Tag Archives: Rapid Release

More options for exporting your Google Workspace data are available in open beta

What’s changing

Beginning today, Admins can choose from several options when exporting their organization’s data (also known as ‘takeout’). Specifically, they will be able to:

  • Export data from all or multiple services, such as Gmail, Chat, or Drive.
  • Export Drive data based on existing Drive labels
  • Export data from within a specific date range
  • Export data from selected shared drives


Exporting data for specific services

Exporting data based on specific Shared Drives

Exporting data based on specific or custom date range

Exporting data based on specific Drive labels







This update is available in open beta, which means no additional sign-up is required.


Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it’s important

In 2022, we introduced the ability for admins to export user generated content by organizational unit (OU) or group, and prior to that update, data export was limited to a customer’s full set of user generated content. With this update, we continue to give our customers more flexibility and specificity over the data they export, which is important as business and compliance needs evolve.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

Resources


More options for exporting your Google Workspace data are available in open beta

What’s changing

Beginning today, Admins can choose from several options when exporting their organization’s data (also known as ‘takeout’). Specifically, they will be able to:

  • Export data from all or multiple services, such as Gmail, Chat, or Drive.
  • Export Drive data based on existing Drive labels
  • Export data from within a specific date range
  • Export data from selected shared drives


Exporting data for specific services

Exporting data based on specific Shared Drives

Exporting data based on specific or custom date range

Exporting data based on specific Drive labels







This update is available in open beta, which means no additional sign-up is required.


Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it’s important

In 2022, we introduced the ability for admins to export user generated content by organizational unit (OU) or group, and prior to that update, data export was limited to a customer’s full set of user generated content. With this update, we continue to give our customers more flexibility and specificity over the data they export, which is important as business and compliance needs evolve.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

Resources


Introducing updates to sources for NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus

What’s changing 

In addition to the new NotebookLM features announced a few weeks ago, we’re excited to introduce additional updates that improve upon the NotebookLM user experience as it relates to sources. Starting today, you can: 
  • Use the new “Discover sources” functionality to find related sources from the web based on the topic you’re interested in. You can then add these sources to your notebooks, expanding your research and building more comprehensive notebooks. 
  • Use multimodal PDFs as sources with NotebookLM’s enhanced capability to understand all the content within PDFs, which includes text, images and graphs. 

Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users (18+) 

Additional details 

NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus are available in 180+ regions where Gemini API is available and currently supports 35+ languages. For Audio Overviews, while you can upload sources from all supported languages, the spoken audio is currently only available in English. 

Your uploads, queries and the model's responses are not used to train models and are not reviewed by human reviewers or otherwise used for product improvement without permission. Your data remains your data and any files uploaded, queries and responses are not shared outside your organization’s trust boundary. 

Users can only upload sources from Workspace that they have permission to access. Furthermore, they can control who has access to their notebooks and set more granular permissions within each. 

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

These features are available to NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus users. 

NotebookLM is available as a core service for Google Workspace: 

  • Business Starter 
  • Frontline Starter and Standard 
  • Essentials Starter, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus 
  • Nonprofits 
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard and Plus 

NotebookLM Plus is available as a core service for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 

NotebookLM Plus is available as a core service for Google Workspace for Education customers with these add-ons: 
  • Gemini Education 
  • Gemini Education Premium 

Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive NotebookLM Plus as a core service: 
  • Gemini Business* 
  • Gemini Enterprise* 
*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 

Pre-configure the Google Workspace apps admin setting for the Gemini app ahead of general availability

What’s changing

Workspace apps (formerly known as Workspace Extensions) for the Gemini app will soon transition from open beta to general availability. We know that switching between apps to complete tasks can be tedious and time consuming, so with Gemini now able to connect across your apps, like Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Drive, it can provide more context to your prompts and help you be more productive. 


Generative AI > Gemini App > Apps > Allow access to Workspace apps after beta (upcoming general availability)


As part of this transition, we will turn the Workspace apps admin setting ON by default. We expect general availability to begin rolling out by the end of April 2025. Starting today, admins can decide whether access is ON or OFF when the feature becomes generally available using the new “Allow access to Workspace apps after Beta (upcoming general availability)” setting.

