



New document tabs in Google Docs provide a better way to organize your documents

What’s changing

We’re excited to introduce document tabs in Google Docs, a new feature to help you organize longer documents, centralize information, and make collaboration easier. 


You can now use tabs to draft and build content in a way that makes it possible for you to find what you’re looking for quickly and stay on task. Plus, readers can navigate through your document with ease and focus on sections that matter most to them. 


Tabs in Docs can be particularly useful when you need to break down long, structured documents into smaller, more digestible sections. For example: 

  • A marketing manager can build a campaign brief using different, focused tabs for budget, goals, and creative ideas. 
  • A sales leader creating pitch templates can now have dedicated tabs for each industry or territory. 
  • A customer service representative can create tabs for each solution to address common customer service issues. 
  • A project manager can create a tab for budget, roles and responsibilities, goals, and key dates so that their working team can stay on track. 
  • A team manager can keep a record of routine documentation, such as recurring meeting notes, agendas, performance reviews, and quarterly planning updates. 
Within each tab, you can also create subtabs to add even more structure to your document. For instance, a budget tab could include subtabs for travel expenses and agency fees, or a team makeup tab could include subtabs explaining each team’s roles and responsibilities. 

tabs in Google Docs


Who’s impacted

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Structuring your Docs with tabs helps to organize longer documents, brings together existing documents more cohesively, and makes collaboration easier. 


Additional details 

Users have the option to set an emoji for each tab to visually represent its content and make navigation easier. The emoji will show to the left of the tab title in the left panel, which replaces the default article icon. 


Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: 
    • For documents containing 2 or more tabs and new documents, the left panel will open by default to let users navigate and manage tabs easily. When the left panel is closed, users can open it at all times by clicking on the Tabs & outline icon in the top left corner. 
    • You can also share links to specific tabs rather than sharing the link to an entire document by clicking on the three dots menu for a given tab > Copy link. 
    •  Visit the Help Center to learn more about using document tabs in Google Docs.

Rollout pace 


Availability 

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

Resources 

Gmail Q&A now available on iOS devices

What’s changing

Last month, we introduced a new way of searching your inbox with Gemini on Android devices. Starting today, this feature is also available on iOS devices, enabling you to ask Gemini questions about your inbox. Gmail Q&A can help you answer specific questions about your emails, show you unread messages or messages from a specific sender, summarize emails about a topic in your inbox, and even answer general questions from search, all without having to leave your inbox.
Gmail Q&A now available on iOS devices

Who’s impacted 

End users 

Why it matters

We are excited to help users supercharge their productivity with the help of Gemini in Gmail. Users now have even more capabilities from Gemini to help users get more done during their day at their desks and now, on the go. 

Getting started

  • Admins: To access Gmail Q&A on Android, users need to have smart features and personalization turned on. Admins can turn on default personalization setting for their users in the Admin console. 
  • End users: 
    • Open Gemini in the Gmail app via the black Gemini star at the top right of your app or from a “summarize this email” chip. To start, Gmail Q&A can find information from your inbox. In the future, it will be able to find information from your Drive as well
    • Note: Gmail Q&A is currently available in English only.

Rollout pace 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: 
  • Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium 
  • Google One AI Premium 

Resources 

New Watermarking in Google Meet Helps Protect Your Meeting Content

What’s changing 

Google Workspace customers with a Gemini add-on can now watermark presented content and video feeds in Google Meet. Watermarking in Google Meet will appear as a subtle text overlay that displays the meeting code and the email address of the viewer over the shared content and video feeds of participants. Using a watermark can help discourage unauthorized copying and sharing, protecting both users’ video images and content shared during meetings. Hosts and co-hosts can turn on watermarking at any time in the meeting. Once watermarking is turned on, it shows on all participants’ screens.



Additional details

Watermarking is available  to meeting participants signed into a Google account using the latest Chrome browser, Android or iOS apps, or Google Meet hardware devices. Only participants using supported browsers and apps will see video feeds when watermarking is turned on. 

