Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - February 21, 2025

1 New update

Improved experience for highlighting and annotating images for AppSheet apps on Android 

Google introduced a new experience for marking up images within AppSheet apps on Android devices. Now, your users can add precise highlights and markings to images, making visual communication clearer and more effective:
  • Add geometric shapes: Draw rectangles, ellipses, and arrows to highlight key areas 
  • Include text: Add labels and descriptions directly onto the image 
  • Move and edit: Reposition shapes and text annotations with ease 
  • Zoom: Zoom in and out before and after adding drawings for added precision 
This update makes it easier for users to direct attention to specific details, which is especially helpful when you need to require proof, like submitting an incident report, or submit documentation, like inventory checks.

Previous announcements

Workspace data loss protection (DLP) for Gmail is now generally available

A big threat organizations must prepare for is the risk of data exfiltration through unwanted and/or unauthorized means. Whether it’s small-scale, unintended sharing, or a larger breach scenario, organizations need powerful defenses to protect themselves from these risks. To that end, Google announced that today Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is generally available in Gmail, alongside Drive and Chat.

“Take notes for me” in Google Meet now captures “next steps” 

Google announced that “take notes for me” will capture the next steps discussed during the meeting in a new “suggested next steps” section.

Scroll through live captions and translated captions in Google Meet 

Google improved the live captions and translated captions experience in Google Meet by including the ability to scroll through the text.

Updating the access experience in Google Drive 

Last year, Google introduced a beta that allows shared drive managers and My Drive owners to restrict folders to specific users. Today, Google announced the general availability of this feature in shared drives and My Drive, which means that users can restrict access to their My Drive folders using the two options outlined below, and by 2026, Google will simplify and align the restricted access principles for My Drive and shared drives. 

Expanding data region coverage to Google Classroom 

Google previously added data region coverage to Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and this week, Google extended data region coverage to primary user data for Google Classroom for the U.S. and E.U. data regions.

Use Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps in seventeen more languages 

Gemini in the side panel of Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Drive, and Gmail can be used in seventeen additional languages: Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

Updated design for Google Meet meeting controls on Android and iOS 

Google is updating the location of some Google Meet meeting controls on Android and iOS devices, which are intended to organize features more intuitively.

Migrate data from Microsoft Teams channels to Google Chat spaces using CloudM

Building on last year’s announcement of the general availability for Chat APIs to import data from messaging platforms to Google Chat, Google to introduce a new migration solution from a Workspace partner, CloudM.

The Policy API is now generally available with support for auditing more security features

Google recently introduced the Policy API in open beta, letting super admins programmatically access information regarding how their Google Workspace environment service level settings and rules are configured. Beginning today, the Policy API is now generally available with more functionality.

“Take notes for me” in Google Meet now captures citations to transcripts

Recently, Google announced that next steps will automatically be captured when using “take notes for me” in Google Meet. Building upon that momentum, your meeting notes document will now include citations, or timestamps, which correlate to the exact point in the meeting transcript that references the summarized notes. | Learn more about Meet citations to transcripts. 

Gemini Deep Research and most experimental models now available to Google Workspace users in Gemini Advanced

Google to announce the launch of Deep Research and most experimental models to Google Workspace users with access to Gemini Advanced. 

New Chat Usage Analytics Updates for Admins and Developers

Starting today, customerUsageReports.get and userUsageReports.get for Google Chat are available via the Admin SDK Reports API for customers to use in their own customized dashboards and reporting tools. This gives admins more ways to analyze Chat usage data. | Learn more about Chat Usage Analytics updates.

Completed rollouts

Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.

Rapid Release Domains: 

  • Easily convert data to people chips and update chip format in Google Sheets (People Chip Suggestions)
  • Pin conversations on your Google Group
  • Create names for group direct messages in Google Chat (Web)

Scheduled Release Domains: 

  • Improved comments experience in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android tablets (Docs)
  • Easily convert data to people chips and update chip format in Google Sheets (People Chip Formats)

Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

  • Better understand app access with the new Access Evaluation log event
  • 2.0 Flash is now the default model in the Gemini app for Workspace users
  • Managing bills & finances using summary cards in the Gmail mobile app
  • Now generally available: migrate messages from Microsoft Teams to Google Chat
  • Expanding data regions coverage to Google Classroom
  • Migrate data from Microsoft Teams channels to Google Chat spaces using CloudM
  • The Policy API is now generally available with support for auditing more security features
  • Generate charts and valuable insights using Gemini in Google Sheets
  • New Chat Usage Analytics Updates for Admins and Developers
  • Gemini Deep Research and most experimental models now available to Google Workspace users in Gemini Advanced
Source: Google

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