Google Workspace Updates

Drive IRM Update: More Control for File Owners and Shared Drive Managers

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

What’s changing

The Information Rights Management (IRM) feature for Drive prevents the downloading, copying and printing of documents for viewers and commenters. Currently, individual file owners can use IRM to limit viewers and commenters from printing, copying, or downloading a file. Earlier this year, we launched the ability for admins to restrict these actions for users with edit permissions.
Now, individual file owners and shared drive managers can apply printing, copying, and downloading restrictions to users with edit permissions as well. Editors and owners can still edit the document itself, however they can only copy and paste document content within the document itself.
As a whole, IRM controls give both admins and end users the ability to help prevent sensitive content from being leaked.

Getting started

Admins: IRM can be applied to all users, including file writers and owners, when it is applied by a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rule. Visit the Help Center to learn more about preventing commenters and viewers from downloading, printing, or copying files and our previous announcement concerning the ability for admins to restrict actions for users with edit permissions.

End users: Once this feature is enabled, all entry points for downloading, printing, and copying will be removed from Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides on all platforms. Note: If a file has both an administrator-applied IRM setting and a file owner setting on it, the administrator setting takes priority. Visit the Help Center to learn more about stopping, limiting, or changing how your files are shared.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 8, 2025, with expected completion on August 5, 2025

Availability

IRM controls are available for all Google Workspace customers
Data Loss Prevention Rules and Context-Aware Access conditions are available for Google Workspace:

Enterprise Standard and Plus
Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching and Learning add-on
Frontline Standard
Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus

Resources

Google Help: Stop, limit, or change sharing

Google Drive Help: View security limitations on Google Drive files

Google Workspace Admin Help: Combine DLP rules with Context-Aware Access conditions

Google Workspace Admin Help: Prevent commenters and viewers from downloading, printing, or copying files FAQ

Google Workspace Admin Help: Control access to apps based on user & device context

Workspace Updates Blog: Prevent the downloading, printing, or copying of files by all users with Enhanced IRM for Google Drive Data-Loss Prevention

Search for embedded content in Google Sites

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

What’s changingStarting today, we're making it easier to find information within a Google Site. Previously, searching in a site only showed results from the text directly on the pages. Now, when you perform a search, the results will also include content from within embedded files, such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and PDFs.
This highly-requested update expands the search capabilities beyond just the content on the page, providing a more comprehensive and efficient experience. This feature helps you find exactly what you're looking for, whether it's on a page or within an embedded file.

Search for embedded content in Google Sites

Additional details

For existing sites, the fastest way to enable this feature is to re-publish your site.
If you choose not to republish, embedded search will still become available on your Site in the coming months.
No action is required for new sites as the feature will be enabled by default.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 8, 2025
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on July 31, 2025

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

Resources

Google Help: Search embedded Drive files in Google Sites

Manage email subscriptions from a single location in Gmail

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

What’s changing Last year, we introduced web and mobile updates that enable you to unsubscribe from individual emails in Gmail more easily. Today, we’re building upon this with Gmail's new "Manage subscriptions" feature.
With the “Manage subscriptions” view, you can organize your subscription emails and easily unsubscribe from the ones you no longer want – all from a single place.
To find this view, click the navigation bar in the top-left corner of your inbox and select “Manage subscriptions.” Your active subscriptions are sorted by the most frequent senders alongside the number of emails they’ve sent you in the past few weeks. If there’s a sender you no longer wish to receive emails from, you can easily unsubscribe in one click, and Gmail will send an unsubscribe request to the sender on your behalf.

Manage email subscriptions from a single location in Gmail

Additional details If you are a bulk sender wanting to know more about unsubscribe requirements, please see additional details here.
Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing your subscriptions in Gmail, unsubscribing from an email and blocking or unblocking an email address.

Rollout paceWeb:

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 8, 2025
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 28, 2025

Android:

iOS:

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 21, 2025

Availability

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

Resources

Improved email notifications following Google Meet calls, plus new sharing controls for meeting hosts

Monday, July 7, 2025

What’s changing We’re improving the email notification that includes the notes doc when you use “Take notes for me” in Google Meet. The email will now include a summary of the meeting as well as “suggested next steps” in addition to the link to the notes document. Including this information gives meeting invitees a quick, helpful overview of the meeting in one place.

