What changed in Google Workspace this week, sorted by app. Every item comes from Google's own announcements and links to the post it came from. A new roundup goes up every Monday.
Top line
- Gemini can now read through Google Forms responses and suggest next steps, and Vids moved to Omni 1.2 Flash for AI clips up to 15 seconds long. Google says anyone with a Google account can make three of those clips a month for free.
- Admins got two new controls: a custom policy notice in the Meet green room, and a beta that applies client-side encryption to sensitive Drive files automatically.
- For schools, teachers can now assign Guided Learning in Google Classroom. Google also says its AI tools will be off by default for K-12 student accounts until an admin turns them on.
- One step back: custom avatars from your own photo in Vids were announced on Monday and paused on Tuesday.
- Coming next week: the Workspace Studio "Wait until" step and skills for teams. Google posted both on Monday, November 9, so they fall in next week's roundup. Our Workspace Studio guide already covers them.
Meet
Show a custom policy notice before people join a Meet call
Posted
Admins can write a short message, with an optional link to a policy page, that shows in the Meet green room before someone joins. You can show it on every call, or only when the meeting is being recorded or transcribed, or when Gemini is taking notes. It's off by default and is turned on per organizational unit under Meet safety settings.
Forms
Gemini can analyze your Google Forms responses
Posted
A new option on the Responses tab has Gemini look across all your answers, point out trends and links between questions, and suggest next steps. Google says Gemini writes and runs Python code on the response data, so counts and percentages come from your actual answers. Users need smart features and personalization turned on.
Vids
Vids now uses Omni 1.2 Flash for 15-second AI clips
Posted
AI-generated clips in Vids now come from Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash. You can set a clip's length anywhere from 3 to 15 seconds. Google says characters and products stay more consistent when you use reference images, and speech sounds more natural. In a separate post the same day, Google said anyone with a Google account or Workspace subscription can make up to three 15-second videos a month in Vids at no cost.
Custom avatars from your own photo Paused
Posted
Google announced that you can upload an image from your computer, Drive or Photos to build a custom avatar in Vids, clean it up inside Vids, and reuse it across a project. On November 3 Google paused the rollout and said it will post an update when it resumes.
Drive and security
Automatic client-side encryption for sensitive files (beta) Beta
Posted
Admins can set rules that apply client-side encryption to matching files in My Drive and shared drives, so users no longer have to make encrypted copies by hand. The file keeps its original URL. The rules cover Docs, Sheets and Slides, Microsoft Office files, PDFs and images. Users see a banner when they open a file a rule has encrypted, and admins can follow the activity in the security investigation tool. Google pitches it at ITAR, EAR and HIPAA requirements.
Classroom
Teachers can assign Guided Learning in Google Classroom
Posted
Teachers can attach a Guided Learning activity, Gemini's step-by-step study mode, to any assignment and pick class materials for it to draw on. Students stay in Guided Learning mode while they work. Teachers get AI summaries of the conversations for the whole class and for each student, and can read the chat transcripts. Gemini has to be turned on for both teachers and students.
AI tools will be off by default for K-12 student accounts Announced
Posted
Google says access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search will be fully off for K-12 student accounts until a school admin turns it on. There's no date yet. Google says it will share details with schools in the coming months, before the change rolls out.
Developers
Chat API: citations and footer sources are generally available
Posted
Chat apps can add inline citations, which show as cards when you hold the pointer over part of a message, and a list of sources at the bottom of text messages. It works for messages created asynchronously with the Chat API using Markdown markup syntax.
Calendar API: read and update working hours
Posted
A new workingHours property on the Calendars resource lets apps read and update a Workspace user's working hours on their primary calendar.
Chat API: stream messages as they're written (Developer Preview) Developer Preview
Posted
Chat apps can stream a reply as it's being written, with progress text, intermediate steps, inline citations and partial text, then commit it as a finished message. Users can stop a stream while it runs.
How we put this page together
Each roundup covers Monday through Sunday, by the date Google published the post (Pacific time). We only use Google's own announcements. This week we checked:
- Workspace Updates blog
- Google Workspace blog
- The Keyword: Google Workspace
- The Keyword: Learning & Education
- Google Workspace developer release notes
Summaries are drafted with AI assistance from those posts. Editions and rollout dates can change after Google publishes, so check the linked Google post before you plan around a feature.