This is part 2 of a summary of the main improvements to Google Workspace that were made in 2021. Here, I’ll focus on Google Meet, Forms, Calendar, and Sites. If you missed it, you can find part 1 which looked at Google Sheets, Docs, and Slides here.
Google Meet
New ways to join a meeting
When you click “New meeting,” you’ll now see the following three options:
- Create a meeting for later: Generate joining information for a new meeting. You can save this information to use later.
- Start an instant meeting: Join a meeting in one click, without first going to the Meet greenroom. Once in the meeting, you can add others or copy the joining information to share.
- Schedule in Google Calendar: Go to Calendar in a new tab to create an event with Meet conferencing details automatically populated.
Troubleshoot network & performance issues
Tools have been added in Google Meet that make it easier for end users to understand how their local desktop and network environments affect meeting quality. During a call, you can now go to the three-dot menu and select “Troubleshooting and Help” to see:
- CPU load and network stability over time
- Suggested actions to help improve call performance
- Real-time feedback on the effect of any action taken on network and processing load
- Tips for performing common tasks, like presenting content and recording meetings
Check video quality before joining
We’re making it possible to quickly preview how you’ll appear to others before entering a Google Meet video call. You can use this new functionality to confirm that peripheral devices are properly configured and correctly connected, to check that your network connectivity is good.
When a problem is detected, you’ll see a warning and tips for troubleshooting common issues, like granting your browser permission to use the microphone or camera.
Mute all at once
Meeting hosts in Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals and Education Plus domains can now mute everyone all at once in Google Meet.
Big changes to layout
I remember this change all too well. I had just published my book on using Google Meet, when the next day they announced the whole layout was going to change! I had to rewrite half the book! But I have to say that the improvements were most welcome and make it easier to use.
Video feeds
- Hover over your video feed for options between a tile in the grid or a floating picture. You can also resize, reposition, and hide it to concentrate on the call.
- Your self-view appears in the bottom right of the grid to put more video feeds at eye-level as you look into the camera.
Viewing and presenting experience
- See what you are presenting while in Google Meet. – Personally the best improvement of the lot!
- Unpin the content you or others share to see more and larger video feeds.
- Participant names are always visible regardless of meeting size.
Bottom bar
- Meeting dial-in codes, attachments, the participants list, chat, and other activities are at the bottom right to create more vertical space for seeing people and content.
- Controls are consolidated in one place with descriptions available upon hover.
- Leave call button is moved away from the microphone and camera buttons to prevent accidental call hang-ups.
- Bottom bar is always visible.
Present from Docs, Sheets, Slides
Specifically for more collaboration flexibility, you can now present content from Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides directly to an active Google Meet call.
As a result, you can present with fewer clicks, and then once you’re presenting, you can see your audience and your content at the same time back in the Meet tab.
Background noise reduction
To help limit distractions in your video call, Google Meet can remove background noises such as typing, closing a door, or the sounds of a nearby construction site.
Immersive backgrounds
Five new immersive backgrounds for Google Meet on the web have been added. Cafe and condo interiors have various iterations, such as snowy or rainy weather, which help dispersed teams better represent their current time zone and climate.
Automatically move Breakout participants back
The ability for meeting hosts and co-hosts to automatically move participants back to the main meeting room once breakout rooms end.
Google Forms
Automatically save progress
When responding to a Google Form, Quiz, or Quiz assignment in Classroom while signed into your Google account, your progress will automatically be saved as a draft for 30 days from your last edit, or until your submission is complete.
Improved settings options
Now you can easily customize your form or quiz settings with a more visible settings tab and an improved settings layout.
Form API (beta)
The API is useful for a variety of tasks such as:
- Creating and modifying forms or quizzes
- Retrieving form responses or quiz grades
- Reading form content and metadata
- Receiving push notifications for form or quiz responses and updates
Google Calendar
Set up Breakout rooms prior to Meet
You can now set up Google Meet breakout rooms in advance on Google Calendar. This makes it easier for teachers and meeting facilitators to prepare for differentiated learning, be thoughtful about group dynamics and avoid losing valuable time setting up breakout rooms during the call.
Indicate if joining meeting in person or virtually
To make Google Calendar more flexible in the hybrid workplace, we’re introducing new RSVP options for Calendar invitations. With this update, you can indicate how you plan to join a meeting – in the meeting room, or virtually.
Understand how you’re spending your time
You can now use Time Insights in Calendar, a personalized, analytical experience on the web, to see how your time is spent across meetings and collaborators.
Chat with meeting participants from event
An option has been added that makes it easy to chat with meeting attendees directly from Google Calendar. Within the Calendar event on web or mobile, you’ll see a Chat icon next to the guest list — simply select this icon to create a group chat containing all event participants.
Create meeting notes
Creating a notes document from Calendar will automatically populate the document with the event information and attach the document to the event.
Set aside time for focus
A new Google Calendar entry type has bene added called Focus time, so you can block out and protect your time for heads-down individual work. Similar to the Out of office event type, focus time has a different appearance on your calendar and includes the option to automatically decline conflicting events.
Google Sites
Custom templates
In addition to the ten existing site templates built for common site uses, you can now distribute custom site templates across your organization. You can create and share templates that work best for how you display and share information within your organization. Additionally, your co-workers can easily access custom templates, allowing them to quickly adapt and use them as needed. This reduces time spent on formatting and structuring your sites, giving you more time to focus on turning ideas into impact.
Restore a page via version history
In new Google Sites, you can now restore a specific page from version history. Previously, you could only restore an entire site. This additional functionality makes it easier to restore, edit, and re-publish specific pages that may have changed by mistake or been deleted.
Design your own themes
You can now create highly customized themes in new Google Sites that align with your organization’s brand guidelines or your own personal style.
Copy singular or subset of pages
This feature gives site editors more control, allowing users to reuse part of a site or easily break up a large site into smaller sites.
So, as you can see Google Workspace just keeps getting better and better!! 🙂
This the second part of the 2021 recap, if you missed it, you can find part 1 here.
Want to learn more about Google Workspace and Apps Script? The books below are available on Amazon. Just click on a book! (Affiliate links).
a
a