Providing the admin setting ahead of general availability provides admins time to review their configuration ahead of the launch:

  • No action is required if you want Workspace apps to remain “ON” for users with the Gemini app enabled.
  • If you do not want your users to access Workspace apps in the Gemini app or have custom settings at the user, group, or organizational unit (OU) levels, please configure the “Allow access to Workspace apps after Beta (upcoming general availability)” setting as soon as possible.

Additional details

  • Workspace apps are only available to users 18+.
  • Google Workspace apps honors access control settings for files within Drive, meaning users can only access files that they own or have been shared with them (excluding files shared via Shared Drive).
  • Your use of Gemini with Workspace apps is governed by your organization’s Workspace agreement, including the Cloud Data Processing Addendum. Your chats and uploaded files in Gemini app won’t be reviewed by human reviewers or otherwise used to train generative AI models without your permission. Refer here for more detail.
  • The beta setting, “Allow access to Workspace apps in Beta (current phase)”, will be removed from the admin console once the feature becomes generally available.
  • Workspace apps are not available to Google Workspace users accessing Gemini as an additional Google service.
  • This update does not impact your current Gemini app service setting.

Getting started

  • Admins: Review and update the Workspace apps setting before the general availability expected to begin at the end of April. Visit the Help Center for more information on turning Workspace apps in Gemini on or off.
  • End users: If enabled by your admin, connecting Google Workspace allows users 18 and older to summarize, get quick answers, and find information from apps and services like Gmail, Docs, and Drive directly in Gemini. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Google Workspace apps.

Rollout pace

Availability

Available for Google Workspace:
  • Business Starter, Standard, Plus
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, Plus
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus
  • Frontline Starter and Standard
  • Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus
  • Nonprofits
Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons:
  • Gemini Business*
  • Gemini Enterprise*
  • Gemini Education
  • Gemini Education Premium

*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


Support for continuous framing on select Logitech Series One room kits

What’s changing

If you’re joining a meeting from a Logitech Rally Bar, Rally Bar Mini, and Rally Bar Huddle device, you can now take advantage of the devices built-in continuous framing. When enabled, the camera will continuously adjust to optimally frame those in the meeting room, including participants coming and leaving the room. 


The feature can be selected and used by meeting participants directly from the touch controller.


Getting started



Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers with Logitech Rally Bar and Logitech Rally Bar Mini camera systems. 

Resources


Help me create in Google Docs now available in seven additional languages

What’s changing

Last year, we introduced a new way for users to create highly structured, stylized, and visually-appealing documents with Gemini using Help me create. 


After describing the document you want to create, which includes the option to pull in content from your files using “@ filename", Gemini transforms your blank page into a long-form document with cover images, in-line images, stylized text, tables, content from your chosen Drive files, and more. 


Today, we’re excited to announce that Help me create is now available in seven additional languages: 
  • Spanish 
  • Portuguese 
  • Japanese 
  • Korean 
  • Italian 
  • French 
  • German 

help me create in spanish



Who’s impacted

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Help me create is designed to help you get started with a first draft of your document. For example: 
  • A marketing manager at a CPG company can create a launch plan for a new product using the following prompt: Create a marketing plan to support the launch of a new line of coffee flavors. Include timing, owners, deliverables, and create a cover image that shows different types of coffee. 
  • A manager can create a vision document to keep their team on track by telling Gemini: Create an overview document of our team charter and goals based on [Team charter brainstorm notes], and include a cover image that shows team bonding in an office setting. 
  • A small business owner specializing in eco-friendly products can create a proposal for a new client by typing: Create a proposal for my new client using the deliverables listed in [Customer meeting notes - November 30, 2024]. Outline the scope of work, pricing, and timing, and create a cover image that shows eco-friendly cleaning products and inline images. 
You can also choose from a variety of starter prompts to expedite the creation process for common document use cases. For example, you can select: 
  • A roadmap for a product launch that includes strategy breakdowns and outlines key milestones, timelines, and initiatives (with the option to include images for each feature). 
  • A party planning checklist with a timeline of tasks, milestones, deadlines, and dependencies. 
  • A template for a 15-minute daily standup meeting with teammates that includes a table for each individual to leave their updates. 

