Google Workspace Updates

Google Meet now uses post-quantum cryptography

2026-10-12T08:54:33.769-07:00

Calls in Google Meet will use post-quantum cryptography (PQC) for extra protection, starting now with laptop web clients and meeting room hardware, with mobile support coming soon. There are no visible changes, and you can continue using Meet normally. The updated encryption protects your data against potential future quantum computer threats.

The expansion of PQC to all Meet calls will help to secure infrastructure and services against the potential threat of a future cryptographically relevant quantum computer. No such computer exists today; however this change helps protect today's Meet traffic from the theoretical risk of being harvested and decrypted by a future quantum computer, an approach commonly referred to as Store Now, Decrypt Later.

Google Meet has used quantum-safe encryption previously for client-side encrypted calls (CSE).

Google automatically implements all necessary updates to benefit all Meet hosts and participants. Administrators and end users don't need to take any action.

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 about call & meeting encryption in Google Meet.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on Oct 12 for web and room hardware

Availability

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

Resources

Cloud Blog: PQC in Plaintext: Google Cloud’s post-quantum cryptography roadmap
Google Blog: Setting a timeline for post-quantum cryptography migration
Google Help: Learn about Meet client-side encryption (CSE)
Google Admin Help: How Google protects your organization's security and privacy
Google Workspace: Advanced Security & Threat Prevention
Google Cloud: Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) hub

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - October 9, 2026

2026-10-09T12:13:14.029-07:00

Secondary calendars will now follow the lifecycle of their owner

Preview, edit and collaborate on Markdown (.md) files natively across Drive and Docs

We are introducing the ability to view, edit, and collaborate on Markdown (.md or .markdown) files directly in Google Docs, as well as view rendered previews in Google Drive. | Learn more.

Use stock charts in Sheets to better visualize price movements

Google Sheets now supports new types of stock charts, making it easier to visualize price movement over time. Stock charts condense several price points for each time period into a single marker, so you can read a security's full trading range at a glance rather than interpreting separate line series. | Learn more.

Create Trello cards from Google Chat messages with Trello for Google Workspace

Trello for Google Workspace makes it easy to capture tasks and ideas from the conversations where they begin. With the app, you can create new Trello cards from emails and Google Chat messages, helping you keep Trello up to date without switching tabs or breaking your flow. | Learn more.

Point-in-time editing now available in Google Vids

Carrier Link for Google Voice available in 14 additional countries

In June, we launched Carrier Link in 20 countries where Google Voice service was not otherwise available. Today, we are making Carrier Link available in an additional 14 countries (the US, Canada, and much of Europe). Previously, customers in these countries could purchase Google Voice with a first party calling plan provided by Google. Now, customers who want the simplicity and features of Google Voice, but would prefer to use it in combination with a calling plan purchased from a local carrier can do so. | Learn more.

New logic and search steps in Workspace Studio help expand automation capabilities

We are introducing several new feature enhancements to Google Workspace Studio as part of the October 2026 feature release. These additions expand automation capabilities across Gmail, Google Meet, Google Drive, and custom control logic, giving users more flexibility to build sophisticated workflows without writing code. | 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.

New logic and search steps in Workspace Studio help expand automation capabilities

2026-10-09T10:55:30.633-07:00

Specifically, this release includes:

Nested Conditionals: Enables nested branching logic within flows so users can build multi-layered conditional decision paths.

Gmail Skip Replies: Allows users to configure Gmail thread triggers to ignore follow-up replies, ensuring flows trigger only on primary incoming emails.

Meet Calendar Outputs: Expands the Google Meet primitive to output additional Calendar event metadata—including full invitee lists—and provides template support for generating post-meeting follow-up email drafts.
Search for a Doc: Introduces a dedicated Google Drive step that allows flows to search dynamically for relevant document files based on search parameters.

These enhancements eliminate repetitive follow-up tasks, allow dynamic document lookup, and provide more control over automated communication across Google Workspace.

Getting started

Admins: Feature controls inherit overall Workspace Studio domain and OU-level policies. Admin settings for prerequisite primitives ramped prior to feature deployment. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
End users: Features are ON by default and accessible directly within the Workspace Studio flow builder. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 13, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual subscribers with access to Google Workspace Studio.

Resources

Google Help: Guide to Starters & Steps in Workspace Studio

Carrier Link for Google Voice available in 14 additional countries

2026-10-08T08:34:24.249-07:00

Our partners Southlight Services, Gamma Communications, Tata Communications & Telefonica Global Solutions have collaborated with Google Voice to offer these services in these countries.

