In 2024, Google Workspace unveiled a host of updates across its suite of apps, aimed at enhancing productivity, collaboration, and user experience. This post summarises the key improvements to Google Chat, Drive, Sheets, and Meet.
Google Chat
Huddles for Quick Calls
Chat introduced “huddles,” a feature powered by Google Meet that allows users to initiate quick audio or video calls with colleagues directly from a chat. Huddles include features like screen sharing, facilitating more interactive and efficient communication.
Voice and Video Messages
Users can now send voice or video messages in Google Chat. Voice messages can be played directly within the chat interface, providing a seamless user experience. Plus, you can also see a transcribed version of audio messages.
Organize Conversations into Custom Sections
Chat now allows users to organise their conversations into custom sections, enabling a more personalised and efficient workflow. Users can create sections for different projects or teams, adjust the size of each section, and reorder them in the left-hand menu.
Integration of Gemini AI in Side Panel
Gemini AI has been integrated into the side panel of Google Chat, assisting users in catching up on missed conversations, identifying action items, and searching for key details within a space.
Enhanced Mentions with Smart Chips
Chat improved the @mention feature by rendering mentions as smart chips, aligning them with Drive chips and smart chips across Workspace. Hovering over a mention displays more information about the person, and clicking initiates a direct message.
Google Drive
Numerous Video Improvements
Drive now supports automatic captioning for uploaded videos. Users can now watch videos immediately after uploading them to Google Drive on the web, eliminating wait times between upload and playback. Plus, there’s an updated interface to watch the videos on.
New Homepage View
A new homepage view was introduced in Drive, offering enhanced options for sorting, filtering, and viewing recently accessed files. This update aims to accelerate user productivity by providing quick access to important documents directly from the homepage.
Updated Keyboard Shortcuts
Drive updated its keyboard shortcuts to first-letter navigation, improving accessibility and efficiency for users. This change is designed to enhance the user experience by making file navigation more intuitive and faster.
Drive Document Scanning
Drive’s document scanner (yes, you can scan documents using the Drive mobile app!) now includes auto enhancement, which automatically optimises scanned images by adjusting balance, removing shadows, and improving sharpness.
eSignature for PDFs and Docs
The eSignature feature in Drive can be used with Google Docs and PDFs stored in Drive. This integration streamlines and digitises workflows that require formal approvals or agreements.
Hover card information
When the user hovers over a file in Drive they now see a card display information about the file without having to open the file.
Shared Drives – Restricting access to specific folders
Before a Shared Drive’s folders had the same access for all users but now it’s possible (in beta) to restrict access to certain folders, ensuring that only specific team members can view or edit sensitive content.
Google Sheets
Integration of Smart Tables
Smart tables in Google Sheets provides users with advanced data management tools, including easy-to-use formatting and various column types like text, numbers, dates, drop-downs, and smart chips. Unformatted tables of data can be converted with a click. Conditional notifications can be set up based on changes to the tables (see below).
Conditional Notifications for Data Changes
Sheets now offers conditional notifications, enabling users to set rules that trigger email alerts when specific criteria are met within a spreadsheet. For instance, a notification can be sent when a particular column’s status changes, enhancing real-time collaboration and project management.
Calculation speeds have doubled
Sheets’ calculations are now twice as fast! Particularly good news for large spreadsheets. Also, formulas, pivot tables, and conditional formatting are quicker.
Google Meet
AI-Powered Note-Taking
Meet introduced an AI-driven feature called “take notes for me,” which automatically transcribes and summarises meeting discussions. The summarised notes are saved in a Google Doc and attached to the corresponding Calendar event for easy access.
On-the-Go Mode for Mobile Devices
A new on-the-go mode was launched for Android and iOS, providing an audio-only experience with larger, easier-to-press call control buttons. This feature is designed to facilitate participation in meetings while commuting or multitasking, reducing distractions and improving accessibility.
Annotate in Meet
It was finally possible to be able to annotate what is being presented in Meet. Great news for teachers and those giving presentations.
For up-to-date news and posts – sign up to fortnightly newsletter here.
There were even more new features in 2024 – Check out part 2 of my recap here.
Check out my YouTube channel dedicated to Google Workspace tutorials here.
Want to learn more about Google Workspace and Apps Script? The books below are available on Amazon. Just click on a book! (Affiliate links).
a
