Google Workspace Changes

Administrators can now apply a global context-aware access (CAA) policy to all SAML applications.

Google Workspace has introduced a default context-aware access (CAA) policy for all SAML applications, establishing a universal security baseline. This 'secure-by-default' posture automatically protects any SAML-based app that lacks a specific policy, reducing the administrative burden of manual configuration. The global policy supports both Monitor and Active modes, while specific application-level policies continue to take precedence for granular control. Admins can configure these settings in the Admin console under Security > Context-aware Access > General settings.

Small businesses can now seamlessly import up to 10 users from Microsoft to Google Workspace during setup.

Google Workspace has introduced a beta feature allowing very small and small-sized businesses and educational institutions to automatically import up to 10 users from Microsoft during the initial account setup process. After connecting to a Microsoft business account and completing domain verification, admins can import users in a single click. Additionally, emails, calendars, contacts, and OneDrive files can be migrated using the data import tool in the Admin console.

Integration of NotebookLM into Google Workspace Studio flows.

Google is integrating NotebookLM into Google Workspace Studio, allowing users to use their existing notebooks as an AI knowledge source for automations. A new 'Ask NotebookLM' step enables the generation of grounded responses based on the insights, summaries, and research stored within a user's notebooks.

Gemini LTI™ is now available for Moodle.

Gemini LTI™ brings Google AI tools, including the Gemini app and NotebookLM, directly into Moodle. This integration enables students and teachers to access in-the-moment assistance, course-specific guidance, and audio overviews of materials to enhance the teaching and learning experience.

Assignments LTI™ is now available for Moodle.

Assignments LTI™ allows educators using Moodle to securely distribute, analyze, and grade student work while utilizing originality reports to ensure authenticity. Moodle administrators can benefit from a streamlined setup process via the LTI Dynamic Registration specification.

Add AI avatars when converting Google Slides presentations to Google Vids.

Users can now enhance their Google Vids by adding AI-powered spokesperson avatars when importing content from Google Slides. These avatars are dynamically inserted throughout the video to make the generated content more relatable and engaging, complementing existing Gemini-powered features like script generation, voiceovers, and background music.

Google Workspace Studio is now available in seven additional languages.

Google Workspace Studio has expanded its language support to include French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish, in addition to English. This update provides full capabilities of the tool to users across these seven new languages.

Google Meet now automatically redirects users to the live stream when an adaptive meeting reaches its maximum contributor capacity.

When an adaptive Google Meet meeting reaches its maximum capacity for contributors (those with camera, microphone, and screen sharing privileges), any additional users attempting to join the main call are automatically redirected to the live stream. In the live stream, users can still interact using reactions, chat, polls, and Q&A, depending on the host's settings. This update provides a smoother experience for large meetings without altering existing access settings or host controls.

Gmail's 'Help me write' feature now supports topic contextualization and tone and style personalization.

Google has enhanced the 'Help me write' feature in Gmail with two new personalization capabilities. Topic contextualization allows the tool to connect to Google Drive and Gmail to automatically insert relevant information into drafts based on user prompts. Additionally, tone and style personalization enables the AI to generate email drafts that mirror the user's previously written emails, reducing the need for manual editing and cross-app context switching.

New 'Block time' capability for Google Workspace Studio flows.

Google Workspace Studio now allows flows to block time on a user's calendar via a new 'Block time' step. This can be integrated with 'Ask Gemini' or 'Extract' steps to automate the creation of personal reminders, such as appointment confirmations or focus time. These calendar events are private to the user and do not support the addition of guests.

Enhancements to the Google Meet starter step in Google Workspace Studio.

The Google Meet starter step 'When a meeting transcript is ready' has been renamed to 'When meeting outputs are ready'. This updated step now allows workflows to be triggered by either meeting transcripts or Notes by Gemini. Additionally, users can now select up to 100 different meetings to trigger a flow, significantly increasing from the previous limit of one meeting.

Introduction of 'skills' in Chrome to save and reuse AI prompts with one click.

Google is launching 'skills' in Chrome for eligible Workspace users, allowing them to save their most effective Gemini prompts and execute them instantly with a single click regardless of the webpage they are visiting. This feature is designed to streamline workflows by reducing the need for repetitive prompt engineering.

Google Meet now allows administrators to require explicit consent from participants before recording, transcription, or Gemini note-taking begins.

Google Meet is introducing a new feature that allows administrators to require explicit consent from meeting participants before automatic note-taking with Gemini, recording, and/or transcription begins. This ensures that participants on supported devices must actively agree to be recorded, transcribed, or have notes enabled. The feature is OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain, OU, or group level via the Admin console.

Bulk import using client-side encryption and the Drive API is now generally available.

Client-side encryption (CSE) customers can now conduct bulk migrations of sensitive files from both cloud and on-premises data sources into Google Drive. This process ensures that confidential content is wrapped with customer-managed keys before being imported, allowing organizations to decommission legacy third-party storage while maintaining the CSE model throughout the document lifecycle using the highly configurable Drive API.

Custom persistent instructions for Gemini in Google Docs.

Google is introducing the ability to set custom, persistent instructions for Gemini in Google Docs, allowing users to define style, tone, and formatting preferences that Gemini remembers across conversations. Users can specify rules such as responding in bullet points or maintaining a professional tone via the Gemini side panel, with a limit of 1000 active instructions.