Google Workspace Changes

New =SHEET and =SHEETS functions added to Google Sheets for enhanced tab management.

Google Sheets is introducing two new functions, =SHEET and =SHEETS, to enhance the management and referencing of multiple tabs within a spreadsheet. The =SHEET(value) function returns the sheet number of a specified sheet, or the current sheet if no argument is provided. The =SHEETS() function returns the total number of sheets in the spreadsheet. These dynamic functions automatically recalculate when sheets are added, deleted, moved, or renamed, ensuring data analysis accuracy.

Save PDFs directly to Google Drive from Chrome.

Users using Chrome on their computer can now save PDFs directly to Google Drive without leaving the current page. These saved files are automatically organized into a 'Saved from Chrome' folder for easy retrieval. Chrome administrators can control this feature via policy starting from Chrome version 145.

New 'Take notes for me' controls in the green room for all customers.

Google is introducing new controls for 'Take notes for me' that allow all customers, regardless of their participation in the Gemini Alpha program, to turn off the AI note-taking feature directly from the green room before joining a call.

New 'Take notes for me' automatic configuration for Gemini Alpha customers.

Google is introducing a new setting for customers in the Gemini Alpha program that automatically enables 'Take notes for me' for meetings with three or more participants. This setting is on by default, but admins can disable it via the Google Meet Admin Console under Gemini settings, and end users can opt out through their Meet user settings.

Introduction of 'Who can modify group details' permission and expanded visibility of group settings.

Google Groups is introducing a new standalone permission, 'Who can modify group details,' which allows group owners and managers to precisely control who can edit the group's name and description, with options to grant this ability to owners, managers, or all members. Additionally, all group members will now be able to view the group settings page, although the ability to edit those settings remains dependent on the user's role and assigned permissions.

New Admin console configuration for "Take notes for me" in Google Meet for Gemini Alpha customers.

Google Meet is introducing new settings in the Admin console, initially for organizations participating in the Gemini Alpha program for Workspace, to pre-configure AI note-taking. This 'Take notes for me' setting will automatically enable AI note-taking for meetings with three or more participants and will be on by default for Alpha program organizations, with the functionality for end-users starting no sooner than March 11th, 2026. Admins will gain control to manage this setting in their console, with visibility starting from February 18th, 2026. Additionally, all Google Meet users, regardless of Alpha program participation, will soon have the ability to turn off "Take notes for me" directly from the green room before joining a call.

AI-suggested feedback for written assignments in Google Classroom.

Educators can now leverage AI-suggested feedback, powered by Gemini, to efficiently draft personalized guidance for student assignments within Google Classroom. This feature aims to help teachers manage their workloads, deliver timely and specific feedback to enhance student growth, and provide high-level, empathetic guidance that can be scaled across larger classes. Teachers maintain full control to review, edit, and refine the AI-generated suggestions before sharing with students.

AI-suggested feedback for written assignments in Google Classroom.

Google Classroom is introducing AI-suggested feedback for written assignments, allowing educators to use Gemini to draft personalized guidance tailored to a student's work, grade level, and specific focus areas. By selecting 'Help me write' in private comments, teachers can generate drafts that they can then review, edit, and refine, helping to reduce the time spent on manual feedback while maintaining high-quality, empathetic support for students.

Generate custom 30-second soundtracks in the Gemini app using text or image prompting, powered by Lyria 3.

The Gemini app now allows users to create custom 30-second soundtracks through text-based or image prompting, utilizing Google's advanced music generation model, Lyria 3. This feature enables new forms of musical expression, such as turning emails into tracks or generating instrumentals for presentations. It is globally available in several languages for users over 18.

Create custom 30-second soundtracks in the Gemini app using Lyria 3.

Users can now generate custom 30-second soundtracks in the Gemini app using text-based or image prompting, powered by Google's Lyria 3 music generation model. This feature allows users to create a variety of audio content, from funny jingles to lo-fi beats, for use in presentations, projects, or personal expression. The capability is available globally in English, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and French for users aged 18 and older.

Connected Sheets for BigQuery now allows users to generate data forecasts using BigQuery ML and the TimesFM model.

Google is introducing a new forecasting capability in Connected Sheets for BigQuery, leveraging BigQuery ML (BQML) and the TimesFM foundation model. This allows users to predict future business metrics like sales or demand without writing SQL or Python. Key features include a user-friendly configuration pane, customizable prediction horizons and confidence intervals, support for granular breakouts by data dimensions, and automatic visualization of forecasts against historical data.

New Gemini feature usage and threshold reports available in the Admin console

Google is introducing new adoption and usage metrics within the Gemini reports in the Admin console. These reports provide administrators with comprehensive visibility into AI feature usage and associated thresholds, enabling better management of Workspace subscriptions and Gemini adoption. The data includes usage by features, applications, and active users, helping admins understand user engagement, make informed decisions on AI enablement, adoption, and productivity, and plan for potential subscription upgrades when users approach their maximum AI usage thresholds.

Improvements to local administrative access controls on Windows 10 and 11 devices.

Google is updating the administrative privileges setting for Windows device management to provide administrators with more control and flexibility over local administrative access on Windows 10 and 11 devices. This update replaces the previous 'Replace' behavior, which removed all existing members from the local administrators group before adding new ones, allowing organizations to preserve existing local admin access while managing specific users via Google Workspace.

Improvements to local administrative access controls on Windows devices

Google is updating the administrative privileges setting for Windows device management to provide administrators with more control over local administrative access on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices managed by Google Endpoint Management. This update simplifies settings and offers greater flexibility for organizations needing to maintain local admin access while managing specific users through Google Workspace. Previously, managing local administrative access used a 'Replace' behavior, which removed any existing members from the local administrators group before adding new ones.

New Gemini adoption and usage metrics reports are now available in the Admin console.

Google has released new adoption and usage metrics for Gemini reports within the Admin console. These reports provide administrators with comprehensive visibility into AI feature usage, active users, and usage thresholds across various Workspace apps. This data helps administrators manage Workspace subscriptions, plan for potential upgrades, and make informed decisions regarding AI enablement and productivity within their organizations.