This official feed from the Google Workspace team provides essential information about new features and improvements for Google Workspace customers.
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To simplify the process of joining meetings for those using companion mode on a phone or tablet within a conference room, we're introducing automatic room check-in via ultrasound proximity detection. To automatically check you in, the green room uses your phone or tablet’s microphone to detect an ultrasound signal from the conference room hardware, streamlining the process and eliminating unnecessary steps. This feature is available on Android and iOS devices.


The "Use Companion mode" button is highlighted, prompting the user to tap it to join the call.

Why it’s important

To simplify joining meetings from a conference room and prevent disruptive audio feedback, Google Meet now intelligently guides you to the best joining option.

Meet intelligently knows when you are in a room using an ultrasonic signal, and highlights the “Use Companion mode” button before you even join the call. This wayfinding feature helps ensure a seamless, echo-free start to your meeting. When you join using the highlighted “Companion mode” button, you will also be automatically checked into the correct room.

Additional details 

  • Minimum Android build required: 
    • Meet: 336.0. (Android Settings > Apps > Meet > [App Info > Version])
    • Gmail: 2025.12.01. (Android Settings > Apps > Gmail > [App Info > Version])
  • Minimum iOS build required: 
    • Meet: 336.0. (Meet > Settings -> About, terms, and privacy > Version)
    • Gmail:  6.0.251201. (Settings > About Gmail > Version)

Getting started

  • Admins: Proximity detection is on by default and can be enabled or disabled at the room level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning proximity detection on or off.
  • End users: The Companion mode entry point will be highlighted in the greenroom when the proximity detection signal is detected. After joining a meeting in Companion mode, the user will be automatically checked into the room. If proximity check-in isn’t working, visit the Help Center for troubleshooting tips. Users can still check in manually after joining the call.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, and Workspace Individual subscribers

Resources

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Last month, we introduced Ingredients to Video in Google Vids, a new capability that uses Veo 3.1 to help users generate short videos based on reference images and a simple prompt. Today we’re announcing improvements to Veo 3.1 that allow you to generate portrait-sized clips with faster pace and engaging shots, all while delivering realistic audio and maintaining consistency of objects, characters, and backgrounds.

Customers using images of their office, products, and teammates to produce immersive video content in marketing, announcements, explainer videos, and more, can now easily size these for sharing on social channels.






Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Availability

Available for Google Workspace:

  • Business Starter **, Standard and Plus
  • Enterprise Starter **, Standard and Plus
  • Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus
  • Nonprofits**
  • Education Plus** and Teaching and Learning add-on**
Also available to:

  • Google AI Pro and Ultra Google AI Pro for Education
**For a limited time, at least through May 31, 2026, Business Starter, Enterprise Starter, Nonprofit, Education Plus, and Teaching and Learning add-on accounts can access generative AI features in Vids. Learn about Google Vids availability.

Resources

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Last year, we introduced a feature that gives Google Forms creators more control over who can respond to their forms via sharing settings. We are now improving how you can choose to manage responses in Google Forms by enabling you to set a close date or response limit for new responses.

Currently, form creators have to manually stop a form from accepting new responses. With this launch, form owners and editors will be able to set a specific date and time to close the form, or set a certain number of responses that will trigger the form to close automatically.

This feature is designed to streamline the form closure process, offering form creators more control over data collection. It is beneficial for many form types, including registration, event planning, and research forms.

GIF showing how to set a date and time to stop accepting form responses

Determine when you want to stop collecting responses to your form

Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

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A summary of announcements from the last week:

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

Manage Apple Intelligence Writing Tools in Google Workspace iOS apps

Admins can now disable Apple Intelligence Writing Tools within Google Workspace apps. This provides greater data protection and risk mitigation on iOS 18.1+ devices. Simply toggle the setting in the Admin console to hide these external features. Users will no longer see the "Writing Tools" option when selecting text. | Learn more about managing Apple Intelligence Writing Tools in Google Workspace iOS apps.

Now generally available: Migrate files from Dropbox to Google Drive

Admins can use the New Data Migration service to migrate data from Dropbox business accounts, including files, folders and associated permissions, helping organizations transition to Google Workspace quickly and easily. | Learn more about migrating files from Dropbox to Google Drive.

Generate podcast-style audio lessons in Google Classroom using Gemini

Last year, we made Gemini in Classroom available to all Google Workspace for Education editions with features to help educators create content and resources through one central destination in Classroom. Starting today, educators can now generate and share audio lessons to help students engage more deeply with instructional content and support various learning modalities. | Learn more about generating podcast-style audio lessons in Google Classroom using Gemini.

Control Speech Translation in Google Meet for your users

Google Meet Speech Translation allows translation in near-real time, bridging language barriers across users and organizations. The feature is currently available in alpha but will launch more broadly in beta on January 27, 2026. | Learn more about controlling speech translation in Google Meet for your users.

More user control for “Take notes for me” in Google Meet

We’re introducing a new toggle that lets users choose whether they want to have “Take notes for me” start automatically any time they are hosting a meeting. Previously, meeting hosts had to manually enable “Take notes for me” when they scheduled a call. | Learn more about new user controls for 'Take notes for me' in Google Meet.

Emojis reactions in Gmail will now be on by default

In 2025, we introduced the ability to react to emails in Gmail with emojis. This feature lets users respond quickly to acknowledge receipt of an email in a fun, informal and more authentic way. While initially enabled as an opt-in feature for early customer access, starting February 9, 2026, emoji reactions in Gmail will be enabled by default. | Learn more about default emoji reactions in Gmail.
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What’s changing

In 2025, we introduced the ability to react to emails in Gmail with emojis. This feature lets users respond quickly to acknowledge receipt of an email in a fun, informal and more authentic way. While initially enabled as an opt-in feature for early customer access, starting February 9, 2026, emoji reactions in Gmail will be enabled by default.

Organizations wishing to disable this feature can do so at any time in the Admin console, and the feature will not be enabled by default for organizations who have previously disabled or modified this feature setting in the Admin console (check the Audit & Investigation tool to confirm). 

Whether you’re using a ‘thanks’ emoji to express gratitude, voting for a team dinner with a food emoji, or congratulating your client for reaching a milestone with a celebratory emoji, emoji reactions provide an expressive and more personal way to respond to emails.

Note that reactions cannot be sent in certain scenarios, for example if an email was received via a Google Group email alias or if there is a Google Group on the recipient list. Visit the Help Center to learn more about these scenarios.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers.

Resources

Read More

Useful Links

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Learn about more Google Workspace launches

On the “What’s new in Google Workspace?” Help Center page, learn about new products and features launching in Google Workspace, including smaller changes that haven’t been announced on the Google Workspace Updates blog.

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