Collaboration Services News and Updates

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Google Updates Recap for October 24, 2022 to January 20, 2023

by Doctor Gee

As we jump into the thick of 2023, we’re happy to provide our first features blog post for the year which discusses several great features recently announced by Google. We’re eagerly looking forward to what this year will have in store for enriching collaboration. 

Check out the Table of Contents below to find the features that look most interesting to you!

Table of contents

  • Google Chat
  • Google Docs
  • Google Drive
  • Google Meet
  • Google Sheets
  • Google Slides
  • Jamboard

    • Google Chat

    Concentrate or disconnect with scheduled Do Not Disturb on Google Chat

    A new way to disconnect or improve concentration is now available with scheduled Do Not Disturb in Google Chat. This feature allows you to set a scheduled time for each day of the week for which your status in Google Chat will appear as Do Not Disturb. Similarly to setting working hours in Google Calendar, this can be useful in the case of a lunch at the same time of the day or when you are otherwise not available to be reached.

    To get started, first open Google Chat or Gmail with Chat enabled on a desktop and select the status indicator button. Then, select Chat notification settings.

    Scroll down to the “Do not disturb schedules” area and select the + Create new button to create your Do Not Disturb schedule. Two premade schedules will be here which you can hover over with your mouse to reveal the edit button. The checkboxes in this area allow you to quickly enable and disable the schedules you’ve created. Selecting the gear ⚙️ button provides an option that allows you to choose whether this will automatically update to your current timezone. 

    You will be asked to select the time range and days of the week, and you can also choose to enable/disable it using the Turn on toggle and delete it. Select the Save button to save your schedule, or Cancel to discard any changes.

    Google’s help article for these steps can be found here: Change your availability status and mute notifications in Google Chat

    Feature Availability: This feature is now available for the Desktop versions of Google Chat and Chat in Gmail.

    Google Docs

    Split table cells in Google Docs to better organize information

    It is now possible to split table cells in Google Docs tables.This is a highly requested ability that will enable users of tables to more easily organize information in this way. 

    To get started, right click in a cell in a table in Google Docs, then select the Split cell option. You will be asked to enter how many columns and/or rows to split the cell into. Then, select the Split button to apply the change. Note: If the Split button does not become active right away, try clicking anywhere inside the dialogue box after you change the value in the Columns or Rows fields, or hit the TAB key.

    Google’s help article for these steps can be found here: Add and edit tables – Google Docs Editors Help

    Feature Availability: This feature is now available for tables in the Desktop version of Google Docs.

    New option to view non-printing characters in Google Docs

    Non-printing characters, or characters that are usually used in common types of formatting such as spaces, tab spaces, line breaks, page breaks, etc., can now be made visible through an option located in the “View” menu → “Show non-printing characters” in the menu bar in Google Docs. This is a parity feature that matches a similar functionality in Microsoft Word. This feature is especially useful if you are trying to troubleshoot an undesired spacing issue or need to adhere to a particular spacing guideline.

    Google’s help article for these steps can be found here: View document outlines, summaries, rulers, & non-printing characters – Google Docs Editors Help.

    Feature Availability: This feature is anticipated to become available Jan 26, 2023 – Jan 28, 2023 on the Desktop version of Google Docs.

    Easily format and display code in Google Docs

    Google Docs now offers the ability to easily display several types of programming languages with a code block – a new type of building block and smart canvas feature.

    The code block will improve readability of code displayed within it by automatically color-coding the based on the syntax of the selected language. Currently, there is support for 5 programming languages: C and C++, Java, JavaScript, and Python, as well as an “Unset” option which will not apply special color-coding but will still simplify displaying the code with a mono-spaced font.

    To get started, in the menu bar on Google Docs on a Desktop device, go to Insert → Building blocks → Code block and then select the desired programming language or Unset, or type “@Code block” to use the @ menu to insert one.

    Google’s help article for these steps can be found here: Insert smart chips & building blocks in your Google Doc

    Feature Availability: This feature is now available in the Desktop version of Google Docs.

    Google Drive

    Improved flow for expiring access controls in Google Drive

    Files in Google Drive can now have expiration for access granted to Editors, in addition to Viewers and Commenters, and the process of adding an expiration also has a better flow when sharing from My Drive. This expands on the existing feature that allows you to turn off access to files in Google Drive when access is no longer needed. 

