For many teams, it’s essential to be able to work in real-time with partners from outside your organization. We’re improving external collaboration in Google Chat by making it possible to create group conversations that include external users.

Previously, teams using Google Chat could only create 1:1 conversations with external users, or create a space in Chat with external access enabled.

With this update, it’s now possible to create group conversations with multiple external users, reducing friction and streamlining external collaboration. No additional configuration is required, and access for external users is enabled once they accept an invitation through an email notification. Group conversations with external members are labeled with a visible badge to help ensure that users are aware of the context for all conversations in Chat.

Getting started

• Admins: External group DMs share the same admin controls as external spaces. Ensure that the External spaces & group direct messages admin setting is enabled for your organization to allow users to create or join external group DMs.
• End users: If allowed by their admin, end users can add external users when they create a new group DM. External users can’t be added to existing group DMs that only have internal users. External users who are added to group DMs will receive an email invitation and must accept the invitation to participate in the group conversation.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release domains: Rolling out now, with expected completion by July 17, 2026
• Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 24, 2026 

Availability

• Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual subscribers

Resources

• Google Chat Help: External group DMs in Google Chat
• Google Workspace Admin Help: Control external Chat & spaces chat options

Users can now edit and revise their email drafts in Gmail via the prompt bar, using custom refine instructions in Help me write. Previously the refines were limited to preset options like Polish, Formalize, and Shorten. Now if your first draft isn’t quite perfect, you can provide a precise follow-up prompt in your own words to further refine it, and even undo or redo any edits you make.

Whether you need to add a missing detail to the second line or include a deadline for your request, simply type the instruction and Gmail will instantly update the draft for you.

Getting started

• Admins: This feature is available by default if both Gemini for Workspace in Gmail is enabled and Workspace Intelligence access to Gmail is enabled.
• End users: This feature is available by default. Visit the Help Center article to learn more about drafting emails with Gemini in Gmail.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Rolling out now, with expected completion by July 20, 2026

Availability

• Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
• Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
• Consumer: Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra
• Other Editions: Frontline Plus
• Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education
• Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Resources

• Gmail Help: Draft emails with Gemini in Gmail

Maintaining an enterprise-grade video conferencing environment requires visibility into the health of its devices. We're introducing new ways to see Google Meet hardware user-reported feedback directly in the Admin console.

We’ve also updated user-side feedback options to replace generic reporting with structured actionable feedback making it easier and more intuitive for room participants to report problems.

Redesigned user interface

The new feedback menu on Google Meet hardware now features responses that are tailored to the reporting context (In-Call, Out of Call, Live stream). These new feedback options collect better details, making it easier for admins to understand and troubleshoot the issue.

In-Call Feedback: Users are presented with call specific options to report a problem , like “Can’t see others” or “Poor audio or video quality.”

Out-of-Call Feedback: When filing feedback from the touchscreen landing page, users now see a new set of join-related problems, including “Can’t join Meet call” and “Can’t join Teams call.”

Livestream Feedback: Users viewing large-scale livestreams will see dedicated options to report a problem.

Admin console improvements

The Google Meet hardware section of the Admin console now features enhanced monitoring tools. Feedback is no longer proxied as a background telemetry event; it is now a primary, sortable “device information” column within the device list.

Enhancements include two new columns on the device list page, including:

• Last feedback submitted - A sortable column displaying the exact timestamp of a device’s most recent report, which can be filtered by 1, 3, 7, or 30 days. Clicking the timestamp opens a side panel containing specific feedback details.
• Feedback in the last 28 days - A cumulative count of reports filed for a specific device over a rolling 28-day period, allowing for the identification of recurring faulty devices.

The Google Meet hardware device list featuring new “Last feedback” and “Feedback in last 28 days” columns

Admins can get more information about a specific “Last feedback” by clicking on the date, a side panel will open providing the specific feedback details:

The feedback side panel on the Admin console now shows the new set of problems customers have reported

In addition, we’re introducing a new "With feedback in last 7 days" filter, which instantly prioritizes devices with recent reports and repositions the feedback columns to sit next to the device name for immediate visibility.

A new filter to glance at devices with feedback filed in the last 7 days.

Getting started

• Admins: Ensure the “Let users send feedback to Google” checkbox is selected in GMH Settings > Data Sharing > Feedback is ON  at the domain or organizational unit (OU) where the device is enrolled. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
• End users: Users can report feedback during or after a call or livestream via the “Report a problem” button. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)  starting on July 14, 2026

Availability

• Available to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet hardware devices

Resources

• Google Meet Hardware Help: Get support for Google Meet hardware
• Google Meet Hardware Help: View & edit device information
• Google Meet Hardware Help: Monitor the health of devices
• Google Meet Hardware Help: How to report a problem from a meeting room device

Google Credential Provider for Windows (GCPW) has been updated to support FIDO2-compliant physical security keys as a second factor for authentication. This update helps organizations improve their security posture by enabling administrators to enforce 2-Step Verification (2SV) using hardware security keys at the Windows login screen. Additionally, users can now use passkeys from nearby Bluetooth-connected mobile devices for their second-factor authentication.

Getting started

• Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about enforcing 2SV.
• End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility)  starting on July 13, 2026

Availability

• Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

• Google Workspace Admin Help: Prepare to install GCPW

Join video conferences on Google Meet hardware via SIP through Pexip

You can now join video conferences on Google Meet hardware via SIP through a Pexip interop gateway. This brings universal connectivity for users to join meetings hosted on any SIP-compatible platform directly from their Meet rooms. The functionality is available for room hardware based on both Android and ChromeOS. | Learn more.

Occupancy counting now available for Google Meet on Neat room hardware

Occupancy counting is now available for Android-based Neat room hardware to help measure how meeting rooms are used. This feature brings the same occupancy counting capabilities found on ChromeOS devices to Android-based hardware. | Learn more.

Fill with Gemini in Sheets now available in 11 additional languages

We're leveraging the capabilities of the AI function in Google Sheets, Fill with Gemini eliminates the need for complex formulas, helping you easily generate text, summarize information, categorize data, or analyze sentiment at scale with generated content appearing directly in the cells you choose. | Learn more.

New calendar sharing permission level and changes to recurring event visibility

We're introducing a new calendar sharing permission level: “Make changes (see private events as free/busy)”. This allows you to grant someone edit access to your calendar while keeping the details of your private events entirely hidden. This is especially useful for leaders who assign delegates to help them manage their calendars. | Learn more.

Convert your Google Slides to videos in 7 additional languages

Google Vids already lets you convert your Slides content into Vids with AI-generated scripts, voiceovers, background music, and animations for presentations and accounts in English. We’re now expanding support to French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. | Learn more.

Streamline identity lifecycle management in Google Workspace with new inbound SCIM support

We are excited to announce the general availability of Google Workspace inbound SCIM APIs to help IT administrators standardize identity lifecycle management. This new capability allows you to sync your Google Workspace directory in real time with any SCIM-compatible Identity Provider (IdP), HR system (HRIS), or custom application. | Learn more.

The announcements above were published on the Workspace Updates blog over the last week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.