Google Updates Recap for July 26 to August 20, 2021
Here is our round-up of features from July 26 to August 20, 2021! This month’s feature round-up includes some major feature updates that we’re very excited to talk about, including co-hosts in Google Meet, a new way to show your work location and schedule (work-from-home, hybrid, or on-campus), and saving your progress in Google Forms, as well as some additional quality-of-life features and enhancements.
Google Calendar
Share where you’re working from in Google Calendar
Starting mid-September 2021, you’ll be able to indicate where you are working from directly on Google Calendar, allowing you to specify if you’re working from preset locations such as your Office or Home or choose “Unspecified” or “Somewhere else”. Anyone with at least free/busy permission to your calendar will be able to see your working location, and can be turned off in your calendar settings.
Note: When this feature is beginning to become available to the VCU community, we will create a separate blog post for this feature release.
Google Meet
Add up to 25 co-hosts per meeting for Google Meet + Updates to the “People” panel
Our team is excited to announce that Google Meet has now added the ability to add co-hosts to your Meet. Adding co-hosts to your Meet will allow you to grant other individuals in your Google Meet host abilities, such as allowing them access and utilize host-controls, remove individuals from a Meet, and utilize the Activities menu and set-up/launch activities.
To grant the co-host role, first you’ll need to confirm “Host management” is toggled on in the Host controls area under Settings. Then in the Google Meet, go under the People panel, click on the triple dot button next to the individual’s name, and click “Add as co-host”. The same steps can be done to remove a co-host. Up to 25 co-hosts can be designated in any one meeting. Co-hosts will be designated by a security shield icon next to their names.
You can now also search for people in the “People” panel using the new search bar located at the top of the list of meet participants.
Use the new Google Meet web app for better meetings on desktop devices
Google Meet now has a standalone web app (also known as a Progressive Web App or PWA for short) to make opening Google Meet easier on your computer. Instead of needing to open Google Meet in a separate tab, you can use the Google Meet web-app from your computer’s list of applications.
Note: To install the web-app, Google Chrome doesn’t need to be your default browser, but Google Chrome must be used to follow the steps below.
To install the web-app, follow these steps:
- Open the URL meet.google.com in Google Chrome
- At the top right of your browser in the URL bar, click the
icon, then click “Install”.
- The Meet app will appear in your Apps dock in Chrome and as an application on your computer.
Google Chat
Updated emoji experience in Google Chat
The emoji experience is being updated for Google Chat on Android devices and is expected to arrive on Google Chat on the web and iOS in the coming weeks. With this update
- Emoji is being updated to 13.1, which will include the latest emoji set and diversity and inclusion options
- Addition of gender-neutral and gender-modifiable emojis
- Emoji skin tone and gender preferences are saved per individual emoji.
“Dark Mode” for Google Chat on the web
Dark Mode can now be enabled for Google Chat on the web and the web-app (PWA). Dark mode creates a better viewing experience in low-light conditions by reducing brightness and potentially reducing eye strain. Dark Mode can be enabled in Chat Settings.
Note: This feature is currently rolling out to all users, so don’t panic if you aren’t seeing this feature yet!
Google Drive
Search within a folder in Google Drive on iOS
In the Google Drive app for iOS, you can now perform a search in a specific folder by simply navigating to the folder you want to search in, clicking the search bar, clicking the folder chip, then typing your query. This search also looks in subfolders located in the folder you’re searching in.
Smart Compose now available in comments for Google Slides, Sheets, and Drawings
Smart Compose is a feature that allows you to compose high-quality content faster and more easily and reduce the chance of spelling and grammatical errors by making relevant contextual suggestions. Smart Compose has been previously available in Google Docs, and is now available in comments for Google Slides, Sheets, and Drawings.
Caption: When offered a suggestion, you can use the tab key to accept the suggestion.
Note: Smart Compose is enabled by default. Smart Compose can be re-enabled or disabled by going under Tools > Preferences then checking or unchecking “Show Smart Compose Suggestions.”
Directly open Office editing from shared links
Microsoft Office files stored in Google Drive shared by the link now open directly into Office editing mode. Previously, Office files would show a preview of the document before you could select to edit using Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. Now you will be able to edit and collaborate on these files more quickly.
Easily customize theme colors in Sheets and Slides
You can now more easily locate and select theme colors in Google Sheets and Slides.
The theme colors section is now at the top color picker, and the “theme” placeholder has now been enhanced to show the name of the theme.
To select theme colors, go to any color picker dropdown and click the edit button for your theme color palette. In the theme color sidebar, select a color from the dropdown to begin editing. Note that color changes apply only to the current theme you selected and will not create a new theme.
Note: This feature is currently rolling out to all users, so don’t panic if you aren’t seeing this feature yet!
Google Docs
Improvements for braille mode in Google Docs provide a richer, more interactive experience
This change makes it easier for users of assistive technology, including screen readers and refreshable braille displays, to interact with suggestions made by others in documents.
You’ll now hear detailed suggestion information inline with the rest of the text — this includes whether the suggestion is an insertion or deletion, and the author of the suggestion.
Google Forms
Your progress is automatically saved as you respond to forms and quizzes
Starting in mid-September 2021, As you are responding to a Google Form (including Quizzes in a Google Form), your progress is saved for 30 days after your last edit or until; the submission is complete. This feature is helps you ensure you won’t have to start a Form over if:
- You can’t complete a form or quiz in one sitting,
- You have to switch between multiple devices,
- You have low internet connectivity.
It is recommended to disable this form in certain situations, such as forms used for repeated data entry, embedded websites, and public-facing shared devices such as a kiosk or registration. Form owners and editors can disable auto-saving by going under Settings > Presentation > Restrictions and selecting “Disable autosave for all respondents.”
Note: When this feature is beginning to become available to the VCU community, we will create a separate blog post for this feature release.
Google Tasks
Easily switch between lists in Google Tasks on mobile
Switching in lists in Google Task is now easier. Multiple lists are now shown at the same time in a “tabbed” UI, making it fastest to switch between them.
Note: This feature is currently rolling out to all users, so don’t panic if you aren’t seeing this feature yet!
Categories Google Calendar, Google Chat, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Feature Updates and Changes, Google Forms, Google Meet, Google Sheets, Google Tasks and Google Keep, Google Workspace News