Carrier Link allows Workspace customers to easily add phone numbers and calling plans from a certified local carrier, leveraging a pre-configured multi-tenant implementation of SIP Link.

This simplifies the process of setting up a cloud phone system, allowing customers to make and receive calls with payment handled by their local carrier and minimal configuration. Carrier Link is especially helpful for small businesses that want a reliable connection without the hassle of setting up their own hardware.

Getting started

Admins: Contact one of our Carrier Link partners to get started. They will provision the SIP Link licenses and phone numbers, which you can then assign to users, desk phones, auto-attendants, and ring groups. Visit the Help Center to learn more about Carrier Link requirements.
End users: There is no end user action required.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 8, 2026

Availability

Available to Workspace customers with Google Voice Starter, Google Voice Standard, or Google Voice Premier subscriptions

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: How Carrier Link works
Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up Google Voice
Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage Carrier Link Number
Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up Voice desk phones for your organization
Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up an automated attendant
Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up ring groups
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Use SIP Link to link phone numbers from local carriers to Google Voice

Point-in-time editing now available in Google Vids

2026-10-06T12:40:59.499-07:00

Google Vids is improving the video creation experience with the introduction of point-in-time editing. This feature will help ensure that the canvas matches the video timeline 1:1. Previously, the canvas displayed all elements present across an entire scene all at the same time, regardless of when they appeared during the video. With this update, when a user is editing, they will see exactly what appears in the video at that specific timestamp, eliminating visual clutter from overlapping text boxes, stickers, and images.

This update simplifies the creation process by providing a true "what you see is what you get" editing workflow. Key improvements include:

Synchronized canvas display: The editing canvas dynamically updates as you scrub or move through the timeline, showing only the active elements at that exact moment.
Enhanced timeline interaction: Editors can click directly on object tracks within the timeline to move the playhead to that point.
Simplified scene management: Users no longer need to split scenes into smaller segments simply to manage multiple timed objects, making it easier to build multi-layered content like captions, lower thirds, and media overlays.

Point-in-time editing is the default behavior across all Google Vids sessions and requires no action from administrators. This streamlined experience will help users create polished video content more efficiently without managing overlapping elements.

Point-in-time editing in Google Vids

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

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) started on September 29, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on October 13, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, Plus and Base
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus
Consumer: Google AI Plus and Ultra
Other Editions: Frontline Starter, Standard, and Plus; Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Individual; Nonprofits
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Resources

Google Help: Adjust timing of elements in a video

Create Trello cards from Google Chat messages with Trello for Google Workspace

2026-10-06T10:37:16.780-07:00

The refreshed app replaces and builds on the Trello for Gmail experience and adds the ability to create new cards from Google Chat. Existing Trello for Gmail users can continue using the app without reinstalling or reauthorizing it. To create cards from Google Chat, add Trello for Google Workspace to a Chat space or direct message and follow the sign-in prompt.

Getting started

Admins: Admins can install the Trello app on their users behalf. Visit the Help Center to learn more about installing Marketplace apps for your organization.
End users: If allowed by your admin, visit the Google Workspace Marketplace to learn more and install the Trello app.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts. Requires a Trello account to use.

Resources

Google Workspace Marketplace: Install Trello for Google Workspace from Google Workspace Marketplace
Trello Support: Trello Help Center

Use stock charts in Sheets to better visualize price movements

2026-10-05T13:42:28.567-07:00

High-Low-Close (HLC): plots the highest price, lowest price, and closing price for each period, showing both the trading range and where the period settled
Open-High-Low-Close (OHLC): adds the opening price, so you can see the full session in one marker and immediately tell whether the period closed up or down

Both types are built for the workflows financial analysts already run in Sheets, from tracking equities and commodities to building valuation models on historical price data.

Sheets stock chart support also comes with enhanced Microsoft Excel import compatibility. Previously, importing Excel files containing stock charts into Sheets would result in these charts being dropped entirely, forcing analysts to rebuild them manually. Now, HLC and OHLC stock charts are accurately preserved when moving files between Excel and Sheets.

User creating a stock chart in Google Sheets

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 October 5, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 22, 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

Preview, edit and collaborate on Markdown (.md) files natively across Drive and Docs

2026-10-05T11:15:32.030-07:00

We are introducing the ability to view, edit, and collaborate on Markdown (.md or .markdown) files directly in Google Docs, as well as view rendered previews in Google Drive.

Markdown is a standard text format widely used by Large Language Models (LLMs) to preserve structured content, like tables, headers, and bulleted lists, without the bulk of heavy file formats. Previously, you needed to import and convert Markdown files into a Doc format, which often altered formatting, stripped comments, and fragmented files.

Now that users can handle markdown files natively in Google Docs, they can open, edit, and collaborate on markdown files without changing the file type. Editing Markdown files in Docs also enables both users and agents to collaborate without forcing anyone to write raw syntax, handle manual file conversions, or give up Docs' real-time editing and commenting tools.

Drive also now supports rendered markdown, so you can view fully formatted, beautiful documents with clickable links and structured tables right in Drive.

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

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 5, 2026

Availability

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

Resources

Google Help: View and edit Markdown (.md) files in Google Docs

Secondary calendars will now follow the lifecycle of their owner

2026-10-05T10:16:27.371-07:00

As announced earlier this year, we are now rolling out the secondary calendar lifecycle changes for non-personal Workspace accounts: secondary calendars will now follow the lifecycle of their owner, meaning that when a user account is deleted, any secondary calendars owned by that user will be deleted as well. Similarly, when a user is suspended, their owned secondary calendars will be suspended as well. This matches the behavior of primary calendars. To preserve a secondary calendar, ownership must be transferred to a new user before the original owner's account is deleted or suspended.

This update strengthens organizational data governance by ensuring that every secondary calendar is tied to a valid owner that determines organizational settings and policies applying to the data.

Getting started

Admins: Admins can transfer secondary calendars in the admin console or by using the Calendar API.
End users: Users can transfer their secondary calendars in Calendar Settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on October 5, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual subscribers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Cancel or transfer events or secondary calendars before deleting a user
Google Help: Transfer calendars or events in Google Calendar
Google Workspace Updates Blog: An update on secondary calendar lifecycle changes and a new API
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Improving secondary calendar management with dedicated owners

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - October 2, 2026

2026-10-02T11:43:57.052-07:00

Create more natural, expressive AI voiceovers in Google Vids with upgraded Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS

We are upgrading the underlying text-to-speech (TTS) engine powering AI voiceovers and avatar narration in Google Vids to the latest Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS model. | Learn more.

Introducing skills in the Gemini app and Workspace, plus what’s next for Gems

We recently introduced skills—reusable prompts that guide Gemini—in the Gemini app and Google Workspace. Over the coming weeks, skills will roll out to Workspace users and eventually replace Gems as the tool for tailoring instructions for specific tasks. | Learn more.

Customize the style of your captions in Google Vids

Captions in Google Vids are now fully customizable. Until now, captions came in a set style. You can now change their font and typography, where they sit on screen, and how they animate, so they match your brand or the look of your video. | Learn more.

Programmatic comment and suggestion support now available in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides APIs

Developers can now programmatically create, read, and manage comments across Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides using their respective developer APIs. In Google Docs, this update also introduces API support for suggested edits, allowing automated tools and third-party systems to propose document revisions for user review rather than altering content directly. | Learn more.

Simple setup option for Workspace Client-side encryption

We are introducing a new option which can make the initial setup of Google Workspace Client-side encryption (CSE) significantly easier and faster for admins. | Learn more.

Find your learning tools all in one place with the student hub in Gemini

Built-in interoperability between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams on Android (AOSP) devices, now generally available

We are making video conferencing device interoperability between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams generally available. It was previously available in preview. | 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.

Built-in interoperability between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams on Android (AOSP) devices, now generally available

2026-10-01T12:34:11.132-07:00

We are making video conferencing device interoperability between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams generally available. It was previously available in preview. This launch will enable you to:

Join Microsoft Teams meetings from Android (AOSP)-based Google Meet hardware devices.
Join Google Meet meetings from Android (AOSP)-based Microsoft Teams Rooms devices.

See our early preview announcement for more details.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about allowing Meet hardware to join third-party video conferencing services.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn how to join Microsoft Teams meetings with Google Meet hardware.

