Google Workspace Updates

In August, we announced that you can now save files scanned in the Google Drive Android app as a .JPEG. This week, we’re excited to introduce an additional scanning option that gives you the ability to apply a black & white filter on your document scans. This new filter helps enhance texts and other important elements, ensuring they are sharply defined when compared to the background region. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about scanning files with your mobile device.

AI Classification now supports Field Selection for Model Training 

When AI Classification first launched, Labels eligible for model training needed to have a single field of either a badge or option-list field type, and Labels with multiple fields were ineligible. Now, customers that use AI Classification will be able to select which badge or option list field they would like to train a model for after identifying the target label. Once trained and enabled, the AI model will automatically apply the label and will only populate the selected field. | Roll out to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to customers with the AI Security add-on, Gemini Enterprise add-on, and Gemini Education Premium. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about Label Google Drive files automatically using AI classification. 

Reducing noise from unfollowed threads in Google Chat

In order to make it easier to identify which unread threads are most relevant to you, we’re reducing the noise by removing visual cues from threads that you do not follow in Google Chat. Starting this week, new activity, such as unread messages from threads you do not follow, will no longer bold and appear at the top of your conversation lists. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains on web and mobile at an extended rollout pace (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility). | Available to all Google Workspace customers. 

Introducing a better filter by condition experience for tables in Google Sheets 

Tables in Google Sheets will now provide users with a smarter filter by condition experience. Sheets offers 21 options for users to filter by condition, such as “Date is” or “Text ends with”. However, we know there are scenarios in which certain filters might not be applicable based on the type of data in a spreadsheet. Based on the set column type, users will now only see relevant filter by condition options. For example, if your column type is set to number, the filter options will be number-based only. | Roll out to Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains is complete. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Visit the Help Center to learn more about sorting & filtering your data.

Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Refine emails faster with updates to the “Polish” shortcut in Gmail 

We’re expanding the Help me write shortcut to web and introducing a Polish shortcut on web and mobile that helps you refine emails even faster. | Learn more about email shortcuts in Gmail. 

Google Classroom now supports exporting missing and excused grades to select Student Information Systems (SIS)

Teachers can now include missing and excused grades when exporting grades to their Student Information Systems (SIS). | Learn more about exporting missing and excused grades to select Student Information Systems (SIS). 

New density setting in Google Chat 

To give users more control over how they see information in Google Chat, we’re introducing a new setting that allows you to control the visual density of screen elements. Choose between “Comfortable” or “Compact” on chat.google.com. | Learn more about density settings in Chat.

Context Aware Access insights and recommendations are now generally available

We’re making it easier to apply context-aware access (CAA) policies with new insights and recommendations. We’ll proactively surface potential security gaps and suggest pre-built CAA levels which admins can deploy to remediate the security gaps. | Learn more Context Aware Access insights.

FedRAMP High authorization for Gemini for Workspace 

As recently announced, we submitted our package to obtain FedRAMP High authorization for Gemini for Workspace, including the Gemini app. A FedRAMP High certification assures federal agencies in the United States that a cloud service provides the highest level of protection for their most sensitive data, enabling them to confidently leverage cloud technologies for critical operations. | Learn more about FedRAMP High authorization for Gemini.

Gemini in the side panel of Google Chat is now available

We’re expanding Gemini in Chat to help users collaborate more effectively in their spaces, group messages and direct messages. | Learn more about Gemini in the side panel of Chat. 

Data classifications labels for Gmail are now available in open beta

In addition to Google Drive, we’re expanding data classification labels to now include Gmail. Classification labels are used to classify and audit content according to organizational guidelines (“Sensitive”, “Confidential”, etc.) and apply policies, such as data loss prevention (DLP) rules, to protect sensitive information in email messages. Classification labels will be available when using Gmail on the web – support for Gmail on mobile devices will be introduced in the coming months. | Learn more about the beta for data classifications labels for Gmail.

Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the original blog posts for additional details.

Rapid Release Domains: 

• Catch up on followed threads from the home shortcut in Google Chat (Android)
• Send video messages in Google Chat

Scheduled Release Domains: 

• Adding multi-monitor support to Google Slides
• Ask responders for a rating in Google Forms
• New document tabs in Google Docs provide a better way to organize your documents
• Pronouns are now displayed in Google Meet

Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

• Introducing security advisor, a new set of tools and insights to help small businesses protect their organization against cyber attacks
• New Watermarking in Google Meet Helps Protect Your Meeting Content
• Gmail Q&A now available on iOS devices
• Third-party smart chips now available in Google Sheets
• Create an email for a Google Chat space from the Admin console (email conversations sent to spaces now show replies in a thread instead of as separate cards in the message stream)
• Context Aware Access insights and recommendations are now generally available
  

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).