Google Workspace Changes

Updated timeline for in-line threaded experience in Google Chat

Google has updated the timeline for upgrading existing spaces organized by conversation topic to the new in-line threaded experience. The upgrade is now expected to begin in September 2023 and be completed by the end of Q1 2024.

An optional in-line reply feature will enable members of a space to respond to or discuss an announcement in Google Chat.

While these announcement spaces aim to facilitate one-way controlled communication in Google Chat, we’re adding an optional in-line reply feature that will enable members of a space to respond to or discuss an announcement.

In-line replies are now available within announcement spaces in Google Chat.

Google Chat has introduced an optional in-line reply feature for announcement spaces, allowing space managers to enable members to respond to or discuss announcements. For newly created announcement spaces, the feature is enabled by default for all members, while for existing spaces, it is enabled by default for space managers only. Space managers can toggle this setting via the space menu under permissions.

Introduction of membership search within Google Chat spaces.

Google Chat is introducing the ability to search for members within a space. This feature allows users to verify if a member is present, change their role if they are, or add them to the space if they are not.

Google Chat spaces now support up to 50,000 members.

Google is increasing the maximum number of users that can be added to a space in Google Chat from 8,000 to 50,000. This update is intended to better support company-wide announcements, event-oriented spaces, large internal communities, and support-related spaces.

Google Chat APIs for creating spaces, memberships, and managing messages are now generally available.

The Google Chat API is now generally available for all Google Workspace developers, providing the ability to programmatically create and manage spaces, memberships, group chats, messages, reactions, and attachments. These capabilities allow developers to build integrated workflows and pull contextual data directly into conversations, facilitating better collaboration and outreach within organizations.

Improved media viewing on Android devices in Google Chat

Google Chat on Android devices now features a new media viewer that improves the browsing experience. Media thumbnails open faster in full screen, repeat playback is quicker, and users can swipe between media in a conversation. Additionally, a shared media option allows users to quickly browse all media shared within a Chat conversation.

Add hyperlinks to text in Google Chat

Users can now hyperlink text on web and Android when composing or editing messages in Google Chat. This update also includes the ability to copy over hyperlinks from other Google Workspace applications such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides to make messages cleaner and more compact.

Customizable error messages for Google Chat data loss prevention (DLP) rules are now in open beta.

Admins can now customize the messages displayed to users when a Google Chat message is blocked or intercepted by data loss prevention (DLP) rules. Instead of a standard warning, admins can provide specific context, instructions on how to unblock the message, or links to additional safety resources. This feature is available in open beta for web users across various Google Workspace Enterprise, Education, and Frontline editions.

Introducing read receipts in Google Chat group direct messages.

Following the recent updates in Google Chat that add context without breaking the flow of conversations and enable you to declutter your chat conversations, we’re introducing read receipts in group direct messages. With this feature, you can now quickly identify if other members of a group have read your latest message within a Chat stream.

Read receipts are now available for group direct messages in Google Chat.

Google Chat has introduced read receipts for group direct messages, enabling users to identify which members of a group have read their latest message. This feature is available for group chats of 20 people or fewer and is designed to help users manage communication expectations and ensure visibility of topics. It is available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.

Smart compose is now available in Google Chat on web.

Google Chat on web now features smart compose, a machine-learning powered tool that suggests relevant contextual phrases as users type. This feature is designed to help users communicate more efficiently by reducing repetitive writing and minimizing spelling and grammatical errors. It is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian.

Google Chat now automatically hides inactive conversations to declutter the interface.

Google Chat is introducing a decluttering feature that automatically hides direct messages and spaces that have been inactive for the last 7 days. This feature activates when a section contains more than 10 conversations and does not affect pinned conversations. Users can still access a comprehensive list of all conversations by clicking the 'More' button.

Existing spaces organized by conversation topic will be upgraded to the new in-line threaded experience by the end of Q1 2024.

All existing spaces organized by conversation topic will be upgraded to the in-line threaded experience. This upgrade will start in September 2023, and is expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2024. In the meantime, existing legacy threaded spaces will continue to function as is until the upgrade is complete.

Existing Google Chat spaces organized by conversation topic will be upgraded to in-line threading.

Google Chat is upgrading all existing spaces organized by conversation topic to the new in-line threaded experience to provide a consistent user experience and reduce complexity. This migration will begin in September 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2024. Messages sent before the upgrade will be retained and arranged chronologically, with separators indicating where new topics began, and new responses will quote the last corresponding message they are replying to.