Suggested next steps are now included in the notes email

Also part of this update, meeting hosts and co-hosts for meetings taken on a web browser can now choose who the meeting notes should be sent to: all invited guests, invited guests in your organization, or hosts and co-hosts only. Note that the default setting is “Invited guests in your organization”.

Once you change the sharing setting, it will persist for that meeting and recurring meetings in that series. You can always change the setting as needed. Sharing is based on the Calendar invitees.

Before you turn on “Take notes for me”, you can choose who the meeting notes should be sent to.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 7, 2025

Availability

Available to Google Workspace

Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise Standard and Plus
Also available with the Gemini Education Premium add-on

Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature:

Gemini Enterprise*
AI Meetings & Messaging*

*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Let Google Meet AI take notes for my users
Google Help: Take notes with Gemini in Google Meet

Google Drive Events API now available in Developer Public Preview

Monday, July 7, 2025

What’s changing Google Drive is now integrated with the Workspace Events API, which allows third-party developers to create subscriptions on Drive items and receive notifications via Cloud Pub/Sub when those resources change. This offers developers a more reliable, featureful way of receiving events over the current files.watch and changes.watch methods that exist today. The following events are supported in the Developer Public Preview:

A file has been:

Added to a folder or shared drive.
Moved to a folder or shared drive.
Edited or a new revision is uploaded.
Trashed or removed from the trash.

An access proposal has been created or resolved on a file.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
Developers: Developers need to be enrolled in the Workspace Developer Public Preview program in order to access the API via this sign up. Once enrolled in the program, developers can reference our getting started guides:

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now.

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers

Resources

Use Gemini in Google Drive to execute basic organizational tasks

Monday, July 7, 2025

What’s changing In March, we introduced the ability to create new files and folders using Gemini in the side panel of Google Drive to improve your organization and creation workflows.
Starting today, we’ve enhanced Gemini’s organizing capabilities in Drive by allowing you to use natural language to move selected files into the folder you choose. Simply open Gemini in the side panel of Drive and type something similar to the following prompts to get started organizing:

“Create a new folder in My Drive called Q2 forecast“
“Move the @Q1 wrap up file in my Q1 forecast folder to the @Q2 forecast folder”
“Create a new presentation in the Q2 forecast folder”

Who’s impacted

End users
Why it’s important This new Gemini capability streamlines file management using natural language to perform basic actions on your behalf in Drive.
Additional details At this time, only the following functions are available:

Move @[file(s)] to @[folder]
Move @[files(s)] to this folder
Move these files to @[folder]
Create a new folder (with or without specifying what to name it)
Create a new Google Doc, Sheet or Slide (with or without specifying what to name it)

In addition, you can only move up to 5 files at a time.
Getting started

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 7, 2025

Availability

Available for Google Workspace:

Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise Standard and Plus
Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on
Google AI Pro and Ultra

Anyone who previously purchased these add-ons will also receive this feature:

Gemini Business*
Gemini Enterprise*

*As of January 15, 2025, we’re no longer offering the Gemini Business and Gemini Enterprise add-ons for sale. Please refer to this announcement for more details.

Resources

Collaborate with Gemini in Google Drive

Gems are now available in the side panel of Google Workspace apps

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Update[July 8, 2025]: We have updated the Rollout section with the latest timelines -- please see below for more information.
What’s changingCurrently, when you’re using the Gemini app, you can use Gems, custom AI experts that can help you complete specific goals, tasks, and workflows based on your input. You can also take advantage of pre-made Gems as well, like writing editor, coding partner, sales pitch ideator, and more.
Today, we’re bringing the power of Gems directly into the side panel of Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and Gmail.

