Google Workspace Changes

Users can reference multiple values in a single list parameter by selecting a grid range in Google Sheets, enabling flexible querying with BigQuery data.

When writing a query in Connected Sheets, users can now select a grid range in a sheet to define a list parameter, where each cell acts as a distinct value. This allows data admins and power users to set up input sheets with drop‑downs or direct cell selections for end‑users to filter data without editing the underlying query, broadening self‑service analytics.

Excel pivot tables backed by table ranges now import as linked pivot tables in Google Sheets.

Sheets now fully supports importing Excel pivot tables that are backed by table ranges, preserving their link to the source data so they remain dynamic rather than being converted to static grids.

Excel tables now import as Google Sheets tables, preserving formatting and structure.

When converting Excel files to Google Sheets, Excel tables are now imported as native Sheets tables, maintaining their formatting, structured references, and table-specific features, eliminating the need for manual reconstruction.

Workspace Studio now offers an 'Add a source to Gemini Notebook' step that automatically adds text, Drive file links, or YouTube/web URLs as sources to Gemini Notebooks.

Previously, keeping Gemini Notebooks up to date required manually adding sources one by one. The new integration in Workspace Studio lets you automate this process as part of a recurring workflow using the 'Add a source to Gemini Notebook' step, which can ingest text, links to Drive files, or generic YouTube or web URLs. Admins can enable the step by default if Gemini for Google Workspace steps are allowed, and end users can try it in Google Workspace Studio. The feature is rolling out gradually over up to 15 business days starting August 6, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, and is available for Business Starter/Standard/Plus, Enterprise Standard/Plus, Education Fundamentals/Standard/Plus, plus relevant add-ons.

Gemini-powered rubric generation lets educators instantly create Classroom-ready rubrics during assignment creation.

Educators can now generate a new Classroom-ready rubric with Gemini based on assignment context, convert existing rubric files, or draft rubrics via the Gemini tab and export to Sheets/Docs. This streamlines rubric creation and grading setup, saving prep time. The feature rolls out to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starting August 5, 2026, for Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus customers.

Gemini in Google Classroom expands to K-12 and higher education students of all ages, adding contextualized starter prompts and Learn with Gemini features.

Starting August 10, 2026, Gemini in Google Classroom will be available to K-12 and higher education students of all ages who have been granted access by their admin. Students can access the Gemini tab to transform class materials into flashcards, practice quizzes, interactive study guides, audio overviews, infographics, and more. New contextualized starter prompts pull class and assignment details directly from Classroom to tailor Gemini interactions, and a 'Learn with Gemini' feature appears on the redesigned Classroom homepage for guided help. Admin controls let admins manage access via the Gemini in Classroom control, with rollout beginning in Rapid Release domains on August 10 (web) and August 17 (mobile) and proceeding to Scheduled Release domains.

Google Meet now automatically captures and includes screenshots of presented content in meeting notes.

The ‘Take notes for me’ feature in Google Meet is enhanced to automatically capture screenshots of presented content and add them to meeting notes, providing visual context alongside transcripts. Admins can configure screenshot capture settings in the Admin console to either always allow screenshots or only when a recording is enabled, and end users see a notification when presenting. Rollout begins August 3, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, with a gradual rollout over up to 15 days, and is available for Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, and Google AI Pro for Education.

Timestamped comments for videos in Google Drive on the web let users anchor feedback to specific time marks.

Google Drive now supports timestamped comments for video files on the web, enabling reviewers to attach comments to exact moments in a video. Each comment appears as a marker on the video timeline; clicking jumps to that point and highlights the note. Standard commenting features like editing, resolving, replying, and @ mentions remain fully supported. The feature works across Rapid and Scheduled Release domains and is available immediately for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google accounts.