This official feed from the Google Workspace team provides essential information about new features and improvements for Google Workspace customers.
rss_feed

Improved file importing in Google Sheets with tables and linked pivot tables

We’re introducing two key improvements in Google Sheets that preserve formatting and linked data when converting files from Microsoft Excel. First, Excel tables will now seamlessly import as Sheets tables. Second, Sheets now fully supports importing Excel pivot tables that are backed by table ranges. | Learn more.

New usability features in Connected Sheets

Google Workspace is introducing two usability enhancements to Connected Sheets to improve data presentation and give more flexibility when analyzing BigQuery data. | Learn more.

Use Sheets canvas to visualize data in custom, interactive mini-apps

We’re excited to launch Sheets canvas, a new Gemini-powered capability that transforms your spreadsheets into custom, interactive, read-write applications using simple natural language prompts. It acts as a dynamic visualization layered directly on top of your spreadsheet data, allowing you and your team to work in layouts that best fit your workflows. | Learn more.

Take Notes for me for in-person meetings is now available

We know that balancing active participation with note taking during face-to-face discussions can be a challenge. You shouldn't have to choose between staying present in the moment and capturing critical context for later. We’re excited to start rolling out a new way to make Google Meet the home for all of your meetings, expanding beyond just video calls to support your in-person collaboration.  | Learn more.

New admin controls for adding invitations to Google Calendar

Google Calendar users have three options for how event invitations are added to their calendar: auto-add invitations from everyone, auto-add invitations from known senders only, or add invitations only after the user responds in email. To date, administrators can only choose the default value for users in their organization. | 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.

Read More

Google Calendar users have three options for how event invitations are added to their calendar: auto-add invitations from everyone, auto-add invitations from known senders only, or add invitations only after the user responds in email. To date, administrators can only choose the default value for users in their organization.

With this release, we’re expanding Calendar settings in the Admin console to offer organizations more granular controls on invitations.  Administrators can now determine the invitation options available to end users, providing organizations more control over inbound event invitations from unknown senders and minimizing potential security risks from the content contained within them.


Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Read More

We know that balancing active participation with note taking during face-to-face discussions can be a challenge. You shouldn't have to choose between staying present in the moment and capturing critical context for later. We’re excited to start rolling out a new way to make Google Meet the home for all of your meetings, expanding beyond just video calls to support your in-person collaboration.



“Take Notes” button in Meet on Web


Take Notes button in Meet on Mobile

Start Taking Notes: Launch a session directly from the Google Meet home screen on web or mobile by selecting the "Take notes" button. Once recording begins, Gemini actively captures notes for your in person meetings.

Review the Artifacts: When your meeting finishes, press the button to conclude audio capture. Gemini automatically compiles a structured notes summary, action items, and complete transcript into a Google Doc, saved directly to Google Drive, and emails the link to you.

Getting started

  • Admins: This feature will be controlled by existing Google Meet notes settings.
  • End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

  • Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains:
    • Android with extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 11, 2026
    • Web with extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting no sooner than August 14, 2026
    • iOS with extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting no sooner than August 31, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Read More

We’re excited to launch Sheets canvas, a new Gemini-powered capability that transforms your spreadsheets into custom, interactive, read-write applications using simple natural language prompts. It acts as a dynamic visualization layered directly on top of your spreadsheet data, allowing you and your team to work in layouts that best fit your workflows. 

Whether you need to coordinate cross-functional deliverables or present core insights from dense data to an executive team, Sheets canvas can deliver the visual tool for the job. Key capabilities include: 

  • End-to-end creation: Build an advanced visualization with a single natural language prompt without requiring coding, formulas, or third-party tools. 
  • Fully read-write: Changes made in the canvas, such as dragging task cards or adding new entries, instantly update your source sheet. Likewise, any updates to the source sheet reflect in your canvas in real time. 
  • Flexible adjustments: Continue to polish and refine your Sheets canvas by prompting Gemini to make edits to layout, design, functionality, and more. 
  • Familiar sharing tools: Because Sheets canvas is built directly inside Google Sheets, it inherits the same sharing settings as your spreadsheet, making it effortless to collaborate in real time. 
For example, if you’re a financial analyst working out of a budget spreadsheet, you can ask Gemini to “Build an interactive dashboard that helps me analyze how different cost drivers impact a quarterly budget.” If you’re an operations lead overseeing logistics, you can simply prompt Gemini to “Create a custom tracker to visualize regional field assignments.” 

Users can build a wide variety of applications with Sheets canvas. Here are just a few examples:


Kanban board: Group tasks by workflow stage, and drag and drop cards to update progress in real time 


Dashboard: Create a financial forecasting model with dynamic scenario planning


Whiteboard: Conduct a virtual brainstorming session with sticky notes 

Note: This feature is currently only available on the web to accounts with language set to English.

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

  • Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 10, 2026 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 31, 2026 

Availability 

  • Business: Business Standard and Plus 
  • Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus 
  • Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra Education 
  • Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education AI Add-ons: AI Expanded Access 
Note: Creating and editing Sheets canvases is subject to per-user usage limits. See the Help Center for more information. 

Resources 


Read More

Google Workspace is introducing two usability enhancements to Connected Sheets to improve data presentation and give more flexibility when analyzing BigQuery data. 

List parameters: When writing a query, users can reference multiple values in a single list parameter by selecting a grid range in a sheet. Each cell will function as a unique value in the list. This enables more flexible or robust querying based on values already in the sheet. For example, this feature allows data admins and power users to configure input sheets that allow collaborators or end users to easily select options via drop-down or in the sheet for advanced filtering without needing to modify the underlying query. As a result, more users can independently self-serve insights and interact with Connected Sheets. 

Column aliasing: Users can create aliases for BigQuery column names directly within the Connected Sheet. Database column names can sometimes be unwieldy or lack contextual information for broader audience readability. Aliasing provides a way to substitute presentation-ready labels in the Connected Sheets interface without altering the underlying database reference. Users can continue to refer to columns by either the new alias or the original name in formulas and inputs.





Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

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

Resources 

Read More

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

In the Google Cloud Community, discuss the latest features with Googlers and other Google Workspace admins like you. 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.

Learn about our customers

Discover how a diverse range of organizations, from small businesses and nimble startups to globally recognized Fortune 500 corporations, leverage the collaborative power of Google Workspace. Explore examples of how teams of are streamlining workflows and driving productivity by utilizing Google-Workspace.