Google Workspace Changes

Occupancy counting is now available for Android-based Logitech Gen 2 room hardware, beginning with the Rally Board 65, bringing the same capabilities previously offered on ChromeOS devices to Android hardware. Administrators can enable the feature at the domain, OU, or group level in the Google Admin console, view occupancy data, and optionally export it as a spreadsheet. The feature processes data locally on the device, does not collect personally identifiable information, and may keep the camera LED off during counting depending on hardware. Rollout for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains begins September 28, 2026, with an extended rollout potentially exceeding 15 days; support for earlier Gen 1 devices will arrive later via a CollabOS update.

Starting September 23, 2026, users can reference their Gemini Notebook research directly in Google Docs by typing '@' in the side panel or bottom bar. Gemini will ground its output in the selected Notebook sources and add inline citations, facilitating fact‑checking while drafting. The feature is available by default for admins with Gemini for Workspace in Drive enabled and for end users with Workspace smart features turned on. It rolls out immediately to both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains for Business Standard/Plus, Enterprise Standard/Plus, Education Plus, Google AI Pro/Ultra consumers, and specified Education and AI add‑ons.

Google Sheets now lets users manually reorder and custom sort pivot tables directly on the grid. Users can drag and drop individual row or column headers, select multiple items for simultaneous reordering, and have nested child items move with their parents to maintain hierarchy. Custom sort arrangements persist across browser sessions, data refreshes, filtering, and layout changes. The update also enhances Microsoft Excel file compatibility: imported Excel workbooks retain their custom pivot table sort order, and exported sheets preserve that order for seamless round‑trip use.

Quick notes provides a concise, single‑page overview of meeting takeaways, highlighting the most important action items, outcomes, and talking points for fast consumption. It becomes the default tab in the Take notes for me Doc and the default summary in related emails, while a Full notes tab retains the detailed record for those who need deeper insight. No admin or end‑user settings are required; the feature rolls out immediately to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains for Business Standard/Plus, Enterprise Standard/Plus, Frontline Plus, Education Add‑ons (Google AI Pro for Education), and Consumer (Google AI Pro and Ultra).

Google Workspace customers can now install the Atlassian add-on to bring Confluence pages directly into Google Chat conversations. The integration provides rich link previews showing page titles, summaries, and author names, personal notifications for @mentions, comment replies, or page changes, and automated updates when shared Confluence pages are modified. This allows teams to collaborate in Chat while keeping Confluence as the system of record for knowledge.

Workday for Google Sheets is a new add-on available in the Google Workspace Marketplace that connects Workday Adaptive Planning directly to Google Sheets and Slides. Integrated with the AI-powered “Ask Workday” feature, it enables natural language summaries, variance analysis, automated anomaly detection, smart visualizations, and dynamic ad‑hoc reporting without manual CSV downloads, allowing financial analysts to build live reports and surface insights faster.

Google Sheets introduces a manual calculation mode that enables editors of complex or data-dense spreadsheets to suspend automatic formula recalculation, batch edits, and initiate a sheet-wide update when ready. This supports uninterrupted high-volume updates, structured scenario modeling, and stabilizing volatile simulations. The feature is off by default and can be enabled via File > Settings > Calculation Settings, with no admin controls. Rollout begins September 21, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, completing within up to 15 days.

Gemini Notebook now lets users produce Short Video Overviews—approximately 60-second videos that blend narrative explanations with educational animations—in over 80 languages. These shareable videos break down intricate formulas, diagrams, and scientific ideas into digestible content for easier learning.

Gemini Notebook's exam preparation features have been expanded to include short answer, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank quiz formats. Users can now converse with their notebook about their latest quiz and flashcard performance to identify focus areas, and they can customize quizzes and flashcards by adding or editing questions to suit their study needs.

Gemini Notebook now offers interactive learning overviews accessible under the Reports section. These overviews integrate summaries with studio-generated outputs such as quizzes, flashcards, and mind maps, helping users stay focused during study sessions by providing varied, engaging review formats.

Users aged 18 and over can engage in real-time voice conversations with their Gemini Notebook via the mobile app on Android and iOS, available in almost 100 languages. Responses are grounded in the user's own sources, providing step-by-step guidance, answering questions, and allowing interruptions at any point.

The Gemini Notebook mobile app now includes an audio recorder available on Android and iOS, enabling users to record lectures or personal thoughts while studying. Recordings are saved as notes directly alongside the relevant source material, facilitating easy citation and continued editing.

The update adds four new capabilities to Workspace Studio flows: custom starters that trigger flows from external applications, custom steps built with Apps Script for tailored logic, beta third‑party integrations with services such as Asana, Confluence, HubSpot, Jira, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Salesforce, and Slack, and webhook steps to send HTTP requests to external endpoints. All features are backed by granular enterprise security controls and are rolling out to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starting in September 2026.

Notebooks in Gemini, initially announced in April as a dedicated workspace for individual users to organize projects and conversations, is now available to students, educators, and professionals within schools and organizations. Users can upload course materials, curriculum standards, assignment rubrics, lesson templates, product information, project details, research reports, and strategy notes into a notebook to generate personalized study guides, aligned coursework, differentiated learning materials, targeted feedback, and synthesized insights. The feature integrates the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook, enabling workflows such as creating Cinematic Video Overviews from class notes and then generating study guides in the Gemini app. Administrators can control access via Gemini App and Gemini Notebook settings, and the rollout began on September 14, 2026 with a gradual rollout of up to 15 days for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains.