G Suite Updates

Google continuously rolls out G Suite updates, with a recent focus on Meet. We'll try to keep this page updated with helpful release information. We'll also indicate here whether there are any known issues/outages with G Suite that would affect students' learning.

You might have heard Google is rebranding G Suite as Google Workspace. We only just finished a search-and-replace changing Google Apps to G Suite ;-), so we're not rushing yet to rename things (like this page!). For now, expect to see support documents outside of csdecatur.net to refer to Google Workspace. The two labels -- G Suite and Google Workspace -- are synonymous.

G Suite feature releases

Below, you'll see links to feature release notes and blog posts (usually about upcoming features, or going more in-depth about how to use new features) that affect teaching and learning. For features that have not yet fully deployed, we also indicate when you can expect them to arrive for you.

If you're reading the fine print in these and wonder about timing and what version of G Suite (or Google Workspace) we have: we are on the Rapid Release schedule and license Google Workspace Enterprise for Education. You can also look ahead at (non-exhaustive) G Suite features that are in development.

13 April update: The lists below are out of date -- sorry! We'll get them updated with the latest news as soon as possible.

Meet

• Feb. 2: Check your video and peripheral device quality before joining a Google Meet call - Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on February 2

• Jan. 12: New tools to troubleshoot network and performance issues in Google Meet

• Jan. 7: Join a meeting with new options on the Google Meet landing page

• Dec. 15: Turn Google Meet Quick access on or off from Google Calendar - Extended rollout expected to be completed in January

• Dec. 9: Some Google Meet settings now “sticky” for Education users

• Nov. 19: Bringing breakout rooms in Google Meet to more Google Workspace customers [and breakout room timers and "ask for help" button]

• Nov 17: Virtually raise your hand to ask a question in Google Meet

• Nov. 4: Accept knocks in bulk in Google Meet

• Oct. 30: Replace your background in Google Meet [Chrome OS, macOS, and Windows]

• Oct. 9: Create breakout rooms for more engaged distance learning in Google Meet

• Oct. 8: New safety and collaboration features in Google Meet (summary of recent and upcoming features)

• Oct. 1: Increase engagement with Q&A and polls in Google Meet

• Sep. 28: Google Meet attendance reports available now for education meetings

• Sep. 22: Host collaborative brainstorms with new digital whiteboarding integration in Google Meet

• Sep. 15: See up to 49 people, including yourself, in Google Meet

• Sep. 15: Blur your background in Google Meet [macOS and Windows]

• Sep. 14: More Google Meet participant controls for education meetings

• Sep. 11: New look and feel for Google Meet mobile apps (plus other related announcement)

• Sep. 3: Adding present and chat Meet moderator capabilities for education users

• Aug. 11: Block Google Meet participants from knocking again

• Aug. 11: More details on what's coming to Meet and Classroom (summary of upcoming features)

Classroom and Drive (including Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms)

• Jan. 26: Out of office information will now display when replying to or mentioning a user in a Google Docs comment - Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 26

• Jan. 11: Drive File Stream being renamed "Google Drive for Desktop" [currently macOS only]

• Jan. 5: Smart compose and spelling autocorrect available when adding comments in Google Docs

• Dec. 10: Create and work with documents that contain multiple page orientations in Google Docs

• Dec. 10: Open Office attachments from Gmail in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides with one click

• Dec. 9: Improving search in Google Drive on Android and iOS

• Dec. 2: Improving originality reports in Google Classroom and Assignments to better detect potential plagiarism

• Dec. 1: New comment interface for Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides rolling out to more devices

• Nov. 30: Improvements to PDFs imported to Google Docs

• Nov. 24: Office editing on iOS brings Google Workspace collaboration to Microsoft Office files

• Oct. 27: Office editing mode is now the default editing mode for Office files in Drive on the web

• Oct. 15: Use Smart Fill to help automate data entry in Google Sheets

• Oct. 15: New default video playback option in Google Slides

• Oct. 8: Access checker for Slides now checks permissions when you share with new users

• Oct. 7: Mention a user directly within a Doc

• Sep. 29: New features to help improve and analyze data in Google Sheets

• Sep. 23: Easily add and manage citations in Google Docs

• Sep. 16: Folder sharing in shared drives now generally available

• Sep. 15: Google Drive trash items will be automatically deleted after 30 days starting on October 13

• Sep. 8: Google Docs line spacing will now adjust based on font

• Aug. 31: Improving braille support in Google Docs

• Aug. 26: Expanding shortcuts in Google Drive, reducing unorganized files

• Aug. 5: Google Docs mobile improvements: link previews and Smart Compose

• Aug. 5: Review presentations more quickly with new viewing interface on Google Slides Android app

• Aug. 4: Access checker for Slides ensures inserted video and audio is playable

Gmail, Calendar, and Chat

• Jan. 20: Enable offline support for Google Calendar on web from your computer - Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on January 25

• Jan. 19: Resize the Chat and Rooms sections in Gmail on the web

• Nov. 30: Changes to Google Chat group conversations and classic Hangouts coming December 3, 2020

• Nov. 12: Pin conversations with Google Chat

• Nov. 12: Schedule Google Calendar events from Google Chat

• Nov. 5: Rooms in Google Chat to be unthreaded by default starting November 16

• Oct. 29: Set your status as away in Google Chat in Gmail

• Aug. 12: Enable the new integrated experience in G Suite across the web, iOS and Android