Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - March 21, 2025

New updates 

There are no new updates to share this week.

Previous announcements

Upcoming changes to how retention policies are applied to 1:1 direct messages in Google Chat 

To provide a more consistent product experience across conversation types, Google is changing how retention policies are applied to 1:1 direct messages with external participants. 

Available in beta: Convert your client-side encrypted documents after a Vault or Takeout export 

After a Vault or Data export (takeout), admins can convert their exported client-side encrypted documents to Word files. 

Introducing a new building block that summarizes content with Gemini in Google Docs 

An additional building block that adds an AI-generated summary to your content using Gemini in Docs is now available. By going to Insert > Building Blocks > AI Summary or typing “@” followed by “AI summary,” Gemini will provide a summary that you can instantly insert or edit alongside other document collaborators. 

Admins can now deploy Context-Aware Access for NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus.

Admins can now specify Context-Aware Access (CAA) policies when users access NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus. 

Beta update: Data loss prevention rules based on classification labels are now applied instantly in Gmail on the web 

Auto-classification labelling with data loss prevention (DLP) rules and actions triggered by classification labels detected in the message will now be applied instantly when using Gmail on the web.

Use Gemini in the side panel of Google Slides in even more languages 

You can now use Gemini in the side panel of Google Slides, which includes the ability to generate images, in many new languages. 

Gmail data loss prevention now supports “sensitive content snippets” 

Google recently launched data loss prevention for Gmail and, beginning today, Admins can see “Sensitive content snippets” for Gmail messages that trigger data loss prevention rules. 

See summaries of shared Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets files directly in Google Chat. 

Users can now easily summarize Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets files shared within a Chat conversation. 

Try Canvas, a new way to collaborate with the Gemini app 

You can now create, format, and refine your documents or code in Canvas, a new collaborative space in Gemini. 

Use Gemini in the side panel of Google Chat in additional languages 

Google expanded the availability of Gemini in the side panel of Chat to the following languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Japanese, French, and Korean.

New features available in NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus

In addition to NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus becoming available as a Google Workspace core service for business customers and the recent announcement of Context-Aware Access support for NotebookLM and Notebook LM Plus, Google introduced new features that improve upon the NotebookLM user experience. 

Contextual Smart Replies now available for Google Workspace Business and Enterprise editions

Earlier this year, Google announced that Google included the best of Google AI directly into Workspace Business and Enterprise plans without the need to purchase a separate Gemini add-on. In addition, Google recently introduced Google Meet and Google Chat AI-powered features to Business and Enterprise editions, and today we are excited to add contextual Smart Replies to the list of available features.

Adding new capabilities to Google Vids’ ‘Help me create’

Google introducing a new ‘Help me create’ feature that automatically generates AI voiceovers for each scene of your VID from the AI-suggested scripts. 

Completed rollouts

Rapid Release Domains: 

  • Use Gemini in the side panel of Workspace apps in four more languages

Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

  • More AI-powered features in Google Meet and Google Chat are coming to Google Workspace Business and Enterprise editions (Custom background images, studio lighting, and studio sound in Google Meet)
  • Additional accessibility tags for Tables, Equations, and Checkboxes in PDFs exported from Google Docs
  • 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model upgrades in the Gemini app and Deep Research
  • Available in beta: Convert your client-side encrypted documents after a Vault or Takeout export (Eligible Google Workspace admins can use this form to request access to the beta.)
  • Admins can now deploy Context-Aware Access for NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus.
Source: Google

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