Getting started 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Google One AI Premium 
  • 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 

Introducing Audio Overviews, now available in the Gemini app

What’s changing

Leveraging the same technology that powers NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews, Gemini app users can now generate podcast-style conversations based on documents, slides, and Deep Research reports. Upload files about topics you want to explore and enjoy dynamic discussions between two AI hosts with unique perspectives.



To create an Audio Overview, simply upload documents or slides on a variety of topics and click the suggestion chip that pops up above the prompt bar. You can listen to these AI-generated discussions to gain new insights and stay informed, even while multitasking. Audio Overview is accessible on the web and in the Gemini mobile app, and you can easily download them to listen on the go.


Who’s impacted

End users


Why you’d use it

Audio Overviews enhance learning in a delightful and productive way. Upload class notes, lesson plans, research papers, lengthy email threads, or reports generated by Deep Research and receive an Audio Overview to help summarize your files! 

Additional details

  • Currently, Audio Overviews is limited to Google Workspace business and education users 18 years and older. 
  • Currently, Audio Overviews is not available to Workspace customers who’ve signed the HIPAA Business Associate Amendment (BAA).

Getting started

Rollout pace


Availability

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

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

*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


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

Improve communication and representation with Dynamic layouts in Google Meet

What’s changing

We’re thrilled to introduce a brand new, redesigned layout experience for Google Meet that will improve communication and collaboration for all users, but especially for those in hybrid meetings. There are many exciting new features bundled in this extensive launch across Meet for web and rooms. Check out the video overview to see the new features in action and keep reading for more details:


Dynamic layouts:
  • “Portrait tiles” prioritize faces by cropping out excess background video
  • Optimized tile placement logic to enable much more efficient layouts that minimize unused space
  • Visual design refresh, including color-sampled tile theming for users with their cameras off
  • Larger room tiles in the grid when ‘Dynamic tiles’ is not active
  • More flexibility around how tiles are cropped, including self-view
  • Increased pin limit from 3 to 6 to provide more flexibility to customize your layout


Portrait tiles and various design improvements in action


Dynamic tiles:
  • An individual video tile is created for up to 3 meeting participants joining from the same conference room with Google Meet hardware
  • AI-enabled active-speaker detection automatically highlights only the tile of the in-room speaker without any special hardware requirements
  • Other meeting participants can pin these tiles in their layout as they would any other tile

Individual tiles for up to three meeting participants in a conference room


Face match:
  • When Dynamic tiles are in use in a room with a Google Meet hardware device, users can associate their name with their face from Companion mode on Web so their tile can be labeled. This creates a consistent experience where everyone can show up in their best light, whether they’re in the room or joining remotely. 

When using Companion mode, you can associate your name with your Dynamic tile




Who’s impacted

Admins and end users


Why it matters

These layout enhancements in Google Meet bring a refreshed, modern feel to the meeting grid while also adding the functional benefits of increasing space efficiency and improved representation for hybrid meetings. It allocates available space based on content being presented, tiles pinned by users, and more to address a core hybrid-work challenge  of remote meeting participants not being able to easily see or identify in-room users. 


Additional details

Please see below for more important information regarding these features:

Dynamic layouts
  • Legacy layouts remain available
    • Users who do not wish to see portrait tiles can still do so by switching from Auto (dynamic) to Tiled (legacy) in the layout options selection menu.
  • More flexible self-view options
    • Users now have much more control over the appearance of their self-view tile. When you set your self-view preference, it will carry over across meetings.
  • Framing and new uncropping functionality
  • Prevent your video from being cropped for others
    • Some users may prefer that their video feed never be cropped by other Meet users.  Users can select “Show my full video to others” from the three-dot overflow menu of their self-view tile. This will cause their video to always render as an uncropped tile for other users. We encourage sign-language interpreters especially to consider using this feature to ensure that arms and hands are not unintentionally cropped out.

Dynamic tiles
  • Dynamic tiles work in meetings with up to 3 in-room participants 
  • Dynamic tiles will automatically fall back to a room view if:
    • More than 3 people are detected
    • Users are sitting too close to give each user their own tile without significant overlap
    • There is too much movement detected in the room and it’s causing distractions

  • Platform support
    • Available for ChromeOS-based room devices at launch
    • AOSP (Android) device support is expected in the future
    • Not available in interop mode


Face match
  • Face match is available for any Companion mode web user checked into a room using dynamic tiles. Face match supports a maximum of 12 faces. 
  • Face match only associates your name with your face for Dynamic tiles when you are in view of the room camera for the duration of the meeting. A user may have to check in again using Companion Mode if they disappear from view for long enough.


