Google Updates Recap for September 27 to October 22, 2021
Here’s the Google Update round-up for September 27 – October 22! This list of updates features some of the major announcements made at Google Cloud Next, which includes document approvals and AppSheet integrations in Gmail.
Google Sheets
Important: Upcoming menu changes to Google Sheets
Google Sheets menus are being updated to make it easier to find the most commonly-used features. Some of these changes include:
- The menu bar and right-click menus have been shortened to better fit your screen to prevent menus from being hidden off screen
- Some features were reorganized and added to more intuitive locations (for example, you can now freeze a row or column from the right-click menu)
- Some descriptions of items in the menu are shorter, enabling faster recognition
- Icons have been added to help you locate features more easily
- Changes are across all menus, including File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Date, Tools, Extensions, Help, and Accessibility.
Feature Availability: This change is upcoming and is expected to be visible to all VCU users by November 10, 2021.
Gmail
Integrating AppSheet into Gmail
AppSheet applications can now be integrated into Gmail messages to create dynamic emails and more advanced workflows. This feature was announced at the Google Cloud Next ‘21 event and is available to all users.
Some examples of ways this can be used includes approvals, integrations with other Google applications such as Google Sheets, and in-email forms that can be answered and responded to directly in the email. AppSheet also has the added benefit that it can be learned with little technical knowledge of programming. Information about getting started with your own AppSheet project can be found here: Sending dynamic email from a bot.
Feature Availability: This feature is now available to all users.
Google Docs
Comments in Google Docs are now display more intelligently
Comments now will expand to a maximum width of 50 characters to display the contents of the comment more intelligently. Comments will also resize based on the amount of space between the right edge of the document and the right edge of the window.
Feature Availability: This feature is now available to all users.
Watermarks now available in Google Docs
You can now add watermarks to Google Docs and import from/export to Microsoft Word documents with embedded watermarks. The “Watermarks” option can be located under the “Insert” menu.
Feature Availability: This feature is now available to all users.
Google Slides
The “Present” button is now “Slideshow”
This change has been made to more clearly show that you are beginning a slide show, and when you are sharing your screen in Meet. The functionality of the button has not been changed.
Old Present Button:
New Slideshow Button:
Feature Availability: This change is now visible to all users.
Google Drive
Quickly access Google Drive files in Chrome browser
Google Drive file suggestions will appear in the new tab page to suggest relevant Google Drive files that you may wish to quickly start working on.
Note: This feature will be on by default as long as you have not changed your New Tab Page experience. It can be disabled and re-enabled by the user by clicking the ‘Customize Chrome’ button in the bottom right of the new tab page.
Feature Availability: This feature is now available, but will not appear unless it is enabled under the “Customize Chrome” settings and may require some interaction with Google Drive files before it is displayed.
Google Calendar
Create meeting notes from Google Calendar
You can now create meeting notes for a scheduled meeting directly from Google Calendar. This can be done by selecting the event from Google Calendar, then selecting “Take meeting notes.” This will automatically attach the newly created document to the event and open a new Google Doc to quickly begin editing. Meeting details will be added automatically to the document, such as the date and name of the event, a list of attendees, and a starter list for notes and action items. You will also be prompted to share the meeting notes if there are attendees who do not have access to the document.
The entire template can also be inserted into any Google doc by going into the Insert menu → Templates → Meeting notes.
Feature Availability: This change is now visible to all users.
Google Meet
Improved visibility in Google Meet on web
Google Meet will now detect and automatically adjust brightness levels for your camera if it is detected to be under-exposed.
Automatic exposure adjustment can be found under the “More Options” menu → Settings → Video → Adjust video lighting.
Note: This feature has minimum requirements to be able to use it. Additional information can be found here: Change your video and audio settings – Google Meet Help
Feature Availability: This feature is now available to all users.
Replace your background with a video in Google Meet on Android
Replacing your background on Google Meet with a video is now available on compatible Android devices. You can now select from six Google-made options to replace your background with a video, with more planned to be released in the future.
Note: This feature has minimum requirements to be able to use it. Additional information can be found here: Change background and use effects in Google Meet – Android – Google Meet Help
Feature Availability: This feature is now available to all users.
Google Meet meeting hosts now have more control of participant’s audio and video feeds for smoother, more productive meetings
Meeting hosts now have the option to enable and disable Audio and Video lock for their meetings. This allows hosts to mute all individuals in a meeting and prevent them from turning their microphone or webcam back on until allowed by the host.
Audio and video lock also will prevent individuals from joining the meeting if they are joining from a version of the application that does not support audio and video locking. Please refer to the app requirements on the help pages for video locks and audio locks for who can join a meeting with these locks enabled.
An audio and video lock set in a meeting will also affect breakout rooms when opened, and changing the setting in an individual room will not affect the primary meeting or other rooms.
The audio and video lock options are separate toggles and will be available with the rest of the host controls.
Feature Availability: This feature is expected to be available to all users on November 16, 2021. Host management must be enabled by the host for the meeting to use these controls. The host management option can be found in the Host controls menu.
Google Chat
Easily chat with meeting participants from a Google Calendar event
You can now quickly jump into a conversation with meeting attendees directly from a Google Calendar event by clicking or tapping on the Chat icon located to the right of the guest list. This allows you to quickly start a Google Chat Space conversation with meeting attendees from within the vcu.edu domain.
Note: The created room will not include users external to the organization, such as users from other Google domains or gmail.com accounts.
Feature Availability: This feature is now available to all users.
Mark Google Chat messages as unread
You can now mark Google Chat messages as unread, which can be used to remind yourself to give a message another look later. This can be done on Google Chat on the web by clicking the triple dot icon when hovering over an individual to chat with and clicking “Mark as unread” or directly in a conversation by selecting the “Mark as unread” option for a specific message. This can be found in the same areas on Google Chat for mobile.
Feature Availability: This feature is expected to be available on or after November 3, 2021.
Categories Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Chat, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Feature Updates and Changes, Google Meet, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Workspace News