What’s changing
In 2020, we launched Google Workspace as an integrated solution that provides everything you need to get anything done, all in one place. Earlier this year, we introduced a series of innovations, including smart canvas, all aimed to help you better manage your time and build deeper connections with each other as the future of work continues to evolve.
Today, we’re announcing new forthcoming innovations in Google Chat to help teams do their best work in the hybrid work world, as many of us begin a return to office. In addition, we will also introduce a more streamlined and flexible user interface that helps people and groups more easily stay organized and balance focus and multitasking.
Later this year, we’ll evolve the Rooms experience in Google Chat to Spaces, a dedicated place to organize people, topics, and projects in Google Workspace. In Spaces, you’ll notice new features like:
- In-line topic threading
- Presence indicators
- Assigned tasks
- Expressive reactions, custom statuses using emojis, and GIFs
- Improved content search across Spaces
- Message pinning
- User roles and moderation tools
- Discoverable spaces
Spaces will also seamlessly integrate with Calendar, Drive, Tasks and across Workspace becoming a new home for getting more done, together. In Spaces, you’ll be able to:
- Create and share docs
- Side-by-side discuss and edit
- See status from calendar
- Run interactive polls
- Integrate workflows directly with Bots
For moments when you need to collaborate further, you can easily convert your group conversations into Rooms. In the future, you’ll be able to convert group conversations into Spaces when it becomes available.
The new experience will begin rolling out to all users of Chat in Gmail over the next several months for all organizations that have Chat enabled, with new features being delivered on a rolling basis. We will continue to provide updates on the Workspace Updates Blog as these features become available.
Who’s impacted
Admins and end users
Why it matters
Google Chat has been an essential part of work during the last year, serving as a bridge for separated colleagues to collaborate in real time. We hope these innovations will give distributed teams more shared spaces, making collaboration easier.
Additional details
In the coming months, we will introduce a new streamlined and flexible user interface that helps people and groups more easily stay organized and balance focus and multitasking. The new experience will feature a new left-hand navigation which surfaces critical applications like Gmail, Chat and Meet in one location.
This will make staying on-top of and navigating to important conversations and critical notifications easier, eliminating the need to switch between various applications.
Google Workspace customers who are interested in early access to these features, please express interest here. If accepted into the program, we will contact you in the coming weeks to confirm and share next steps.
Getting started
- Admins: Admins can turn on Google Chat in Gmail so their organizations can start using Rooms today, ensuring a seamless transition to Spaces when it becomes available.
- End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning custom status for Chat on or off for your account, rooms and group conversations in Chat, as well as creating rooms in Google Chat.
Rollout pace
Custom statuses and group chat to Rooms conversion
- Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on June 14, 2021
We’ll provide an update on the Workspace Updates Blog as the additional features become available.
Availability
- Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers