Google Workspace Changes

Present Google Slides presentations to Google Hangouts using the Android app.

The latest version of the Google Slides app for Android now allows users to present their work directly to Google Hangouts. Users can join scheduled calendar meetings or initiate new video calls, with the ability to see participants, advance slides, view speaker notes, and use a built-in timer, all from their mobile device.

General availability of the Classroom API

The Classroom API has moved from developer preview to general availability, allowing all developers to create applications and integrations. Google Apps for Education users can now authorize third-party apps to access their Classroom data, subject to administrator controls. Furthermore, the API is now integrated with Apps Script, enabling the creation of custom scripts and add-ons for Docs, Sheets, and Forms.

Easily change the relative font size of text in Google Docs and Slides.

Users can now increase or decrease the relative font size of selected text or textboxes in Google Docs and Slides in 1-pt increments by navigating to Format > Font size. If the selected text contains multiple font sizes, each will be increased or decreased accordingly.

Include hidden and filtered data in Google Sheets charts.

Google Sheets now provides the option to include hidden or filtered source data in charts. When users filter or hide source data, a notification appears allowing them to include that data in the chart. This setting can also be toggled within the Chart Editor under the 'Chart types' section by checking or unchecking 'Include hidden / filtered data'. This update also improves the accuracy of imported Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that contain hidden data.

New uniform interface for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides viewers on the mobile web.

Google is introducing a simpler and more uniform interface for the viewers of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the mobile web to ensure a consistent user experience across these three products.

Editing Google Docs files on the mobile web is being replaced by the mobile app.

To encourage the use of the more robust mobile app, Google is removing the ability to edit Google Docs files on the mobile web. Users attempting to edit Docs files on the mobile web will now be directed to the app or prompted to download it.

Google Drive plug-in for Microsoft Office allows opening and saving Office files directly to Drive.

Google has released a plug-in for Microsoft Office on Windows that enables users to open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents stored in Google Drive and save changes directly back to Drive. Users can also save local Office files to Google Drive from within the Office applications. The plug-in supports Office 2007, 2010, 2013, and Office 365.

Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides now display warnings for invalid sharing settings.

Google is introducing warnings within the 'Sharing with others' dialog in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides to notify users when sharing settings are invalid. Warnings will appear if a user attempts to share a file with someone outside their domain when such sharing is disabled by an administrator, or if they use 'anyone' sharing options while external publishing is restricted.

Clearer indication of 'View' and 'Comment' access in Google Docs editors

Google is introducing UI tweaks to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings to make it more apparent when a user has only 'View' or 'Comment' access. Users with 'View only' access will see a new blue button in the toolbar, while those with 'Comment only' access (in Sheets, Slides, and Drawings) will see a green button, both of which allow the user to easily request edit access from the file owner.

New mobile content notifications for Google Classroom app on Android and iOS.

Students will begin receiving mobile notifications via the Google Classroom app for Android and iOS when new content is added to their classes. This includes immediate alerts for new assignments, grades, notes from teachers, and comments from classmates, helping students stay updated on their schoolwork.

Disable downloading, printing, and copying for Google Drive files

Google Drive has introduced Information Rights Management (IRM) features that allow file owners to disable the ability for commenters and viewers to download, print, or copy files. This setting can be managed through the advanced sharing menu on the web or via API and applies to all file types in Drive, including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Print and preview event support added to Google Drive audit logs

Google has added support for print and preview events to the Google Drive audit logs for both Google and non-Google file formats. Administrators can now filter these events by document name, user name, and timestamp, and can set alerts for specific files based on filenames and owners. This feature is available to Google Apps Unlimited/Google Drive for Work and Google Apps for Education customers.

Change slide layouts in Google Slides for Android

Within the Google Slides app for Android, users can now change the layout of an existing slide to one of several predefined layouts, allowing them to update presentations on mobile more effectively.

Easier file renaming in Android apps

Users can now edit document, spreadsheet, and presentation titles directly from the overflow menu in the top right corner of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android, making renaming files faster and simpler.

Improved comment and suggestion handling in Office Compatibility Mode for Android

In the Google Docs app for Android, users can now reply to comments when working in Office Compatibility Mode. Additionally, suggestions and comments in this mode now appear in the Comments panel in the order they were made, rather than grouped by type.