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

We're excited to announce a major improvement to Microsoft Office interoperability in Google Workspace: you can now edit Microsoft Office files that are password-protected, directly within Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

When a user attempts to open a protected file in Drive, they will be prompted to enter the password with the option to View or Edit. Selecting “Preview” opens the document in read-only Preview mode without removing the password. New with this launch is the option to Edit, which will open the file for editing in Docs/Sheets/Slides and remove the password from the file.


A user opening a password protected Microsoft Office file in Google Drive

This enables better interoperability between Workspace and Microsoft, allowing users for the first time to edit password protected files directly in Drive. Prior to this, users would have to download and rely on third party applications to remove passwords or edit password protected Microsoft files.

Getting started

Rollout pace

  • Rapid Release domains: Full rollout (1–4 days for feature visibility) starting on January 13, 2026, and ending on January 16, 2026
  • Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on January 19, 2026, and ending January 21, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Read More

What’s changing

We’re expanding the availability of the Google Workspace SecOps data connector to customers using Google Workspace for Education Plus and Education Standard. This feature was previously only available for our Enterprise customers.

The SecOps data connector allows you to seamlessly forward all your Google Workspace activity logs (including Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and more) into the Google SecOps platform (formerly Chronicle Security Operations).

This feature is critical for organizations, especially in the education sector, to maintain a strong security posture. By centralizing your Workspace audit data with other security telemetry, you can:

  • Enhance threat detection: Gain a unified view to correlate activity logs across your entire IT environment, making it easier to spot complex or coordinated threats like unauthorized data access, insider threats, and malicious email activity.
  • Improve incident response: Streamline your security workflows. With all data in one place, your security team can investigate incidents faster and automate responses, such as suspending compromised accounts or revoking file access.
  • Meet compliance and auditing needs: Easily maintain a long-term, searchable archive of activity logs to meet regulatory requirements and simplify internal and external audits.
This feature is a powerful, cost-effective way to utilize your existing Google Workspace data to strengthen your overall security and defense strategy.

Getting started

  • Admins: Configure the forwarding of Google Workspace audit logs to the Google SecOps platform in the Admin console. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • This change impacts the following Google Workspace for Education Standard and Plus editions. Your organization must have an active Google SecOps subscription to utilize this data connector.

Resources

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

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.