Additionally, watermarking cannot be used when recording a meeting or live streaming a meeting. If you turn on a recording during a meeting, you’ll see a dialog box notifying you that watermarking stops when recording starts.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: To turn watermarking, go to Host controls > Add a watermark. Visit the Help Center to learn more about how to apply watermarks to your meeting.
Host controls > Add a watermark


Rollout pace


Availability

Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: 

  • Gemini Enterprise 
  • Gemini Education Premium 
  • AI Security 
  • AI Meetings & Messaging 

Resources


Beta update: Data Loss Prevention enforcement in Gmail is now instantaneous

What’s changing 

Today, we are announcing enhancements for the Data Loss Prevention for Gmail open beta, which are designed to improve usability without compromising sensitive data protections for Gmail. Once deployed, users will receive instant notifications on risks to applicable DLP policies prior to leaving their inbox, instead of having DLP rules evaluated after the message has already left the inbox. In addition to more timely user feedback, this capability, called synchronous DLP, helps educate users about the potential risk of leaking sensitive information. 


We’re also introducing a new action for DLP rules, “Warn”, which will notify users about potentially sensitive data while providing the option to send the message based on a user’s assessment of a risk. For added safety, the DLP service will scan messages one additional time after they leave the sender's mailbox.


Who’s impacted

Admins and end users


Why it matters 

Data breaches are one of the most common and costly security issues facing organizations. Often these breaches originate from within an organization by unintentional or intentional actions by their users. Data loss prevention capabilities help prevent this exfiltration of data and helps guide users about what information to share. To help safeguard sensitive information, organizations can create and enforce policies that not only detect and block sensitive information from being shared, but educate users on what information sharing is or is not appropriate and how to be compliant with those guidelines. Specifically, data loss prevention rules can look for sensitive text stings, custom detectors, or predefined detectors in outgoing messages sent internally or externally. 


The latest update for data loss prevention rules in Gmail brings the experience in line with Google Drive and Google Chat, which are already adopted broadly by Google Workspace customers. You can refer to our Help Center for more information about data loss prevention in Gmail.


Additional details

Customizable warning messages
DLP rules can be configured to block the message, warn users about sensitive information, or quarantine the message. When sensitive information is detected, users will be shown a dialog box notifying them of the risk. Admins can now choose to customize the information shown to end users in these dialog boxes, including why their message was flagged, what they can do to unblock themselves, and links to additional resources to educate them further.

Example of a custom warning message




Continued asynchronous scanning of messages
While messages will now be scanned synchronously, messages will go through additional scanning asynchronously (after the message leaves the inbox) for an additional layer of protection. This includes messages that are sent automatically, such as auto-forward or scheduled send, and messages sent from non-Gmail clients.


Getting started

  • Admins:
    • Data loss prevention in Gmail is available in open beta for select Google Workspace customers. These rules can be configured at the domain, OU, or group level. DLP rules can be enabled in Gmail in the Admin console under Security > Access and data control > Data protection. Note that with the new synchronous scanning, your end users will begin seeing dialog boxes related to these rules before messages leave the inbox. These will be displayed when using Gmail on the web and mobile.

    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about controlling sensitive data shared in Gmail. Note that you can modify existing DLP rules for Drive and Chat to also apply to Gmail. 

    • DLP events can be reviewed in the Security Investigation Tool or Security > Alert Center, if alerts are configured in rules.

    • We recommend selecting “Audit only” when you’re setting up a new rule in order to test and monitor its performance, or to passively monitor the environment without interrupting email flow for your users. There are no changes to the “Audit only” action with this update, they will continue to operate as usual.

  • End users: Depending on the data loss prevention rules configured by your admin, you may see a dialog letting you know that:

    • Your message is blocked: Your message contains information that cannot be shared — you’ll need to remove it in order to send your message.
Dialog in case of a blocked message
    • Your message contains sensitive information: Your message contains information that is sensitive, but can be shared — you can decide whether to send it or edit the message to exclude this information. Note that your admin will be notified about this activity.


