All Google Chat updates
200 updates to Google Chat tracked so far. Most recent: 2026-08-25 — Space owners and managers can now restrict who can view the member list in Google Chat spaces.
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2026-08-25Comms & Meetings
Space owners and managers can now restrict who can view the member list in Google Chat spaces.
Google Chat introduces a new 'View members' setting for space owners and managers, allowing them to control who can see the full member list with four permission levels: Owners only, Owners & managers, All members (default), or Entire organization. This enhances privacy for sensitive, large-scale, or external collaboration spaces, similar to Google Groups membership controls. Regardless of the setting, users can always see the name and profile of anyone who sends a message in the space. No admin control is required; end users adjust the setting via Space Settings > Membership > View Members. The feature rolls out gradually over up to 15 days starting August 24, 2026, for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains and is available to all Google Workspace customers.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-08-24 • Scheduled: 2026-08-24 -
2026-08-20Comms & Meetings
Granular space creation restrictions now available in Google Chat, letting admins block specific users/groups from creating spaces while preserving 1:1 DM and group DM creation.
Google Chat introduces a new admin setting that replaces the previous all-or-nothing creation restriction with three granular levels: no restrictions, restrict space creation only, or restrict all creation (DMs, gDMs, and spaces). Administrators can apply these settings at the domain, OU, or group level to manage space creation through approval workflows without disrupting everyday direct messaging. The feature began rolling out on August 14, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, with visibility expected within up to 15 days.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-08-14 • Scheduled: 2026-08-14 -
2026-08-19Comms & Meetings
Ask Gemini in Google Chat launches as a unified command line for searching Workspace data, creating content, managing tasks, and more, replacing the Gemini side panel.
Starting August 26, 2026, Google Workspace introduces Ask Gemini in Chat, a unified command line powered by Workspace Intelligence that lets users search across Gmail, Drive, Calendar, generate images, draft updates, catch up on conversations, schedule meetings, manage tasks, and organize work via individual sessions. The feature replaces the Gemini side panel in Chat (and Gems access there), with conversation history exportable via Data Export or Google Takeout. Initially available to English-language accounts, with rapid and scheduled release domains seeing a gradual rollout over up to 15 days, and promotional higher usage limits through October 1, 2026.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-08-26 • Scheduled: 2026-08-26 -
2026-07-15Comms & Meetings
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).
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-07-15 • Scheduled: 2026-07-24 -
2026-06-16Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-06-15 • Scheduled: 2026-06-15 -
2026-05-28Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-05-28 • Scheduled: 2026-05-28 -
2026-05-26Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-05-26 • Scheduled: 2026-05-26 -
2026-05-14Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-05-11 • Scheduled: 2026-05-26 -
2026-03-30Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-04-14 • Scheduled: 2026-04-27 -
2026-03-20Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-03-19 • Scheduled: 2026-04-02 -
2026-03-20Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-03-19 • Scheduled: 2026-04-02 -
2026-03-06Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-03-06 • Scheduled: 2026-03-06 -
2026-03-06Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-03-06 • Scheduled: 2026-03-06 -
2026-02-12Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-02-12 • Scheduled: 2026-02-12 -
2026-02-12Comms & Meetings
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.
Release: Both • Rapid: 2026-02-12 • Scheduled: 2026-02-12