We are introducing persistent drafts in Google Chat. Unsent messages are now automatically saved so you can finish and send later, and are also synchronized across your devices, allowing you to start composing a message on one device and finish or send it from another.

With this update, you can start typing a message and finish later, even if you close Chat or reboot your device. If you start typing a message at your desk, you can finish and send the message from your tablet or mobile phone during your commute. Your unsent drafts will be waiting in the conversation compose box and the drafts shortcut.

• Drafts are saved per conversation (DMs, group DMs, and Spaces).
• You will find your drafts for a given conversation or thread stored in the compose box.
• You will also find your drafts across all conversations in the drafts shortcut.
• Unsent drafts are retained for up to 30 days.

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

Web

• Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility with expected completion by September 15, 2026)  starting on September 8, 2026 
• Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 22, 2026

Android & iOS

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 28, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

• Google Help: Reply to a message in Google Chat

To help organizations elevate their security posture, we are introducing context-aware access (CAA) policies in the Admin console for Gemini Enterprise. Google Workspace administrators can select granular security attributes for Gemini Enterprise access, including device security and location settings that can be applied to personal and managed devices.

For example, an administrator can create a CAA policy that restricts access to Gemini Enterprise from specific geographic regions. Organizations can also reuse their existing policies that apply to Workspace apps by also applying them to Gemini Enterprise.

Context-Aware Access settings for Gemini Enterprise in Admin console

Getting started

• Admins: Context-Aware Access for Gemini Enterprise can be configured at the organizational unit (OU) or group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Context-Aware Access, creating Context-Aware Access levels, and assigning Context-Aware Access levels to apps.
• End users: If enabled by your admin, you can access Gemini Enterprise when authenticating using your Google sign-in. If your organization’s Context-Aware Access settings are not set to allow access, you may see a message letting you know that you cannot use Google sign-in to authenticate with Gemini Enterprise, or you may see remediation messages which will provide some options on how to unblock Gemini Enterprise.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 8, 2026, with expected completion by September 15, 2026

Availability

• Enterprise: Enterprise Standard, and Plus
• Education: Education Standard, and Plus
• Other: Frontline Standard and Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium

Note: You will need to have purchased Gemini Enterprise to apply Context-Aware Access policies for your users.

Resources

• Google Workspace Admin Help: Assign Context-Aware Access levels to apps
• Google Workspace Admin Help: Protect your business with Context-Aware Access

The new 1Password SaaS Manager integration for Google Chat helps teams streamline IT and HR processes by bringing notifications, actions  and approvals directly within Chat.

With this  integration, teams can build automated workflows for common employee access scenarios, including provisioning and deprovisioning membership across Google Chat spaces. Managers and approvers can review requests and take action directly from interactive Google Chat messages, helping reduce delays and keeping access decisions moving without switching tools.

Getting started

• Admins: Admins can install the 1Password Saas Manager Chat app on their users’ behalf. Visit the Help Center to learn more about installing Marketplace apps for your organization.
• End users: End users need a 1Password SaaS Manager account to use this app. They can also search for the 1Password Chat App under Apps > Find apps. Visit the Google Workspace Marketplace to learn more and install the 1Password Chat app.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

• Available to all managed Google Workspace business or organizational accounts

Resources

• 1Password Help Center
• 1Password Saas Manager Chat app

Google Sheets now supports the full Google Fonts web font library directly within charts. Users can now select “More fonts” from any font dropdown inside the chart editor sidebar to search, add, and apply custom web fonts across key chart text elements. This expanded font support is available for:

• Chart titles and subtitles
• Horizontal and vertical axis titles and labels
• Data labels
• Legend text

Additionally, this launch enhances import and export compatibility with Microsoft Excel to preserve a wider range of fonts across both platforms. Previously, importing Excel files containing charts with custom fonts would result in missing or fallback font substitutions. Now, custom fonts present in both platforms are seamlessly preserved during file import and export, ensuring visual consistency and brand fidelity when moving spreadsheets between Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel.

User selecting a custom web font in the Google Sheets chart editor

Getting started

• Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
• End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about adding and editing a chart in Google Sheets.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 1, 2026 
• Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 21, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

• Google Docs Editors Help: Add & edit a chart or graph

Add co-presenters in Google Meet with one click

Google Pics brings pro-level AI image creation and editing to Google Workspace

Automate Drive, Gmail, and Google Chat actions with new steps in Workspace Studio

Custom instructions for Gemini in Workspace now available in more apps

Turn Google Docs, PDFs, and Word files into video summaries in Google Vids

New built-in interoperability between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams on Android (AOSP) devices, now in Early Preview

Introducing comprehensive audit logs for Gemini Notebook in the Workspace Admin console