Gems in the side panel of Google Docs

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use them

Gems can help you further leverage the power of Gemini in a way that’s customized to your needs more efficiently by minimizing repetitive prompting. You can now take advantage of Gems directly from the side panel of several Google Workspace apps. This includes your custom Gems or pre-made gems. Without needing to switch between applications, you can use Gems in the side panel to:

Leverage a copywriting Gem to create posts and content tailored to your target audience, pre-loaded into the Gem.
Create a Gem that helps with sales interactions that is grounded on information for a specific company, prospect, or industry.
Leverage an "assistant gem" tailored to your job role to help provide more relevant summaries for you and content for internal communications.
Leverage a Gem designed to help pressure test content from a certain persona (e.x C-Suite or CEO) to help you create the most compelling message.

Additional details

If you don't see a Gem that meets your needs, or want to customize a Gem for a specific task, you can create your own at gemini.google.com/gems/create. Both custom and premade Gems will appear in the side panel across all supported Workspace applications, and can leverage many Workspace capabilities including @ mentioning, accessing files and folders in your corpus, and more. Visit the Help Center for more information on working with Gems.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 15, 2025

Availability

Available for Google Workspace customers who can access Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps and Gems in the Gemini app.

Resources

Google Help: Use Gems in Gemini Apps

Google Help: Collaborate with Gemini in Google Drive

Google Help: Collaborate with Gemini in Google Docs

Google Help: Collaborate with Gemini in Google Sheets

Google Help: Collaborate with Gemini in Google Slides

Google Help: Collaborate with Gemini in Google Gmail

Google Workspace Updates Blog: Customize Gemini (gemini.google.com) for your specific needs with Gems

Google Workspace Updates Blog: Tackle repetitive tasks, extract deeper insights, and more with the latest premade Gems in the Gemini app

Google Workspace Updates Blog: Gemini in the side panel of Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Drive is rolling out now

Google Workspace Updates Blog: Gemini in the side panel of Gmail is rolling out now

AppSheet Updates: New Licenses page in the AppSheet Admin Console and group based license controls for Enterprise Plus licenses

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

What’s changing We’re pleased to announce the Licenses page in the AppSheet Admin Console. From the Licenses page, customers that purchase their AppSheet licenses through Workspace can now see the licenses purchased, assigned and used in a single consolidated view in the AppSheet Admin Console. Customers can also distinguish between licenses used in a month and licenses assigned.
This updated license reporting will show you every user of your licenses in the calendar month and the reason why licenses were consumed. You can also select the reason and you will be redirected to the app usage report highlighting the apps that caused a license to be used.

The new License page in the AppSheet Admin console

Additional details

License Warnings

Starting this week, you may start to see warnings in the AppSheet Admin Console if you have exceeded the number of licenses purchased or have shared an app with a user with a lower license tier.

Note that regardless of the license type, all AppSheet licenses are billed as a subscription – billing is not usage based. In other words, your organization will never be charged for more licenses than you have agreed to purchase upfront, even if your usage exceeds your commitment. However, user access may be restricted after repeated months of unresolved license violations. For detailed information on the licensing options, types of warnings you may see, and how to resolve these warnings, please read through this post in the AppSheet community.

Example warning banner

Pooled licensing for AppSheet Enterprise Plus

It is now possible to limit the users of your pooled enterprise licenses to a group configured by an admin. Eligible users can be members from your verified domain(s) in a Google Group. When configured, this setting grants an enterprise license to every member of the group, including groups within the selected group. Users from your organization that are outside of the enterprise pooled group will not be allowed to access apps created by users with an enterprise license.

Pooling AppSheet Enterprise licenses by a specific Group

Getting started

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on July 2, 2025

Availability

Available for all Google Workspace customers with AppSheet licenses

Resources

Join a client-side encrypted meeting from a Google Meet Hardware device

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

What’s changing Currently, you can join client-side encrypted calls from a computer or mobile device. Starting today, you can join client-side encrypted calls directly from Google Meet hardware devices. Simply select the meeting from the in-room agenda on any hardware device – you’ll be prompted to authenticate from a personal device, such as your phone or laptop, which will grant the room access to this specific meeting.