      Dialog in case of a warning

    • Your message contains sensitive information that requires review: Your message contains information that will need to be reviewed by an admin. You’ll have the option to submit it for review, and upon review it will be released for delivery or declined. You may receive a notification about the message being declined from delivery.


      Example of a quarantine message

Rollout pace

Availability

Available for Google Workspace:
  • Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching & Learning Upgrade
  • Frontline Standard
  • Cloud Identity Premium customers

Resources


Comments and action items are now available for client-side encrypted Google Sheets and Slides

What’s changing

We’re pleased to announce that the use of comments and action items are now available in client-side encrypted Google Sheets and Slides. This includes the ability to add, edit, reply, filter, or delete comments, as well as assign action items to yourself or others. This is already available for client-side encrypted Google Docs. Expanding this functionality to Sheets and Slides makes it easier to collaborate across encrypted documents.


Using comments in a client-side encrypted sheet

Additional details

Note that when sharing encrypted files, you can only assign “viewer” or “editor” permissions. “Commenter” permission is not supported. Viewers can view comments. Comments are saved each time the document is autosaved. If you restore the document to a previous version, the comments added to the document in that version are also restored.

Getting started

Rollout pace

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 2, 2024
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 12, 2024

Gemini in the Gmail app will now provide contextual Smart Replies

What’s changing

In 2017, we introduced Smart Reply in Gmail, a feature that utilizes machine learning to suggest three quick responses to emails based on the email's content. Thanks to this feature, users have saved time, especially when on the go, by easily responding to emails with minimal effort. 

However, we realize there are scenarios in which users would like to respond with more than a simple “Sounds good to me!” or a “Yes, I’m working on it”. As a result, we’re excited to announce a new Gemini in Gmail feature, contextual Smart Replies, that will offer more detailed responses to fully capture the intent of your message. 

After initiating an email reply, users will see a few response options at the bottom of their screen that take the full content of the email thread into consideration. Hover over each response to get a quick preview of the text, select the one that feels right for the situation, and edit it as you see fit or send the response immediately. 
Get reply suggestions with Gemini in Gmail

Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why it’s important 

The contextual Smart Reply feature saves time and makes inbox management easier. 


Getting started


Rollout pace 

Web & Mobile: 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: 
  • Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium 
  • Google One AI Premium 

Resources 

Google Sheets tables are now integrated with conditional notifications

What’s changing 

Earlier this year, we introduced tables in Google Sheets, a feature that accelerates spreadsheet building by formatting and organizing your data into a polished design with column types, filters, color coding, dropdown menus and more. A month later, we added conditional notifications to provide you with greater visibility into spreadsheet changes most relevant to your workflow via email notifications. 


To bring these features closer together, we’re excited to announce a new integration between conditional notifications and tables in Sheets. 


As a result: 
  • Conditional notification rules can now be directly applied to tables and will recognize table column names. 
  • All tables now come with a new, easy entry point to conditional notifications in the controls header. 
  • Common conditional notifications will now be built-in to pre-built tables by default and can be enabled with a single click. 
setting up conditional notifications in table in sheets


Notified users will receive a detailed email that shows changes made to a Sheet: 
detailed email that shows changes made to a Shee

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: 
    • If you own or have edit-access to a Sheet, you can add or view conditional notifications on your table by clicking on the lightning bolt icon on the table header. From here, you can view and choose to enable, disable, delete, or edit any existing rules. 
      • Up to 10 rules can be added to a spreadsheet. 
      • The rules are assigned default names automatically. However, you can update the name of the rule by utilizing the text editor. 
    • Please note: we group notifications for a better experience and they may take up to 30 minutes to send. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about how to use conditional notifications and tables in Sheets. 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard, Plus 
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, Plus 
  • Education Plus 
  • Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus

Resources