Google Updates Recap: February 2025
This month’s Google features post brings improvements to mentions in Google Chat, granular responder link sharing in Google Forms, and instant video playback for newly uploaded videos to Google Drive.
Table of contents
Google Chat
Improvements to mentions in Google Chat
In Google Chat, you can now mention an individual and will have the option to add them to the conversation when the message is sent or just send the message.
Mentions now also will appear similar to smart chips, making them more consistent with smart chips design across Google Workspace.
In Google Chat on the web, when hovering a mention will show more information about the individual, and clicking the mention will open a 1:1 chat with them.
For more information, visit: Mention someone or add someone to a message – Google Chat Help.
Feature Availability:
- This feature is now available for Google Chat on the web.
- This feature will be available for Google Chat on iOS and Android before April 2025.
Google Drive & Docs Editors
Introducing instant video playback after uploads in Google Drive
As soon as a video has finished being uploaded to Google Drive, you and anyone shared on the video will be able to watch it immediately.
Feature Availability: This feature is now available.
Google Forms
Adding granular control options for who can respond to Google Forms
Previously, if you wanted to share a form to respondents, the options for sharing the form was sharing it publicly or sharing it with the VCU domain. Now, you can share the form’s responder link to specific people or groups similar to sharing files in Google Drive.
This highly requested feature offers more granularity in who can complete a form and prevents anyone who shouldn’t have had the link from completing the form.
Feature notes:
- Form creators must first publish their form to enable responders to view the form or submit a response.
- Form creators can see who has access to the form and share response access to specific users or groups.
- Important: At the moment, this feature is limited to newly created forms and is not available for existing forms.
For more information, visit: Publish & share your form with responders – Google Docs Editors Help.
Feature Availability: This feature is now available.
Categories Google Chat, Google Drive & Docs Editors, Google Feature Updates and Changes, Google Forms, Google Workspace News