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on October 1, 2026

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet hardware devices running Android/AOSP

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Allow Meet hardware to join third-party video conferencing services
Google Workspace Admin Help: Join Microsoft Teams meetings with Google Meet hardware
Workspace Updates Blog: New built-in interoperability between Google Meet and Microsoft Teams on Android (AOSP) devices, now in Early Preview

Find your learning tools all in one place with the student hub in Gemini

2026-10-01T09:22:17.860-07:00

We recently announced a new, dedicated hub in the Gemini app to help get students started with all of Gemini's learning tools. Initially available in personal accounts, the Gemini student hub is now available to Google Workspace for Education users of all ages. The hub helps keep students organized; they can start a study notebook, create flashcards, take a practice quiz, and more. As Gemini creates more learning tools, you’ll find them in the student hub.

Getting started

Admins: The Gemini app and related in-app tools are controlled by the Generative AI settings in the Workspace Admin console. The Gemini student hub is subject to these existing controls. Visit the Help Center for more information on turning the Gemini app on or off.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. To get started, visit gemini.google.com/students or select Students in the Gemini app menu.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual subscribers outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), and users with personal Google accounts globally

Resources

News from Google: Start the semester with one year of Gemini, on us

Simple setup option for Workspace Client-side encryption

2026-10-01T09:03:07.899-07:00

We are introducing a new option which can make the initial setup of Google Workspace Client-side encryption (CSE) significantly easier and faster for admins.

CSE now supports a simple setup path in the Admin console which can help customers get up and running with CSE in minutes. By combining Cloud HSM Keys with Google Identity, we have automated much of the setup flow which could be time consuming. In a few clicks, admins can set up and deploy CSE, reducing the time to live and allowing customers to use their existing GCP resources to add CSE protection to your most sensitive data.

Customers use Client-side encryption across Workspace applications to encrypt emails, files, meetings and events, to comply with sovereignty and compliance regulations from HIPAA to ITAR. With Client-side encryption, data is encrypted by customer keys before it ever reaches Google servers, making the customer the sole arbiter of their data. Previously, this privacy control required deep technical knowledge to set up a third-party key service and configure an identity provider. With simple setup, admins from enterprise to small businesses can start encrypting their important data within minutes.

For admins who require more custom configurations leveraging third-party key services, that option is also still available via the standard CSE setup process.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about client-side encryption or setting up CSE with the simplified method.
End users: No end user action needed.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Enterprise: Enterprise Plus with the Assured Controls or Assured Controls Plus add-on

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Set up Client-side encryption (simplified method)
Cloud Blog: Now available: Cloud HSM as an encryption key service for Workspace client-side encryption

Programmatic comment and suggestion support now available in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides APIs

2026-09-30T14:26:19.996-07:00

These additions allow organizations and developers to connect internal review tools, automated content pipelines, and project tracking systems directly to Google Workspace editors. Key capabilities include:

Docs API: Programmatically add, review, and reply to comments, and submit proposed text changes as suggestions.
Sheets API: Programmatically add, review, and reply to comments on specific cells.
Slides API: Programmatically add, review, and reply to comments associated with individual slides and specific presentation elements.

Programmatic comment support within the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers remains in developer preview in accordance with the preview status of the MCP servers.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 30, 2026

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature, but admins can control which apps can access Google Workspace data.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature, but users can manage links between their Google Account & apps from other developers.

Availability

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

Resources

Developer documentation

Customize the style of your captions in Google Vids

2026-09-30T12:53:44.308-07:00

Captions make videos easier to follow when the sound is off or when viewers prefer to read along. Captions that look good help your video catch people's attention on social feeds and in company channels. They also make it look finished and ready to share.

Increased customization options for captions can help:

Marketing and social teams: Match captions to brand fonts and colors for social ads and promo videos.
Creators: Add animated, eye-catching captions to make short videos more engaging.

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

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, Plus and Base
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus
Consumer: Google AI Plus and Ultra
Other Editions: Frontline Starter, Standard, and Plus; Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Individual; Nonprofits
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Resources

Google Help: Make your document, presentation, sheets & videos more accessible
Google Help: Add captions to a video

Introducing skills in the Gemini app and Workspace, plus what’s next for Gems

2026-09-30T09:11:32.290-07:00

Read on for more details on skills, plus critical information and dates related to the transition away from Gems in the Gemini app, Workspace, Google Classroom, and more.

What are skills?

Skills are reusable, custom instructions that you can leverage any time you’re prompting Gemini in the Gemini app and most Workspace apps. For example, you can create a brand voice skill to help you draft blog posts or a lesson planning skill to save time with class prep. You can even use multiple skills in the same prompt or at different points in the conversation.

