Google Workspace Changes

Group conversations with external collaborators are now available in Google Chat.

Previously, Google Chat only allowed 1:1 conversations or spaces with external users. This update enables group direct messages that include multiple external collaborators without additional configuration. External users receive an email invitation and must accept to join; group conversations are marked with a visible badge. Admins control access via the External spaces & group direct messages setting. Rollout begins July 15, 2026 for Rapid Release domains (completed by July 17) and July 24, 2026 for Scheduled Release domains (up to 15 days).

Google Chat introduces a 'Discoverable' space setting for controlled membership requests.

Google Chat is adding a 'Discoverable' access option for spaces, providing a middle ground between private (invite-only) and open (anyone can join) settings. Discoverable spaces appear when users browse for spaces within their organization, but conversation history and messages remain private until a space owner or manager approves the user's request to join. This update is designed for groups like employee resource groups or project teams that want to be findable while maintaining a vetting process for membership.

Google Chat now supports external interoperability with Microsoft Teams via NextPlane OpenHub.

Google Chat has launched external interoperability with Microsoft Teams through NextPlane OpenHub, enabling seamless cross-platform collaboration across organizational boundaries. This integration supports presence, 1:1 and group chats, Channels and Spaces, file sharing, and meeting/call initiation. Designed for enterprise governance, OpenHub is deployed as a dedicated single-tenant service in a customer-owned GCP project and is managed through the existing Google Admin console and Microsoft Teams admin center, requiring separate NextPlane licensing.

Polly is now available for Google Chat, enabling interactive polls within conversations.

Polly allows teams to create interactive polls directly within Google Chat conversations by mentioning @Polly. This integration helps teams drive consensus, manage meeting logistics, and gather team preferences in real-time without leaving the chat stream, reducing friction and speeding up decision-making. Admins can install the app for their organization, or end users can find it via the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Gemini in Google Chat now supports additional languages for refining message drafts.

Google is expanding the capabilities of Gemini in Google Chat by adding support for French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish when refining message drafts. This update allows a broader range of global users to improve the clarity, grammar, and professional tone of their communications, which is particularly beneficial for teams in multilingual environments.

Introducing guest accounts for secure collaboration with non-Workspace users in Google Chat.

Google Workspace is introducing guest accounts, enabling organizations to securely collaborate with external customers, partners, and vendors who do not have Google Workspace accounts. These guest accounts are provisioned within the host organization's domain in a dedicated 'Workspace Guests' Organizational Unit, allowing admins to apply security policies such as 2-step verification and context-aware access. Guests can be @mentioned and collaborate across Google Chat, Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Meet, while the host organization retains full ownership of all data created and shared within its domain.

Introducing a dedicated Meetings section in Google Chat to organize conversation lists and keep meeting conversations in one place.

Google Chat is introducing a new Meetings section to organize conversation lists and keep meeting-related discussions in one place. Previously, meeting conversations were mixed with direct messages, making them hard to find. This optional feature groups all past and future meeting chats into a distinct section, which can be moved, deleted, or reordered, improving organization and discoverability of meeting details.

Introducing a dedicated Meetings section in Google Chat to organize meeting conversations.

Google Chat is introducing a new, optional Meetings section that allows users to group all past and future meeting conversations in one dedicated place. This section appears under Direct Messages and Spaces, acting as a smart folder to improve the discoverability of meeting notes and follow-ups. Users can enable this feature via the conversation list's overflow menu, and admins can manage the setting by organizational units or groups.

Google Chat apps now support dynamic data sources for dropdown menus, allowing real-time querying and filtering.

Google Chat app developers can now leverage dynamic data sources for dropdown menus, allowing real-time querying and filtering of results as users type. This update addresses previous limitations of static lists, improving scalability for workflows involving numerous options. Users benefit from enhanced searchability via fuzzy search, faster performance due to dynamic data querying, and a consistent user experience across all platforms. Developers can also specify a minimum character threshold to trigger searches, ensuring more relevant results.

Google Chat apps now support dynamic data sources for dropdown menus.

Developers can now connect dropdown menus in Google Chat apps to external data sources, enabling real-time querying and filtering of results as users type. This update addresses scalability issues associated with static lists, allowing for efficient selection from thousands of options. Key improvements include fuzzy search capabilities, reduced latency, and a consistent search-as-you-type experience across web, Android, and iOS platforms.

Figma integration in Google Chat allows users to receive notifications, preview files, see comments, and reply to comments directly from Chat.

The Figma for Google Workspace add-on, already available for Google Calendar, Docs, and Meet, is now extended to Google Chat. This integration enables users to stay updated on Figma files within Google Chat by receiving notifications for invites, previewing files, viewing new comments and tags, and replying to comments without leaving the Chat interface.

Introducing Figma integration in Google Chat for notifications and collaboration.

Google Chat now integrates with Figma, allowing users to receive notifications for file, project, and team invites, preview Figma files within notifications and group chats, track new comments and tags in followed files, and reply to Figma comments directly from the Google Chat interface.

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.

Users can now forward messages in Google Chat.

Google Chat is introducing a new feature that allows users to forward messages directly within conversations, eliminating the need for manual workarounds like copying and pasting. This enhances team collaboration by simplifying sharing, preserving context with original sender and attachments, and improving visibility by allowing messages from threads to be moved to the main stream. While there are some limitations regarding forwarding between internal and external organizational conversations, a reminder for sensitive information will appear when forwarding from DMs or group DMs.