Google Workspace Changes

Speech translation in Google Meet is rolling out for higher limits with promotional access until March 31, 2026.

Speech translation, a feature enabling real-time language bridging in meetings while preserving tone and voice, is currently rolling out. Users currently have promotional access to higher limits for this feature in Business and Enterprise plans until March 31, 2026. After this date, higher access to speech translation will require the purchase of the AI Expanded Access add-on.

Speech translation in Google Meet is now generally available for business customers.

Google Meet has launched real-time speech-to-speech translation for select Google Workspace business plans, moving the feature out of limited alpha. This technology allows participants to speak in their native language while others hear a dubbed audio translation that preserves the speaker's tone and cadence, rather than just displaying text captions. At launch, it supports bidirectional translation between English and Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian, with one language pair active per meeting.

New built-in interoperability between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams hardware.

Google is introducing video conferencing device interoperability for Google Meet with Microsoft Teams. This update allows users to join Microsoft Teams meetings from Chrome OS-based Google Meet hardware devices and join Google Meet meetings from Windows-based Microsoft Teams Rooms devices.

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.

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.

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.

Admins can now choose to wait for device inactivity before rebooting Google Meet hardware.

Google Meet hardware devices can now be rebooted by administrators with more flexibility. A new "Reboot when idle" option allows administrators to queue a reboot to occur only when all user activity has ceased, avoiding interruptions to ongoing meetings or device usage. Previously, only an immediate reboot was possible, requiring careful timing. This enhancement provides two reboot options: "Reboot when the device becomes idle" and "Reboot now, even if the device is in use."

Automatic room check-in for Google Meet on mobile devices using ultrasound proximity detection.

Google Meet is introducing automatic room check-in for Android and iOS devices using ultrasound proximity detection. When a user is in a conference room, the app detects an ultrasonic signal from the hardware and highlights the 'Use Companion mode' button in the green room. Joining via this button automatically checks the user into the correct room, simplifying the process and preventing audio feedback.

Automatic room check-in for Google Meet on mobile using ultrasound proximity detection.

Google Meet introduces automatic room check-in for companion mode on mobile devices using ultrasound proximity detection. This feature simplifies joining meetings in conference rooms by intelligently guiding users to the best joining option and automatically checking them into the correct room, preventing disruptive audio feedback.

New toggle for 'Take notes for me' to start automatically for meeting hosts.

Google Meet is introducing a new toggle that allows meeting hosts to choose whether the 'Take notes for me' feature starts automatically whenever they host a meeting. This setting is OFF by default, and users can manage it via their Google Meet settings. Additionally, administrators have the ability to enable or disable AI note-taking for their end users.

New toggle for automatic 'Take notes for me' in Google Meet.

Google Meet is introducing a new toggle that allows users to choose whether the 'Take notes for me' feature starts automatically when they host a meeting. Previously, this feature had to be manually enabled. This new toggle is off by default and can be enabled or disabled by users at any time in their Google Meet settings. Admins also have control over enabling or disabling AI note-taking for their end users.

Admins can now manage Speech Translation in Google Meet, with general availability for users starting January 27, 2026.

Google Meet is introducing Speech Translation to provide near-real-time translation during meetings to bridge language barriers. Admins can now control this feature in the Admin console under Meet service settings > Gemini settings, where it is enabled by default and can be disabled at the OU level. The end-user feature will roll out to Rapid Release domains starting January 27, 2026, and to Scheduled Release domains starting February 18, 2026.