Google Workspace Changes

Admins can now end meetings for all participants using the security investigation tool.

Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus admins can now use the security investigation tool to end selected meetings for all users, including those in breakout rooms. This feature allows admins to end multiple meetings simultaneously, terminate old meetings being used inappropriately, or set up automated rules to end meetings based on specific user actions, such as the submission of an abuse report.

Material You design system rolling out for Google Workspace apps on Android.

Google is introducing Material You, a new design system for Google Workspace apps on Android devices. This update brings a fresh look and feel, including updated navigation bars, improved floating action buttons, and the use of Google Sans text for better readability. On Android 12 and Pixel devices, users can personalize app colors to match their device wallpaper. The update also includes automatic adjustments for contrast, size, and line width to improve accessibility across apps including Gmail, Meet, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and Keep.

New effects settings panel in Google Meet for quick access to background blur, images, and styles.

Google Meet is introducing a new settings panel that provides quick access to visual effects, including background blur, background images, and styles. This panel is available both during active calls and in the green room self-check, allowing users to preview and apply effects before joining a meeting.

We’re introducing a new settings panel in Google Meet for quick access to effects such as background blur, background images and styles during Meet calls.

This panel will also be available before joining a call in the green room self-check. In the green room, you can try out various effects to see how they work before joining a call with others.

Classroom activity logs now exportable to BigQuery with Data Studio templates.

For Education Standard and Plus customers, admins can now export Classroom audit log data from the Admin console to BigQuery for advanced querying. To assist with data visualization, Google has provided a customizable Data Studio report template.

New Classroom audit logs available in the Admin console.

Google Workspace for Education admins can now access Classroom audit logs in the Admin console to track specific activities within their domain, such as identifying who removed a student from a class or who archived a class on a specific date.

Restore specific pages via version history in new Google Sites.

In new Google Sites, users can now restore a specific page from the version history. Previously, restoration was only possible for the entire site. This update simplifies the process of recovering, editing, and re-publishing individual pages that may have been accidentally deleted or modified.

Launch of the Appcessori Rayz Rally Pro mobile device speaker dock.

Appcessori is launching the Rayz Rally Pro, a mobile device speaker dock that automatically launches Google Meet for video meetings and provides an enhanced audio experience. It is the first product in the 'Designed for Google Meet' program and supports both Android and iOS.

Logitech Rally Bar Mini and Rally Bar certified for Google Meet.

Google has certified the Logitech Rally Bar Mini and Rally Bar for Google Meet, providing complete room solutions for small and mid-sized rooms. These certified devices ensure high-quality video and audio and are designed for easy deployment and management.

Introduction of the Series One Board 65 all-in-one 4K video conferencing device.

The Series One Board 65 is an all-in-one 65-inch 4K video conferencing device that can be wall-mounted or paired with an optional stand for flexibility. It includes the Jamboard app built-in to facilitate collaboration for team members in small and medium rooms, whether they are in the room or remote.

Introduction of the Series One Desk 27 all-in-one touchscreen collaboration device.

The Series One Desk 27 is a premium all-in-one touchscreen Google Meet collaboration device designed for small, shared spaces or desktops in the office or at home. It features built-in Jamboard capabilities for capturing ideas and can be used with any conferencing service via a single USB-C cable from a laptop.

Google Forms settings are now easier to navigate with an improved layout and more visible settings tab.

Google Forms has updated its settings interface to make it easier for users to customize their forms or quizzes. The update introduces a more visible settings tab and an improved layout for the settings menu to enhance navigation.

Google Chat 'Rooms' are now 'Spaces'

Starting September 8, 2021, Google Chat 'Rooms' are evolving into 'Spaces'. Users who have enabled Chat in their Gmail settings will see the term 'Rooms' automatically updated to 'Spaces'. This change is part of a broader evolution to improve collaboration, with future updates planned to include in-line topic threading, discoverable spaces, and enhanced user roles and moderation.

ChromeOS users can now manage offline access for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides via the Files app.

ChromeOS users can now use the native Files app on their Chromebooks to select Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files to be available offline. This update streamlines the process by eliminating the requirement to open the Google Drive or Google Docs web interfaces to manage offline file availability.

Easily make all files types available offline in Google Drive

Today, we are announcing more ways to make sure you can make them all accessible to you even when your internet connection is unavailable.