Joining a client-side encrypted meeting from a hardware device

Google Meet always encrypts call media in transit and at rest, ensuring only meeting participants and Google's data center services can decrypt it. Client-side encryption adds an additional layer of privacy by encrypting all media that is encrypted directly by each participant's browser using keys accessible only to them, meaning Google's servers and other service providers cannot decrypt or access the call content. This gives users greater control and confidentiality over their meeting communications, and this specific update gives users another way to join client-side encrypted calls.

Additional details

Client-side encrypted calls can be joined from meeting rooms in the host's organization or in the organization of an invited participant. A room does not need to be specifically invited to the meeting — access to client-side encrypted calls is determined by the identity of the individual participant.

Getting started

Admins:

In order for end users to use client-side encryptions, admins must connect Google Workspace to an external identity provider and encryption key service (IdP+key service). Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing client-side encryption for your organization. Note: There is no additional configuration for room hardware if client-side encryption has already been configured.
Note: The KACLS server used for key management needs to support the delegate call. This call is used for authorizing a room to join a meeting on behalf of an authenticated user. Check with your KACLS vendor for details.

End users: You can join a client-side encrypted call from a room in the same way you would join a call using regular encryption. Follow the additional instructions displayed on the room unit to authenticate on your personal device. Visit the Help Center to learn more about joining a client-side encrypted meeting from a Google Meet hardware device.

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 2, 2025

Availability

Client-side encryption for Google Meet is available for Google Workspace:

Enterprise Plus
Education Standard and Plus

Joining an encrypted call is available for all Google Meet hardware devices

Resources

Live stream viewers can now send chat messages, plus additional host controls

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

What’s changing

We’re introducing updates for the in-meeting chat experience for Google Meet live streams. Specifically, we’re adding the ability for viewers to send in-meeting chat messages, together with a host control for this functionality. The host management setting will be set to ALLOW viewers to send messages by default.

The ability to read in-meeting chat messages will now be controlled with a new host management control. This setting will be configured as ALLOW viewers to read messages by default as well.

Note that in order to allow viewers to send messages, reading messages must also be turned on.

These updates give meeting hosts more options to control over when and how live stream viewers can interact with in-meet chat messages.

Host controls > Host Management > “Let live stream viewers…”

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning live streaming on or off for your organization. Note that in-call chat messaging for live streams requires chat to be turned on for Meet calls in general – visit the Help Center for more information.
End users:

Meeting hosts:

Note: The host control for sending chat messages is already rolled out. Hosts that wish to adjust settings for upcoming meetings in advance can do so already.
These settings are configured per meeting or per meeting series, with other host management controls. Visit the Help Center to learn more about live streaming for video hosts.

Live stream viewers: Your ability to view and send in-meeting chat messages during a live stream will depend on your meeting host configuration.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Available now.
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) beginning on July 14, 2025

Availability

The following Google Workspace editions can initiate a live stream:

Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise Essentials Plus
Education Plus and the Teaching & Learning upgrade

Anyone can view a live stream.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn live streaming on or off for Meet
Google Help: Live stream a video meeting for hosts

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

In the Google Cloud Community, connect with Googlers and other Google Workspace admins like yourself. Participate in product discussions, check out the Community Articles, and learn tips and tricks that will make your work and life easier. Be the first to know what's happening with Google Workspace.

______________

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.

______________

Updates

Drive IRM Update: More Control for File Owners and Shared Drive Managers

Search for embedded content in Google Sites

Manage email subscriptions from a single location in Gmail

Improved email notifications following Google Meet calls, plus new sharing controls for meeting hosts

Google Drive Events API now available in Developer Public Preview

Use Gemini in Google Drive to execute basic organizational tasks

Gems are now available in the side panel of Google Workspace apps

AppSheet Updates: New Licenses page in the AppSheet Admin Console and group based license controls for Enterprise Plus licenses

Join a client-side encrypted meeting from a Google Meet Hardware device

Live stream viewers can now send chat messages, plus additional host controls

Filter by product

Filter by date

Subscribe by feed

Subscribe by email

Localized Google Workspace Updates

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

Learn about more Google Workspace launches