Google Workspace Changes

Google Docs now allows users to display and configure line numbers in paged mode.

Google Docs has introduced the option to display line numbers for documents set to paged mode. These numbers are automatically calculated and can be configured for the entire document, a specific page, or a specific section, and are preserved when printing. This feature is designed to make it easier to reference specific content positions, especially when collaborating on long or complex documents.

Delegators need to review existing delegates, as well as add new delegates. This must be completed by July 31, 2023 or delegates will lose access to manage contacts.

Delegators need to review existing delegates, as well as add new delegates. This must be completed by July 31, 2023 or delegates will lose access to manage contacts.

Alt text option added to the Image options sidebar in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings.

Google is improving the discoverability of the alternative text feature by adding the Alt text option directly to the Image options sidebar in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings. Previously, users had to right-click an image and select 'Alt text' to input descriptions.

Delegators must re-approve contacts delegates by July 31, 2023.

As part of an update allowing delegated users to manage contact labels, delegators are required to review existing delegates and add new ones by July 31, 2023. If this is not completed, delegates will lose their access to manage contacts. Administrators can also manage these privileges using the Admin SDK API.

Programmatically read and write working locations for portions of the day via the Calendar API.

Google has introduced the ability for developers to programmatically read and write working locations for specific portions of the day using the Calendar API. This update expands on previous working location functionality and is available for eligible Google Workspace editions, including Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise, Education, and Nonprofits.

Introduction of membership search within Google Chat spaces.

Google Chat is introducing the ability to search for members within a space. This feature allows users to verify if a member is present, change their role if they are, or add them to the space if they are not.

Google Chat spaces now support up to 50,000 members.

Google is increasing the maximum number of users that can be added to a space in Google Chat from 8,000 to 50,000. This update is intended to better support company-wide announcements, event-oriented spaces, large internal communities, and support-related spaces.

Google Chat APIs for creating spaces, memberships, and managing messages are now generally available.

The Google Chat API is now generally available for all Google Workspace developers, providing the ability to programmatically create and manage spaces, memberships, group chats, messages, reactions, and attachments. These capabilities allow developers to build integrated workflows and pull contextual data directly into conversations, facilitating better collaboration and outreach within organizations.

Google Calendar is combining room suggestion types to better optimize meeting room allocation based on working locations.

Google Calendar has updated its meeting room suggestions by combining previously separate suggestion types into a single structured meeting room setting. The system now prioritizes the user's set working location and main office building to suggest the most appropriate rooms. If location data is unavailable, it falls back to suggesting frequently used rooms, ensuring more efficient room allocation in hybrid work environments.

AppSheet Core licenses will now be included for more Google Workspace editions, along with a new Admin security setting.

AppSheet Core licenses will now be included for the following Google Workspace editions: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus; Enterprise Starter and Standard; Frontline Starter and Standard; Non-profits; Education Standard.

Add emojis in Google Sheets

Users can now insert emojis into Google Sheets by either typing '@' and selecting 'Emoji' or by navigating to the 'Insert' menu and selecting 'Emoji'.

Filter by measures and value in a pivot table with Connected Sheets for Looker

Looker users can now filter by measures and values in pivot tables within Connected Sheets, enabling more targeted analysis of their data.

Extending long running queries within Connected Sheets

Google has extended the timeout for queries in Connected Sheets for BigQuery and Looker from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, allowing users to analyze larger data sets within Sheets.

Scale meetings to 1,000 attendees for Google Workspace Education Plus

Google Meet's viewer mode is now available for Google Workspace Education Plus customers, allowing them to scale meetings up to 1,000 attendees, with 500 of those attendees acting as viewers.

Improved media viewing on Android devices in Google Chat

Google Chat on Android devices now features a new media viewer that improves the browsing experience. Media thumbnails open faster in full screen, repeat playback is quicker, and users can swipe between media in a conversation. Additionally, a shared media option allows users to quickly browse all media shared within a Chat conversation.