To learn more about skills and how to create them in the Gemini app, Gemini Enterprise, and Workspace, business and enterprise users should check out our AI skills 101 handbook. Educational institutions should leverage our Gems transition guide for education. For a comprehensive list of resources, see the bottom of this post.

Note: Currently, skills do not sync between the Gemini app and Workspace apps. If you want to use a skill across both platforms, you must create it separately in each.

Create and use skills in the Gemini app

Use skill builder in Google Docs to craft and share new skills with your team

How do skills differ from Gems?

Unlike Gems, skills function inline in your unified chat threads, meaning you can layer or "stack" multiple sets of custom instructions simultaneously in one prompt. For example, an educator can combine a "weekly newsletter" skill with an "institutional brand guidelines" skill to ensure on-brand communications, while a business user can pair a "vendor evaluator" skill with an "executive email drafter" skill to analyze vendors and draft a recommendation in one step.

In addition, skills are built entirely on the open, Markdown-native SKILL.md standard. This allows you to copy skills you’ve created on other platforms into the Gemini app and Workspace apps.

What happens to Gems?

For now, you can continue creating and using Gems in the Gemini app, though you can no longer create Workspace Studio flows with the “Ask a Gem" step. Existing flows with Ask a Gem steps will continue to work.

Over the coming months, we’ll gradually remove support for Gems across all surfaces and eventually auto-migrate any Gems remaining in the Gemini app to draft skills in the Gemini app. If you’d prefer to migrate sooner, you can manually recreate your Gems as skills in the Gemini app. Because skills in the Gemini app won’t automatically appear in Workspace, you’ll also need to recreate them in Workspace if you want to use them in Workspace apps.

Key dates

October 5, 2026: Skills begin rolling out in Workspace, with an expected completion by mid-November.
October 13, 2026: Skills begin rolling out in the Gemini app, with an expected completion by mid-November.
November 17, 2026: Gems move to the Settings panel of the Gemini app, but users can continue to create, edit, and use them.
No sooner than March 1, 2027 (business and enterprise only): Gems can no longer be created, edited, or used, and they’re removed from the Settings panel of the Gemini app. Flows in Workspace Studio with the Ask a Gem step stop working. Any remaining Gems in the Gemini app are auto-migrated to draft skills in the Gemini app.
No sooner than June 1, 2027 (education only): Gems can no longer be created, edited, or used, and they’re removed from the Settings panel of the Gemini app, as well as Google Classroom and third-party LMS’ supported by Gemini LTI™. Flows in Workspace Studio with the Ask a Gem step stop working. Any remaining Gems in the Gemini app are auto-migrated to draft skills in the Gemini app.

We’ll share more details on the auto-migration with admins at least 30 days in advance.

Getting started

Admins:

Encourage your users to start creating skills and inform them of key dates for the Gems transition, based on the type of Workspace licenses in your organization (see key dates above). Visit the Help Center to view our comprehensive Gems migration guide, and stay tuned to the Workspace Updates blog for more details throughout the transition.
For educators using Classroom or Gemini LTI™, we recommend transitioning to Gemini Notebook (currently available) and Guided Learning (coming soon to Classroom) for personalized student learning and support. Learn more in the Gems transition guide for education.

End users:

Visit the Help Center to learn more about skills in Workspace and skills in the Gemini app, migrating Gems in the Gemini app to skills, and how the Gems transition to skills impacts Workspace Studio flows.
Education users can check out the Gems transition guide for education to learn more. Google Classroom users can also explore our guidance on creating and using teacher-led AI experiences directly in Classroom.

Rollout pace

Skills in the Gemini app

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout starting on October 13, 2026, with expected completion by mid-November, 2026

Skills in Workspace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout starting on October 5, 2026, with expected completion by October 12, 2026
Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout starting on October 19, 2026, with expected completion by mid-November, 2026

Availability

Skills in the Gemini app

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

Skills in Workspace

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Note that skills in Workspace are available only to users over age 18; skills in the Gemini app will be available to users of all ages.