    To get started, while in a Google Drive file, select the Share button, enter the individual(s) name(s) or email address(es) in the Add people and groups field, then select the permission type to reveal the Add expiration option. Select the pencil ✏️ button to adjust the date for which access will expire or the trash can ?️ button to remove expiration for the share. Then, proceed to choose whether or not to notify, optionally enter a message, and finally select the Send button. You can also add an expiration date on an existing share by selecting the permission to the right of the individual’s name/email address and selecting the Add expiration from there.

    Note: Currently, you cannot modify the time of the expiration, only the date. The expiration time will always be 11:59 PM on the date you select.

    Google’s help article for these steps can be found here: Set an expiration date for file access – Google Workspace Learning Center

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now in the Desktop and Mobile versions of Google Drive.

    Enhanced menus in Google Slides and Drawings improves findability of key features

    Following the recently improved menu bar updates for Google Docs and Sheets, Google Slides and Drawings have now had their menus improved for better organization of key features. This also includes new recognizable icons and shortened menus.

    Feature Availability: This change is available now in the Desktop versions of Google Slides and Google Drawings.

    Sharing suggestions in Google Drive make collaborating easier

    When sharing a file in Google Drive, you may now begin to see sharing suggestions for the file. The “Share” dialog will now spotlight other individuals or groups who may be relevant to share the file with, when possible. 

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now.

    New default setting for content managers to modify shared drives coming in February 2023

    Content managers of a shared drive will begin to be able share folders located within a shared drive by default in February 2023. This will allow content managers to have more flexibility over the folders located in a shared drive. Managers will be able to disable this feature for their shared drives if needed in their shared drive’s settings.

    Feature Availability: This change/feature is slated for sometime in February, 2023. 

    Google Meet

    Improve your visibility in Google Meet video calls

    Google Meet can now detect when an individual is not centered in their camera and will automatically put them in the center to improve visibility. This setting is on by default for everyone, but can be disabled in the Google Meet video settings if desired. The automatic re-framing only happens once before or when joining the meeting, however you can also manually re-frame at any time if needed in the same settings area by selecting the Re-frame button.

    Google’s help article for this feature, including device requirements, can be found here: Change your video and audio settings – Google Meet Help

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop version of Google Meet. 

    Improved meeting quality when joining on virtual machines

    If you use Google Meet in a virtual machine, such as through VMWare or Virtualbox, Google Meet has received optimizations for an improved experience. This optimization will also help cut down on the demand put on your Virtual Desktop Interface, such as CPU, GPU, and memory usage, helping improve meeting quality and overall performance. Note, however, that it is not generally recommended to do this unless necessary. 

    Refer to this article to ensure your virtual machine meets the recommendations and technical specifications for running Google Meet: Prepare your network for Meet meetings – Google Workspace Admin Help.

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for Google Meet.

    Expanded language support for captions and translated captions in Google Meet

    Translated captions in Google Meet now have additional supported language translations. The new additions include:

    • Translating English calls into Japanese, Mandarin (simplified), and Swedish captions
    • Translating French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish calls into English captions

    Additionally, standard captions are now available in Japanese, Russian, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Portuguese, Mandarin (traditional). 

    This expanded language support is aimed at further reducing the language barrier and allowing individuals to speak in their native language while fostering communication between everyone. 

    Note: Some of these languages may show a “Beta” tag as support for these languages continue to be improved.

    Google’s help article for this feature can be found here: Use translated captions in Google Meet.

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop and Android versions of Google Meet. 

    Google Sheets

    Manage projects & tasks with a new timeline view on Google Sheets

    The previously announced and highly anticipated timeline view is now available in Google Sheets. This feature was originally first announced in Mid 2021 and became available Late 2022.

    This smart canvas feature provides a timeline view based on the data in your spreadsheet and shows information in the row such as dates, description, and owner. A timeline view can be a great way to track, visualize, and present project milestones, schedules, campaigns, team collaboration, etc. The timeline also has view options such as time intervals (days, weeks, months, quarters, years, and multiyear). More information about a particular row can be displayed by clicking the card (bar) on the timeline.

