Google Workspace Changes

Automatic upgrade of all existing Google Forms to include granular response controls.

Google is automatically upgrading all existing Google Forms to provide granular controls over who can respond. This allows form creators to limit response access to specific users, groups, or target audiences, similar to sharing settings in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Sites. The upgrade will not change existing access permissions, and forms will remain available for responses during the process.

Google Classroom now supports direct audio, video, and screencast recording for teachers and students.

Google Classroom has introduced integrated audio, video, and screencast recording capabilities, allowing teachers and students to create and post multimodal content without leaving the platform. This functionality is available in private comments, announcements, assignments, and submissions, enabling more personalized feedback and diverse ways for students to submit work. The feature is available on the web for users of Google Workspace Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning add-on.

Google Calendar event color labels are now accessible to users with "Make changes to events" permission.

Google Calendar offers event color labels to help users visually organize meetings on their primary calendar. Previously, these labels were only visible to users with “Make changes to events and manage sharing” permissions. Starting February 27, 2026, this access is being expanded to include users who have only “Make changes to events” permissions, addressing the previous limitation where these users could see colors but not labels.

Calendar event color labels are now available to users with 'Make changes to events' permission.

Google Calendar is expanding the visibility of event color labels. Previously, these labels were only visible to users with 'Make changes to events and manage sharing' permissions. Starting February 27, 2026, users with 'Make changes to events' permissions will also be able to see the labels, facilitating better visual organization and categorization of meetings via Time Insights.

New admin controls for 'Take notes for me' sharing settings in Google Meet.

Google Meet is introducing two new admin settings to provide organizations with more control over how meeting notes generated by 'Take notes for me' are shared. Administrators can now set a default sharing value to determine who receives access to the notes and recap email by default, and they can also restrict whether meeting hosts and co-hosts have the ability to override these sharing settings during a meeting.

New admin controls for 'Take notes for me' sharing settings in Google Meet

Google Meet is introducing two new admin settings to enhance control over how meeting notes generated by the 'Take notes for me' feature are shared within an organization. Admins can now set a default sharing value for the notes document and recap email, choosing between 'Invited guests in your organization,' 'All invited guests,' or 'The host and co-hosts.' Additionally, admins can restrict meeting hosts and co-hosts from overriding these sharing settings during a meeting. This allows organizations to enforce company policies regarding meeting note sharing.

Gemini in Google Calendar now provides improved meeting time suggestions and easier rescheduling.

Google Calendar is enhancing meeting scheduling with Gemini, which analyzes colleagues' availability, time zones, and working hours to suggest optimal meeting times. Additionally, meeting organizers will now see a banner suggesting a new time when multiple attendees decline an invite, allowing for quick rescheduling with a single click.

Google Vids now supports styled, animated captions that synchronize with audio and media.

Google Vids has introduced styled, animated captions that synchronize with audio and media elements to improve video comprehension and accessibility. These captions serve as a visual guide for viewers, and users have the ability to edit and correct any spelling or grammar errors within the captions. The feature supports a wide array of global languages.

Google Vids now supports styled, animated captions.

Google Vids, an AI-powered video creation app, now allows users to create styled and animated captions that synchronize with audio and media. These captions enhance video comprehension and viewer tracking, and users can edit them for spelling and grammar errors. This feature aims to help users become better storytellers.

Ask Gemini in Meet is becoming available on the Google Meet mobile app.

Starting in February, users will be able to access Ask Gemini in Meet via the Google Meet mobile app by tapping the Gemini icon in the top right corner during a meeting.

Ask Gemini in Meet is adding support for seven additional languages.

Beginning in early February, Ask Gemini in Meet will expand its language support beyond English to include French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. The feature currently supports one language per meeting.

Ask Gemini in Meet is expanding to Workspace Business Standard customers.

The Ask Gemini in Meet feature, which allows users to get meeting briefs and list key takeaways, is expanding from Enterprise customers to include Workspace Business Standard domains starting in late January.

Introduction of granular OAuth consent for all Google Chat apps using Apps Script, allowing users to choose specific data access.

Google is introducing granular OAuth consent for all types of Google Chat apps that use Apps Script, expanding upon a previously announced feature. This enhancement allows users to have more control over their data by enabling them to select the specific data an app can access when requesting OAuth scope grants. This change is particularly relevant for new OAuth scope grants, as pre-existing grants will remain unaffected. Developers are advised to review the updated documentation for handling these granular permissions.

Granular OAuth consent is now available for all Google Chat apps built using Apps Script.

Google is expanding granular OAuth consent to all types of Chat apps developed with Apps Script, moving beyond just Workspace add-ons. This update allows users to choose the specific data an app is permitted to access when granting new OAuth scope permissions, providing more control over data privacy. Pre-existing scope grants remain unaffected.

Google Meet hardware now includes a 'Reboot when idle' option for administrators.

Administrators can now choose to reboot Google Meet hardware devices only when they are idle, preventing disruptions to ongoing meetings, presentations, or add-on activities. This adds a 'Reboot when idle' option alongside the existing 'Reboot now' force-restart capability in the Admin console, allowing the system to intelligently wait for device inactivity before initiating a restart.