Resources

Workspace Blog: Teach Gemini your team’s know-hows with skills in Google Workspace
News from Google Blog: Let skills in Gemini tackle your most repetitive tasks
Workspace Handbook: AI skills 101: Customizing AI from Google for your role
Workspace Admin Help: Allow people to use skills in Studio and Gemini in Workspace
Workspace Studio Help: Learn how skills work in Google Workspace Studio
Gemini Apps Help: Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps
Workspace Admin Help: About the transition from Gems to skills
Workspace Studio Help: How Gems transition to skills impacts Workspace Studio flows
Education Transition Guide (including alternative teacher-led AI tools): Gemini Gems Transition Guide for Education
Google Classroom Help: Create and assign Gemini Notebook & Gems in Google Classroom
Google Classroom Help: Use Gemini Notebook & Gems in Google Classroom (for students)
Google Workspace LTI™ Help: Share and access notebooks & Gems

Create more natural, expressive AI voiceovers in Google Vids with upgraded Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS

2026-09-29T09:18:59.139-07:00

We are upgrading the underlying text-to-speech (TTS) engine powering AI voiceovers and avatar narration in Google Vids to the latest Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS model.

High-quality voiceover is essential for compelling video communication. With this model upgrade, Google Vids creators will experience:

Superior Naturalness & Inflection: Improved sentence flow, lifelike pacing, and context-aware emphasis that reduces robotic cadences.
Fast Generation Latency: Rapid audio synthesis allows you to iterate on scripts and preview voiceovers in real time.

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

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
Other Editions: Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Individual; Nonprofits
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Resources

Google Help: Create voiceovers with AI in Google Vids

Google Workspace Weekly Recap - September 25, 2026

2026-09-25T12:00:43.921-07:00

Use AI to supercharge your financial analysis with Workday for Google Sheets

Use AI to supercharge your financial analysis with Workday for Google Sheets Google Sheets Rapid Release Scheduled Release Workday for Google Sheets is a new add-on available in the Google Workspace Marketplace that connects Workday Adaptive Planning directly to Google Sheets and Slides. Deeply integrated with the AI-powered “Ask Workday” feature in Adaptive Planning, this add-on eliminates the need for manual CSV downloads. | Learn more.

New manual calculation setting in Google Sheets

We’re introducing a new manual calculation setting in Google Sheets to give you precise control over when formulas and other references update. The new manual calculation setting allows editors of complex or data-dense spreadsheets to pause automatic recalculation, batch their edits, and trigger a sheet-wide update at the exact moment they are ready to review the results. | Learn more.

Study notebooks in Gemini are now available for Google Workspace accounts

Now, we’re excited to share that users of all ages who are signed into a school or work-issued Google account will also have access to study notebooks if the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook are enabled by their admin. | Learn more.

Manually reorder and custom sort pivot tables in Google Sheets

Google Sheets now supports custom sorting and manual reordering in pivot tables. Users can now drag and drop rows and columns on a pivot table to match specific presentation needs and custom business hierarchies, rather than being restricted to standard ascending or descending alphanumeric order. | Learn more.

Introducing the new Confluence integration with Google Chat

Confluence by Atlassian is designed for teams to store and share ideas, docs, and knowledge. Workspace customers can now use Confluence for Google Chat to bring relevant project context and information from Confluence directly into Chat conversations. This integration, which is part of the Atlassian add-on, enables teams to work more effectively by connecting real-time collaboration with source-of-truth documentation. | Learn more.

Quick notes in Take notes for me

Introducing Quick notes – high-level overview of main takeaways from your meetings that empowers you to quickly review essential information without diving into every single detail. Designed specifically for the efficient consumption of knowledge, the content fits onto a single page and is strictly limited to the most important meeting action items, outcomes, and talking points. It is built primarily for executive users, or anyone less involved in the deep details, who needs to extract information as fast as possible. | Learn more.

New Google Meet 'Take notes for me' settings for admins and end users take effect September 29th

Previously, we announced new admin and end user settings for Google Meet ‘Take notes for me’ pre-configuration. These settings will begin to take effect September 29th. | Learn more.

Occupancy counting now available for Google Meet on Logitech room hardware

Occupancy counting is now available for Android-based Logitech Gen 2 room hardware (starting with Logitech Rally Board 65) to help measure how meeting rooms are used. This feature brings the same occupancy counting capabilities found on ChromeOS devices to Android-based hardware. Support for occupancy counting will be added next year for earlier Gen 1 devices later as part of an upcoming CollabOS update. | Learn more.

Seamlessly import your emails from any IMAP server to Google Workspace

We’re excited to announce the GA release of a new, simplified way for Workspace admins to import their past emails from any IMAP-based email provider while setting up Google Workspace. | Learn more.