Getting started

  • Admins: 
    • We recommend thoroughly reviewing the Help Center articles (especially if your organization uses Google Meet hardware) to ensure both you and your end users are prepared for these changes.

    • Dynamic layouts
      • Will be ON by default for all web and room devices.  There is no admin setting for this feature – only layout options for end users.

    • Dynamic tiles
      • You can control whether Dynamic tiles are ON or OFF by default when devices join a call by using the Default camera framing individual device setting. 

Devices > Google Meet hardware > [Device name] > Device settings > Default camera framing

      • Best practices for rollout:
        • Dynamic tiles work best when used in smaller rooms (capacity of 6 or less) where participants sit less than 10 feet from the camera.
        • Glass walls can sometimes cause people outside the meeting room to be picked up by the camera and given a tile – dynamic tiles should be deployed only after testing in these rooms.

    • Face match 
      • Face match will always be available in companion mode when room check-in and dynamic tiles are active on the associated room device. There is no separate admin or end user setting for this feature.

  • End users:  
    • Dynamic layouts
      • Will be ON by default for all web and room devices.  You can turn Dynamic layouts OFF by switching from Auto (dynamic) to Tiled (legacy) from the layout options selection menu in Meet (or to Sidebar or Spotlight)
    • Dynamic tiles
      • Whether Dynamic tiles are ON or OFF by default depends on the configuration of your admin. It can be turned ON or OFF from the framing section of your Meet hardware device touch controller or TV user interface menu.
    • Face match
      • Available via Companion mode if Dynamic tiles is active on your room device and when you check-in to that room device.

Rollout pace

Due to the quantity of features included in this launch, you should expect to see different combinations of the included features gradually become available over the next few weeks. 

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on March 31, 2025
  • Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 21 days for feature visibility) starting on April 17, 2025
.

Availability

  • Dynamic layouts are available for all Google Meet meetings on the web and from meeting rooms via hardware devices. They are available for all Google Workspace customers as well as users with personal Google accounts.
  • Dynamic tiles and Face match require a Google Meet hardware device and associated license.

Resources


Gemini in Drive PDF Viewer is now available in 20+ additional languages

What’s changing 

Last year, we introduced the ability to use Gemini in Google Drive to interact with PDFs and later improved upon this by integrating Gemini in the side panel of Google Drive's overlay PDF viewing experience. Today, we’re excited to announce that the ability to interact with PDFs in Google Drive’s file viewer is now available in the following languages:
  • Spanish 
  • Portuguese 
  • Japanese 
  • Korean 
  • Italian 
  • French 
  • German 
  • Mandarin
  • Dutch 
  • Malay 
  • Modern Hebrew 
  • Polish 
  • Turkish 
  • Common Czech 
  • Indonesian 
  • Central Standard Swedish 
  • Standard Danish 
  • Norwegian 
  • Vietnamese 
  • Thai 
  • Ukrainian 
  • Finnish 
  • Arabic 
  • Greek 
  • Russian 
  • Hungarian 
  • Catalan Valencian 
  • Romanian 

As a result, you can now use Gemini in Drive in even more languages to do things like: 
  • Admins: To access Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps, 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: 
    • To access this feature, double-click on a PDF from the Google Drive file list and click on "Ask Gemini" (star button) in the top right corner. 
    • Note: When Gemini initially launched in Workspace, PDFs viewed in Drive opened in a new browser tab to allow interaction with the Gemini side panel. With this update, the default behavior will open a file in the overlay file previewer. If you prefer for PDFs to open in a new tab by default, you can update your PDF opening default behavior in your Drive settings. If you previously set a preferred PDF opening default behavior in your Drive setting, your default open behavior will remain the same. 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Gemini in Drive to work with PDFs. 

Rollout pace 


Availability 

Available to Google Workspace: 
  • Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Google One AI Premium 
  • Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on 
Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature: 
  • Gemini Business* 
  • Gemini Enterprise* 
*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