Google Workspace Changes

Users can now use Gemini in Google Slides to edit multiple slides or an entire presentation at once via a single prompt in the side panel. The feature supports refreshing visual styles, updating content throughout the deck using Google Drive files, combining or expanding slides, and making styling consistent across all slides. Gemini applies edits directly to native, editable slides and provides a summary of changes, with full undo and version history control. The feature launches in English only, with extended rollout to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starting October 29, 2026, and promotional higher usage limits through at least December 1, 2026.

Google is introducing new ways to create and refine files and code in the Gemini app. Users can generate, preview, and edit files right within Gemini app chat—expanding to full screen to type edits directly, highlighting text to ask questions, or having Gemini refine them. PDF preview and editing is supported on both web and mobile, while all other formats (documents, spreadsheets, slide decks, Markdown files, TXT files, and code) are supported on the web only. Users can generate slide decks and open them in Google Slides or download as PPTX/PDF, build and export Google Sheets, and edit documents and PDFs with inline edits on web or full-screen view, plus upload to Drive.

Fill with Gemini in Google Sheets now provides cell-level citations for web sources, giving users full visibility to audit, verify, and cross-reference AI-generated data directly within each individual cell. The update also delivers upgraded processing with faster response times, improved cell-over-cell consistency, and expanded capacity supporting up to 3,000 cells per request, performing up to 55 times faster than manual entry for 500-cell tasks.

Google Sheets now supports compact form layout for pivot tables, keeping multi-level pivot tables readable while reducing excessive horizontal scrolling. Users can choose between Outline form and Compact form directly from the pivot table editor. The update also preserves compact form pivot table structure when importing from and exporting back to Microsoft Excel.

Google is introducing a library of immersive explorations in the Gemini app, giving users an interactive, visual way to explore topics layer-by-layer, from microscopic systems to deep space. Users can access the library in the Gemini student hub by clicking "Try immersive explorations" and will soon be able to access these explorations directly in a chat conversation with Gemini. Each scene unfolds into interactive nodes with guided explanations, allowing users to tap a layer to dig deeper, and audio narration will be added soon. The feature is available on web and mobile in English, Indonesian, Hindi, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and simplified Chinese, with other languages receiving an English-only experience for now.

We are introducing the ability to adjust the playback speed of individual video clips directly within Google Vids. This update gives creators precise control over pacing and scene timing, streamlining video editing so teams can optimize storytelling, improve audience engagement, and deliver polished messages without relying on third-party editing software.

We are introducing the ability to decouple and extract the audio track from video clips directly within Google Vids. By separating audio from video, creators gain granular control over multimedia editing, making it simple to custom-tailor voiceovers, remove distracting background noise, and align tracks across scenes.

Gemini Notebook is now also available as a Connected App in the Gemini app, enabling users to manage and query notebooks directly within chats using natural language. By typing @Gemini Notebook, users can create, edit, or delete notebooks; add, update, or delete sources; list notebooks and their sources; and answer questions using notebook context. Gemini can also automatically detect when to use the Connected App. The feature is ON by default for Rapid and Scheduled Release domains and is available now globally, except in the European Economic Area where it is OFF by default. It is available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

Google Vault now supports eDiscovery filtered exports for Gemini in Workspace, allowing administrators to filter and export users' Gemini conversations across integrated Workspace apps. Admins can define export scopes by specific user accounts or organizational units (up to 5,000 users), filter by a specific date range with time zone selection, and export matching conversation histories in JSON format via the Vault UI or API. Exports include user prompts, AI responses, generated attachments such as images, links to referenced Workspace files, and citations.

Google Sheets now natively supports box and whisker charts, a statistical chart type that shows how a dataset is distributed. Users can select a range of raw numeric values and Sheets automatically calculates the minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, maximum, mean, and outliers with no helper formulas needed. Options include inclusive or exclusive quartile calculation and the ability to show or hide inner points, outliers, mean markers, and mean lines. The update also adds enhanced Microsoft Excel import compatibility: box and whisker charts imported from Excel are preserved with their data references, calculations, and formatting intact, and charts created in Sheets export back to Excel as editable box and whisker charts.

Gemini-powered speech translation in Google Meet now supports 63 languages across web and mobile devices, with listening support on Google Meet hardware. The update enables automatic spoken language detection, individual participant translation controls, and synchronized translated captions, allowing any combination of supported languages in the same meeting for eligible Google Workspace and Google AI plans.

Following the original feature announcement for the web, video tile pairing expands to Google Meet on iOS. Users can pair their video tile with another meeting participant so both tiles are displayed side-by-side for other attendees, regardless of who is speaking. This is particularly valuable for accessibility, giving participants who are Deaf or hard of hearing the ability to pair their tile with a sign language interpreter and keep both visible in the same frame. Once paired, both tiles are highlighted and positioned together in the meeting layout, with live captions displayed and attributed to both speakers.

Following the original feature announcement for the web, video tile pairing expands to Google Meet on Android. Users can pair their video tile with another meeting participant so both tiles are displayed side-by-side for other attendees, regardless of who is speaking. This is particularly valuable for accessibility, giving participants who are Deaf or hard of hearing the ability to pair their tile with a sign language interpreter and keep both visible in the same frame. Once paired, both tiles are highlighted and positioned together in the meeting layout, with live captions displayed and attributed to both speakers.

Gemini Notebook now provides a step-by-step creation flow for Slide Decks and Video Overviews instead of jumping straight to final output. Users can steer content, guide visual style and format, preview slide deck outlines or video producer notes with written feedback before generating, or choose a quick first pass without review. The feature starts in chat or the Studio panel and rolls out gradually to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains beginning October 16, 2026.