Ground AI prompts in Google Docs on existing sources from Gemini Notebook

We are introducing the ability to use Gemini Notebook as a context source in Google Docs. Building on our Workspace Intelligence foundation, this feature bridges the gap between deep research and content creation by grounding your drafts in a curated knowledge base – all without the need to switch tabs or copy-paste between tools. | Learn more.

Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash now in Vids with improved extension quality, 1080p, and duration control

Users now have access to Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash directly within Google Vids. Omni 1.1 provides higher quality video extension with significant improvements in character and audio consistency. Additionally, Vids now supports generating AI videos and upscaling AI videos to 1080p to be publish ready. | Learn more.

Assign temporary administrator roles in the Google Admin console

Admins can now assign administrator roles to users, groups, or service accounts for a defined period of time. Once the expiration time is reached, the access granted by the role is automatically revoked. | Learn more.

Now in beta: Import and convert your PowerPoint files to client-side encrypted Slides

Eligible customers can now import PowerPoint files as client-side encrypted (CSE) Slides, allowing users to access and edit content. This enables interoperability with Microsoft Office, with this launch PowerPoint files are encrypted on the client before the content is imported to Workspace, and then converted to high-fidelity encrypted Slides. | Learn more.

View up to three time zones in Google Calendar on the web

We’re making it easier to schedule and coordinate meetings across global teams by expanding time zone support in Google Calendar on the web. You can now configure and display up to three time zones—a primary, secondary, and new tertiary time zone—directly on your calendar grid. Previously, users could only display a primary and secondary time zone. | 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.

View up to three time zones in Google Calendar on the web

2026-09-25T09:37:17.217-07:00

Update (October 1, 2026): This post has been updated to reflect a change in rollout schedule:

- Rapid Release domains will now see an extended rollout, expected to complete by October 13 (previously expected to complete October 9)

- Scheduled Release domains will see a full rollout starting on October 18 and expected to complete by October 22 (previously expected to complete by October 15).

Whether you’re an executive assistant managing complex calendars for leaders across regions, a project manager coordinating global launches, or a team member working with colleagues in San Francisco, New York, and Zurich, viewing three time zones at once reduces scheduling friction and eliminates manual time conversions.

Main calendar grid (Day, Week, and Custom multi-day views): View up to three labeled time zone columns side-by-side along the left side of your calendar grid to compare local working hours at a glance.
Find a Time view while scheduling: When creating or editing events in “Find a Time”, Calendar displays up to three time zones.
Custom labels: Add custom labels (such as "SFO", "NYC", or "ZRH") to each of your three display time zones in Settings to easily identify them on the grid.

View up to three time zones side-by-side on Google Calendar on the web

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Google Calendar in different time zones.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 25, expected to complete by October 13
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on October 19

Availability

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

Resources

Google Help: Use Google Calendar in different time zones

Now in beta: Import and convert your PowerPoint files to client-side encrypted Slides

2026-09-24T11:06:25.685-07:00

The feature is available via the CSE Office Interop beta program, which offers immediate access to features for Microsoft Office Editing, export, import, and takeout. Eligible Google Workspace admins can apply for the beta program today. For organizations that are already registered, this feature is now available across their domains.

Encrypted .pptx file imported to CSE Slides

Getting started

Admins: Admins with eligible Workspace licenses can sign up for the CSE Office Interop beta. We’ll provide more information on how to get started if you’re accepted.
End users: This feature is ON for users in domains that have registered for the CSE Interop beta program.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now for customers previously accepted into the CSE Office Interop beta program, and upon acceptance into the beta for those who sign up in the future,

Availability

Enterprise: Enterprise Plus
Education: Education Standard and Plus
Other Editions: Frontline Plus, Assured Controls, Assured Controls Plus

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: About client-side encryption
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Now in beta: Download client-side encrypted Google Slides
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Available in beta: Convert your client-side encrypted Slides after a Vault or Takeout export
Beta Application: Registration form

Assign temporary administrator roles in the Google Admin console

2026-09-23T14:23:09.731-07:00

This feature helps minimize security risks by reducing standing privileges and ambient access throughout your organization. It also streamlines administrative overhead, removing the need to manually track and revoke temporary privileges for short-term projects, coverage during employee absences, or external audits.

When assigning a role, super admins can choose from predefined durations (such as 30 days) or set a custom expiration date and time.

