After a brief hiatus, we are back to provide you with the latest news in Google Workspace! Read on to learn about the updates to Google Chat, Gmail, and Meet.
Schedule Calendar events and pin conversations in Chat
In an effort to make planning meetings even more seamless, the Google Workspace team is adding a new feature in Chat’s compose bar that will allow you to create an event, inviting all members of the chat. To use this feature, simply click the compose bar, click the calendar icon at the far right, and schedule your meeting as usual. Rollout for this feature has begun for Android Gmail users, and will be rolled out for iOS and web users soon.
Additionally, rollout has completed for a feature allowing you to pin messages or rooms, keeping your conversation at the top of your list view when using Chat in Gmail. This helps keep your pinned messages easy to find. To pin a message or conversation, simply do the following:
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Sign in to Chat or Gmail.
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Under Chat or Rooms, navigate to the desired conversation.
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Click More (three vertical dots) and click Pin or Unpin (pin icon).
View more detailed information about your coworkers in Gmail
A new side panel in Gmail will allow you to view more information about your coworkers, such as their role in your organization, contact information, reporting chain, and more. See the example below:
Rollout for this feature has begun and will conclude in mid-December.
“Hand raising” in Meet
In its continued expansion of Meet features, Google has released hand raising in Meet. This provides an easy and non-disruptive way for meeting participants to indicate that they have a question or comment. Hand raising has been implemented to all Google Workspace eligible customers (which excludes Workspace Business Starter, G Suite Basic, and personal accounts), and meeting participants can begin using this feature by clicking the hand icon in the bottom bar while in a meeting.
Breakout rooms now available to more Google Workspace customers
Breakout rooms, a feature recently added to Google Workspace, are now available to all paid Google Workspace editions excluding Workspace Business Starter, G Suite Basic, Education, and Nonprofits. These rooms are controlled by the moderator, and participants can ask for help or view a countdown of time remaining. To learn how to create and use breakout rooms, see this article by Google.
We hope these updates are helpful for you and your team. If you have any questions or are seeking a Google Partner, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
