Google Workspace Changes

Skills are rolling out in Google Workspace, letting users create and share reusable prompts while the Gems transition proceeds.

Skills begin rolling out in Workspace on October 5, 2026 for Rapid Release domains (completing October 12) and October 19, 2026 for Scheduled Release domains (completing by mid‑November). Skills work inline in chat threads, can be stacked, and are based on the SKILL.md standard. They will eventually replace Gems, with admins encouraged to prepare users using the provided migration guides.

Captions in Google Vids are now fully customizable, allowing changes to font, typography, position, and animation.

Google Vids introduces full caption customization, enabling users to adjust font, typography, screen placement, and animation effects to match their brand or video style. This update improves accessibility, enhances engagement for marketing and creator content, and ensures videos look polished and ready to share. The feature is available immediately for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains across various Business, Enterprise, Education, Consumer, and other editions.

Google Slides API now supports programmatic creation, reading, and replying to comments on slides and presentation elements.

Developers can use the Google Slides API to add, review, and reply to comments associated with individual slides and specific presentation elements, enabling automated comment workflows within presentations.

Google Sheets API now supports programmatic creation, reading, and replying to comments on individual cells.

Developers can use the Google Sheets API to add, review, and reply to comments attached to specific cells, allowing integration of internal review tools and project tracking systems with spreadsheet data.

Skills (reusable prompts) are launching in the Gemini app, enabling stacked instructions and eventual migration from Gems.

Starting October 13, 2026, skills will roll out to Gemini app users on both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, with completion expected by mid‑November. Skills let you layer multiple custom instructions in a single prompt, are built on the open SKILL.md standard, and will replace Gems as the primary way to tailor Gemini for specific tasks. Users can continue using existing Gems until they are auto‑migrated to draft skills, with manual recreation also an option.

Google Docs API now supports programmatic creation, reading, replying to comments and submitting suggested edits.

Developers can use the Google Docs API to programmatically add, review, and reply to comments, as well as submit proposed text changes as suggestions, enabling automated review tools and content pipelines to propose revisions without directly altering document content.

Google Vids now uses upgraded Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS for more natural, expressive AI voiceovers.

The underlying text-to-speech engine powering AI voiceovers and avatar narration in Google Vids has been upgraded to the Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS model, delivering superior naturalness and inflection with improved sentence flow, lifelike pacing, and context-aware emphasis, plus faster generation latency for real-time script iteration. The update is available now for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains across Business, Enterprise, Education, Consumer, and other editions.

Google Calendar now supports displaying up to three time zones on the web.

Users can configure a primary, secondary, and new tertiary time zone, each with custom labels, and view them side‑by‑side in the main calendar grid (Day, Week, Custom multi‑day views) and in the Find a Time view when scheduling events. The feature reduces scheduling friction for global teams and eliminates manual time conversions. Admins have no controls; end users can learn more in the Help Center. Rollout begins September 25, 2026 for Rapid Release domains (gradual over up to 15 days) and October 12, 2026 for Scheduled Release domains (full rollout within 1–3 days).

Beta launch lets users import PowerPoint files as client-side encrypted Slides for secure Microsoft Office interoperability.

Eligible Google Workspace customers can now import PowerPoint (.pptx) files as client-side encrypted (CSE) Slides, enabling secure interoperability with Microsoft Office. The files are encrypted on the client before import and converted to high-fidelity encrypted Slides, accessible via the CSE Office Interop beta program. Admins can sign up for the beta, and once accepted, the feature is turned on for users in their domains, with rollout beginning immediately on both Rapid and Scheduled release tracks.

Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash is now available in Google Vids, offering improved video extension quality, 1080p generation/upscaling, and precise duration control.

Starting September 23, 2026, Google Vids users can access Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash directly within the app. This update brings higher-quality video extension with better character and audio consistency, the ability to generate AI video scenes in full 1080p HD or upscale existing AI clips, and precise duration control to set exact clip lengths. The feature rolls out to both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, with full visibility expected within 1–3 days. It is available across Business, Enterprise, Education, Consumer, and other Google Workspace editions, with expanded limits for AI Expanded Access add-on holders.

GA release of simplified IMAP email import for admins during Google Workspace setup.

Google Workspace admins can now import past emails from any IMAP-based email provider (e.g., Hostinger, Zoho, Yahoo!, iCloud) in just a few clicks while setting up Google Workspace. The feature reduces migration effort, consolidates emails into a secure location, runs in the background after domain verification and email activation, and is available for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starting immediately.

Occupancy counting is now available for Android-based Logitech Gen 2 room hardware, starting with the Rally Board 65, to measure meeting room usage.

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.

Google Docs now supports grounding AI prompts using Gemini Notebook as a context source, providing inline citations without leaving the document.

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.

Admins can now assign temporary administrator roles with expiration times in the Google Admin console.

Admins can assign administrator roles to users, groups, or service accounts for a defined period of time; once the expiration time is reached, the access granted by the role is automatically revoked. This helps minimize security risks by reducing standing privileges and ambient access, and streamlines administrative overhead by removing the need to manually track and revoke temporary privileges for short-term projects, coverage during employee absences, or external audits. Super admins can choose from predefined durations (such as 30 days) or set a custom expiration date and time. Temporary roles cannot be assigned to the primary admin for the organization. The feature is available now for all Google Workspace customers via both Rapid and Scheduled release tracks.

Google Sheets adds manual reordering and custom sorting to pivot tables with drag‑and‑drop, multi‑item moves, hierarchical preservation, persistent states, and improved Excel interoperability.

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.