Temporary roles cannot be assigned to the primary admin for your organization, as the primary admin requires permanent super admin privileges.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about assigning admin roles for a specific duration.
End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Assign admin roles for a specific duration

Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash now in Vids with improved extension quality, 1080p, and duration control

2026-09-23T12:02:00.760-07:00

Omni in Vids user experience

Extend scenes with smooth transitions: Make scenes last longer while keeping the visual context, lighting, characters’ appearance, and the environment consistent.
Set super-specific durations: Choose the exact duration of your generated clip so it aligns precisely with your story and voiceover.
Generate in 1080p full HD: Create brand-new AI video scenes in full 1080p HD, or upscale existing AI clips to blend seamlessly across your timeline.

Getting started

Admins: This feature does not have an admin control.
End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Omni in Vids.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on September 23, 2026

Availability

Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Users with personal Google accounts; Google AI Pro and Ultra
Other Editions: Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus; Nonprofits; Individual
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education; Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access*

*Users with AI Expanded Access add-on licenses have higher limits on usage of Omni in Vids.

Resources

Google Vids AI Limits: Learn about availability of AI features
Google Vids Editors Help: Use AI to generate video clips

Ground AI prompts in Google Docs on existing sources from Gemini Notebook

2026-09-23T11:26:49.229-07:00

If you’ve organized research in Gemini Notebook, you can now seamlessly tap into that library right where you write in Google Docs. Whether you're drafting a project proposal or a technical whitepaper, simply type "@" in the side panel or bottom bar to reference an existing Notebook. Gemini will ground its output in your sources and provide inline citations, making it easy to verify facts while staying in the flow of your work.

Getting started

Admins: These features are available by default if Gemini for Workspace in Drive is enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing access to Gemini features in Google Workspace.
End users: You must have Workspace smart features enabled to use these features. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating personalized documents with Gemini in Google Docs.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Business: Business Standard and Plus
Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
Education: Education Plus
Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education, Teaching and Learning
Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage Gemini for Google Workspace
Google Help: Respond to & manage comments with Gemini in Google Docs
Google Docs Editors Help: Learn how Gemini in Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Drive, Sheets, Slides, Meet & Vids protects your data

Seamlessly import your emails from any IMAP server to Google Workspace

2026-09-23T11:07:20.507-07:00

We’re excited to announce the GA release of a new, simplified way for Workspace admins to import their past emails from any IMAP-based email provider while setting up Google Workspace.

By using this new feature, Google Workspace admins can import past emails seamlessly in a few clicks from multiple IMAP servers including Hostinger, Zoho, Yahoo!, iCloud, and many more. This significantly reduces the time and effort required to switch to Google Workspace, and consolidates your important emails into one secure location.

You can start the import process in two simple steps:

Connect to the IMAP server of your choice
Type in your IMAP email address and password

Example of email import process from any IMAP server

Additional details

You can now import past emails of only one user through this new feature. Visit the Help Center to learn how to import emails from multiple IMAP accounts.
You can import users and data only after completing your domain verification and email activation. The data import process runs in the background while you can continue with your Workspace setup.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be available in the setup process for Google Workspace. Once you’ve verified your domain and activated your email records, you will find an option to import from IMAP-based email provider to Google Workspace. Visit the Help Center to learn more about importing emails from IMAP account during setup.
End users: This feature is for admins only.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Available now

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Import business data during setup

Occupancy counting now available for Google Meet on Logitech room hardware

2026-09-23T07:14:06.056-07:00

Update (October 6, 2026): Occupancy counting will also become available on Logitech Gen 1 room hardware as part of a CollabOS 2.2 update starting to roll out Oct 6, with rollout expected to complete by October 16.

Understanding room occupancy helps organizations optimize real estate and room design based on user needs. For instance, organizations can track if rooms with older video hardware are being avoided in favor of rooms equipped with better tracking cameras and audio bars.

Admins can review occupancy data in the Google Admin console and optionally download it as a spreadsheet. This feature does not collect or store any personally identifiable information (PII). Because occupancy detection processes data locally on the device, the camera LED indicator may remain off during counting depending on the hardware vendor. Refer to vendor documentation for device-specific information.

Review room booking and occupancy in the Admin console

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be off by default and can be enabled at the domain, organizational unit (OU), or group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning on occupancy detection.
End users: There is no end-user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 28, 2026

Availability

Available now to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet on Logitech Gen 2 AOSP hardware devices (Rally Board 65 or later) with support for earlier devices coming in a future CollabOS update.

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn on occupancy detection
Google Workspace Admin Help: Track room and device usage with Meet hardware