    More information about using Timeline View can be found here: Create & edit a Timeline View – Google Docs Editors Help and Customize your Timeline View – Google Docs Editors Help. 

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop version of Google Sheets.

    Expanding smart chips to include events in Google Sheets

    A new type of smart chip is now available in Google Sheets: Event chips. These new chips can be used to track both past and future meetings in a spreadsheet and are especially useful for keeping track of data relevant to a team or project. By clicking the Copy icon button, you will copy the link to the meeting in Google Calendar. Clicking the event link itself will bring you directly to the calendar event in Google Calendar. When inserting an event chip for an event where you are the organizer, a paperclip ? icon will be shown which can be used to attach the spreadsheet to the event.

    Event chips can be inserted either through the menu bar, by going to Insert → Smart chips → Calendar events, or by typing @ in a cell and then continuing to type the name of an event on your calendar, then selecting it from the list.

    Google’s help article for smart chips can be found here: Insert smart chips in your Google Sheets – Google Docs Editors Help

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop version of Google Sheets.

    Preview and interact with files using smart chips in Google Sheets

    In addition to Event chips, File chips are also now available, which allow you to insert a chip for a file in Google Drive. Attaching relevant files to show relevance and improve accessibility can be indispensable to a busy project with many moving parts. When hovering over a file chip, a preview will be shown from which you can click on the link or preview to open the file in a separate tab or select the Copy icon button to copy the link to the file in Drive.

    A file chip can be inserted by:

    • Going to Insert → Smart chips → Files
    • Typing @ in a cell and then continuing to type the name of the desired file, then selecting it from the list.
    • Converting a Google Drive link in a cell to a chip by hovering over it, then selecting Chip when shown the option to Replace URL.

    Google’s help article for smart chips can be found here: Insert smart chips in your Google Sheets – Google Docs Editors Help

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop version of Google Sheets.

    Create drop-down chips in Google Sheets

    Drop-down chips are a type of smart chip and are an extension to the Data Validation feature in Google Sheets, which creates a rule within a cell that can be set to require the data be one of the predefined options or criteria, or simply show a warning when a violation occurs. A drop-down chip allows you to define a drop-down menu and the options within the menu. A color can be assigned to each option and the display style can be customized to be displayed as a chip, drop-down arrow, or plain text.

    Drop-down chips can be inserted by going to Insert → Dropdown or typing @Dropdowns in a cell, selecting the Dropdowns option from the menu. The “Data validation rules” menu will then appear on the right-side of the page to define the options and customization of the Drop-down.

    Google’s help article for smart chips can be found here: Insert smart chips in your Google Sheets – Google Docs Editors Help and Create an in-cell dropdown list – Google Docs Editors Help

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop version of Google Sheets.

    Google Slides

    Collaborate with colleagues in Google Slides through a new ‘Follow’ feature

    When collaborating on a Google Slides file, sometimes it can be necessary to find where a colleague is located in the deck to be on the same page in conversation. However, it can be cumbersome when it becomes necessary to jump around in a slide deck and reorder or insert slides. Now, it is possible to “Follow” a collaborator on a Slides deck by clicking on their collaborator icon located at the top of the editor, found directly to the left of the analytics arrow icon. Follow the same steps to stop or switch following a collaborator.

    You will also stop following the collaborator if: 

    • The collaborator refreshes or leaves the presentation. 
    • You make any edits to the presentation. 
    • You click a different slide. 
    • You enter Slideshow mode. 

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop version of Google Slides.

    Jamboard

    Join or start a meeting directly from Jamboard on the web to kickstart collaboration

    As with the other Google Docs Editors, the ability to join a Google Meet has been extended to Jamboard. Now you can jump into collaboration more quickly with the familiar Google Meet menu located at the top of the editor, directly to the left of the Share button. 

    This feature will be especially useful for someone who is presenting a Jamboard in their Google Meet.

    For more information about using Google Meet in Jamboard and the other Docs Editors, visit: Use Google Meet with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, & Jamboard – Google Docs Editors Help.

    Feature Availability: This feature is available now for the Desktop version of Jamboard.

    Categories Google Chat, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Feature Updates and Changes, Google Meet, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Workspace News, Jamboard

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