Welcome to this month’s recap of Google updates that are available now, or will be available shortly, within Google Workspace in Glow accounts.
What’s new?
Ask responders for a rating in Google Forms
To add to the list of question types that users can respond to in Google Forms and enable the collection of feedback in a more engaging way, Google are introducing a rating question type.
This new question type enables you to customise rating questions by setting a rating scale level and include rating icons, such as stars or hearts, to offer a more intuitive way to gather opinions from an audience.
Visit the Google Help Centre to learn more about asking responders to provide a rating on a scale.
Release date: gradual rollout (up to 15 days) started on 21 October 2024
New document tabs in Google Docs provide a better way to organise your documents
Earlier this year, Google introduced the ability to send voice messages in Google Chat to help users save time, convey more information, and emphasise the most important information for the message receiver. To build upon this highly requested communication feature and increase accessibility in Chat, we’re excited to announce voice messages transcription.
Starting today, users will be able to see an automatic transcription of voice messages in Chat on web and mobile. This update enables content consumption in a user’s preferred format or the format that is most convenient at that particular moment.
This is only available to teaching staff Glow users. Visit the Help Centre to learn more about sending a voice message in Google Chat.
Release date: gradual rollout (potentially longer than 15 days) started on 8 October 2024
A smoother, more modern video player in Google Drive
Soon you’ll notice a new look and feel, with enhanced functionality, for the video player within Google Drive that makes it easier and more enjoyable to watch your videos. More specifically, this update includes:
A modernised look with cleaner lines, intuitive controls, and a less cluttered viewing experience, all in line with Google Material Design 3.
Improved controls for fast forward and rewind buttons that give you more control over playback. In addition, it is now easier to adjust playback speed and manage captions.
Visit the Help Centre to learn more about storing & playing video in Google Drive.
Release date: full rollout (1-3 days for visibility) starting on 18 November 2024
Introducing a new look and feel for Google Calendar on the web
A refreshed user interface in Google Calendar is coming, that is in line with Google Material Design 3, and includes:
- Controls (like buttons, dialogs, and sidebars) that are more modern and accessible
- Interface typography that uses Google’s custom-designed and highly-legible typefaces
- Iconography that is legible and crisp, with a fresh feel
Google are also introducing the ability to toggle between light mode, dark mode or device default theme options. This is set to provide you with a more comfortable, customisable viewing experience and can also reduce battery usage.
Visit the Help Centre to learn more about using Dark theme in Calendar.
Release date: extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days) starting on 2 December 2024
Staff: Transcriptions now available for voice messages in Google Chat
Google are introducing document tabs in Google Docs, a new feature to help you organise longer documents, centralise information, and make collaboration easier.
You can now use tabs to draft and build content in a way that makes it possible for you to find what you’re looking for quickly and stay on task. Plus, readers can navigate through your document with ease and focus on sections that matter most to them.
Within each tab, you can also create subtabs to add even more structure to your document. For instance, a classroom tab could include subtabs for workings groups and teaching materials.
Visit the Google Help Centre to learn more about using document tabs in Google Docs.
Release date: gradual rollout (up to 15 days) started on 21 October 2024
Staff: New density setting in Google Chat
To give users more control over how they see information in Google Chat, Google are introducing a new setting that allows you to control the visual density of screen elements. Choose between “Comfortable” or “Compact” on chat.google.com.
Comfortable mode, the default setting, reflects Chat’s modernised design, in line with Google Material Design 3, and clearly differentiates message bubbles.
Compact mode is for users who prefer to see more information at a time with less scrolling.
Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Compact mode in Google Chat.
Release date: full rollout starts from 2 December (1-3 days for feature visibility)
Access filter chips more easily in Google Drive search
Last year, Google introduced search chips in Drive to enable users to filter by criteria like file type, owner, and last modified date. To build upon this, they are adding these filters inside the Drive search bar, so you can find relevant files even faster in Drive. This will also show new as-you-type suggestions for filter chips. For example, if you type “doc”, you’ll see a suggested “Document” file type chip.
Visit the Help Centre to learn more about searching and finding files in Drive.
Release date: 22 November 2024.
