Google Workspace Changes

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.

This update expands Calendar settings in the Admin console, enabling admins to set invitation options (auto-add from everyone, known senders only, or after user responds) at the organizational unit or group level. It provides greater control over inbound event invitations from unknown senders and helps minimize potential security risks. End users can select their preferred option within the boundaries set by their administrator. The feature rolls out gradually over up to 15 days starting August 14, 2026, for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains.

Google Sheets canvas transforms spreadsheets into custom, interactive mini-apps via natural language prompts, enabling end-to-end creation, real-time read-write sync, flexible adjustments, and familiar sharing tools. It supports use cases like Kanban boards, dashboards, and whiteboards, and is rolling out to Rapid and Scheduled release domains starting August 10 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

The new 'Take Notes for me' feature in Google Meet lets users start a note‑taking session from the Meet home screen on web or mobile. Gemini captures audio, creates a structured summary with action items and a full transcript, saves it as a Google Doc in Drive, and emails the link. The feature is rolling out to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, beginning August 11, 2026 on Android, August 14 on web, and August 31 on iOS, and is available for Business Standard/Plus, Enterprise Standard/Plus, Google AI Pro/Ultra, Frontline Plus, and Google AI Pro for Education add‑ons.

Connected Sheets now lets users assign friendly aliases to BigQuery column names, improving readability without altering the underlying database reference. Aliases can be used interchangeably with original column names in formulas and inputs, making reports easier to understand for broader audiences.

When writing a query in Connected Sheets, users can now select a grid range in a sheet to define a list parameter, where each cell acts as a distinct value. This allows data admins and power users to set up input sheets with drop‑downs or direct cell selections for end‑users to filter data without editing the underlying query, broadening self‑service analytics.

Sheets now fully supports importing Excel pivot tables that are backed by table ranges, preserving their link to the source data so they remain dynamic rather than being converted to static grids.

When converting Excel files to Google Sheets, Excel tables are now imported as native Sheets tables, maintaining their formatting, structured references, and table-specific features, eliminating the need for manual reconstruction.

Previously, keeping Gemini Notebooks up to date required manually adding sources one by one. The new integration in Workspace Studio lets you automate this process as part of a recurring workflow using the 'Add a source to Gemini Notebook' step, which can ingest text, links to Drive files, or generic YouTube or web URLs. Admins can enable the step by default if Gemini for Google Workspace steps are allowed, and end users can try it in Google Workspace Studio. The feature is rolling out gradually over up to 15 business days starting August 6, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, and is available for Business Starter/Standard/Plus, Enterprise Standard/Plus, Education Fundamentals/Standard/Plus, plus relevant add-ons.

Educators can now generate a new Classroom-ready rubric with Gemini based on assignment context, convert existing rubric files, or draft rubrics via the Gemini tab and export to Sheets/Docs. This streamlines rubric creation and grading setup, saving prep time. The feature rolls out to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starting August 5, 2026, for Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus customers.

Starting August 10, 2026, Gemini in Google Classroom will be available to K-12 and higher education students of all ages who have been granted access by their admin. Students can access the Gemini tab to transform class materials into flashcards, practice quizzes, interactive study guides, audio overviews, infographics, and more. New contextualized starter prompts pull class and assignment details directly from Classroom to tailor Gemini interactions, and a 'Learn with Gemini' feature appears on the redesigned Classroom homepage for guided help. Admin controls let admins manage access via the Gemini in Classroom control, with rollout beginning in Rapid Release domains on August 10 (web) and August 17 (mobile) and proceeding to Scheduled Release domains.