Google Workspace Changes

Google Chat introduces a new 'View members' setting for space owners and managers, allowing them to control who can see the full member list with four permission levels: Owners only, Owners & managers, All members (default), or Entire organization. This enhances privacy for sensitive, large-scale, or external collaboration spaces, similar to Google Groups membership controls. Regardless of the setting, users can always see the name and profile of anyone who sends a message in the space. No admin control is required; end users adjust the setting via Space Settings > Membership > View Members. The feature rolls out gradually over up to 15 days starting August 24, 2026, for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains and is available to all Google Workspace customers.

Google Meet hardware touch controllers on Neat Pad and Poly TC8 devices receive a refreshed UI that simplifies access to key controls like mute and hand raise, organizes features under a 'More actions' menu, updates pre-call and in-meeting experiences, and aligns the look with the Google Meet UI on laptops and desktops. The update rolls out to Early Preview devices starting August 26, 2026, and to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starting September 2, 2026.

Users can ask Gemini to show or visualize complex concepts, and the app will produce interactive visualizations such as 3D models, tables, grids, and simulations that can be rotated, zoomed, and explored directly within the chat. The feature is enabled by default for all organizations with Gemini turned on, with no end‑user setting required.

We are introducing a seamless way to record presentations in Google Slides using Google Vids directly from the Slides interface. A new Record option appears in the right-hand menu, guiding users through a streamlined workflow that outputs an immediately shareable link. The integration offers advanced creation capabilities such as transcript-based editing and voiceover generation, turning slide decks into polished video assets quickly. Existing Slides recording experience remains available via View > Slides Recording during the transition.

Admins can now access Google Chat usage metrics in the Gemini reports dashboard, allowing them to track active Gemini users in Google Chat, analyze usage trends, and identify who benefits most from Gemini-powered summarization and generation features at the organization level. At the user level, admins can view the level of Gemini adoption for specific users who actively engage with the app. This launch also updates a few Gemini summarization interactions in Chat to 'Active' as they are initiated by the user, which may result in updated metrics for active users and overall Chat usage.

Google Chat introduces a new admin setting that replaces the previous all-or-nothing creation restriction with three granular levels: no restrictions, restrict space creation only, or restrict all creation (DMs, gDMs, and spaces). Administrators can apply these settings at the domain, OU, or group level to manage space creation through approval workflows without disrupting everyday direct messaging. The feature began rolling out on August 14, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, with visibility expected within up to 15 days.

The Google Workspace Allowlisted Domains API is now generally available, moving management of allowlisted domains from the Admin console to a programmatic interface under the Cloud Identity API suite. It supports full CRUD operations, exact‑match filtering to verify domain presence, and requires domain management or domain allowlist management privileges. The feature is rolling out to both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, beginning August 19, 2026, with visibility expected within up to 15 days. No end‑user action is required.

Room Display mode launches in beta for Google Meet on the web, automatically splitting the meeting interface into a Shared View for external displays (showing remote participant video and presentations edge‑to‑edge) and a Personal View on the laptop that acts as a private control center with meeting controls, participant roster, chat, and Ask Gemini panel. It works with Chromium‑based browsers when the laptop is connected to an external display in Extended mode, requires no admin controls, and is rolling out gradually over up to 15 days starting August 19, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains across Business, Enterprise, Frontline, Essentials, and Nonprofits editions.

Starting August 26, 2026, Google Workspace introduces Ask Gemini in Chat, a unified command line powered by Workspace Intelligence that lets users search across Gmail, Drive, Calendar, generate images, draft updates, catch up on conversations, schedule meetings, manage tasks, and organize work via individual sessions. The feature replaces the Gemini side panel in Chat (and Gems access there), with conversation history exportable via Data Export or Google Takeout. Initially available to English-language accounts, with rapid and scheduled release domains seeing a gradual rollout over up to 15 days, and promotional higher usage limits through October 1, 2026.

Starting August 18, 2026, Google Workspace users can block a person directly in Google Calendar; doing so automatically deletes any existing event invitation from that user and prevents new Calendar invites. The blocked user is added to the account‑wide blocklist, so interactions are also blocked in other supported Google apps (e.g., Gmail, Drive). If the user was already blocked elsewhere, their Calendar invites are blocked as well. For non‑Google Calendar users, admins must use Gmail blocking. The feature rolls out gradually over up to 15 days for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, with no admin controls required.

The update introduces granular identity, data protection, observability, and governance controls for Workspace Studio, giving admins confidence to adopt agentic capabilities. Features include least‑privilege agent identities (with optional identity attribution), audit logs that capture flow context, an agent access management dashboard for suspending flows or OAuth scopes, admin settings such as human‑in‑the‑loop and disabling specific step types, and runtime protections via DLP for Gemini data access and Studio flows. Rollout begins in Rapid Release domains on August 17, 2026 (admin console) and August 20, 2026 (end‑user visible features), with visibility up to three days after each start, and in Scheduled Release domains starting September 1, 2026 for both admin and end‑user features, lasting up to fifteen days.

Gemini Notebook users can copy entire notebooks, including all associated sources and studio items, provided they have copy permission for the original notebook. This enables building upon shared templates or work, such as a student copying a teacher's notebook to add personal notes and generate customized quizzes or flashcards. Copied notebooks include Drive-based sources (if the copier has access) and studio content like Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, Study Guides, Flashcards, Quizzes, Slide Decks, artifact generation prompts, and custom chat configurations. Personal chat history and user-generated notes are not transferred, and the copy does not sync with the original notebook. Admins have no specific controls; end users manage copying permissions via notebook sharing settings. The feature is available immediately for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains.

Google Drive administrators using Drive Inventory Reporting in Google BigQuery can now access granular external sharing fields that automatically consolidate direct permissions, group memberships, and public links into clear signals, making it easier to identify external exposure across Drive environments. The update also allows distinguishing between human users, service accounts, and files published to the web, and enables cross-referencing sharing attributes with existing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) metadata to prioritize remediation for high-risk data. The feature is off by default and can be enabled via the 'External sharing calculations' setting under Drive inventory report settings in the Google Admin console; note that enabling may extend processing time for organizations with large Google groups. Rollout begins August 14, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, with gradual visibility over up to 15 days.

Admin Assist brings two Gemini-powered capabilities to the Google Admin Console: a Sidepanel accessible via the One Google Bar that provides contextual help, step-by-step guidance, and best practices; and Search Overviews that synthesize Help Center articles into conversational summaries with actionable next steps when administrators query the main search bar. Aimed at Super Admins of Business editions, the feature is on by default and requires no end-user settings, streamlining domain management and troubleshooting.