Google Workspace Update: January 2025

Google Workspace Update Summary - January 2025

The summary of essential information about new features and improvements for Google Workspace customers in January 2025

Admin

⭐ Use tokens as placeholders for user specific information when configuring managed iOS applications

In May 2024, we launched the ability for admins to remotely configure managed iOS apps on end-user devices via Google Mobile Device Management. 

Beginning today, admins can use tokens in the app configurations for managed iOS apps. Tokens act as placeholders for information specific to a user or device that uses the app, such as a user's email address or their device serial number. Previously, configuration data was static, but this update gives admins the flexibility to configure devices dynamically according to various users and devices. Read more.

Availability:  Available for Google Workspace: Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Enterprise Essentials and Essentials Plus, Education Standard and Plus, Nonprofits, Frontline Starter and Standard and Cloud Identity Premium

Classroom

⭐ Introducing the ability to ‘grade all’ in Google Classroom

In 2023, we expanded grading systems in Google Classroom and in 2024 we added a 'missing' grade state to Gradebook. To further improve upon grading options for teachers and give them the ability to perform bulk grading, we’re introducing ‘grade all’. 

With this new feature, teachers can quickly and efficiently grade all students' work on the Gradebook page by selecting ‘grade all’. They can also choose to override existing grades and automatically return them to students after grading. Read more.

Availability:  Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

⭐ See phonics-based performance insights for decodable books in Google Classroom

Last year, we introduced Read Along in Google Classroom, a new feature that helps students build their independent reading skills by enabling teachers to assign differentiated reading content, based on Lexile® measure, grade level, or phonics skills. 

Read Along in Classroom includes access to a growing library of decodable books from Heggerty that educators can assign to practice specific decoding skills. To improve upon the current analytics dashboard experience and provide teachers with phonics-based performance insights for decodable books, we’re adding a new analysis section. Read more.

Availability:  Available for Google Workspace: Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning add-on

Meet

⭐ Google Meet provides additional privacy for livestreaming with new eCDN On-Premises API

Earlier this year, we introduced Enterprise Content Delivery Network (eCDN) to enhance livestreaming in  Google Meet. When configured by admins, eCDN has the potential to reduce bandwidth consumption to a fraction of the traffic volume through peer-assisted media delivery. Read more.

Availability: Available to all Google Workspace customers

Drive

⭐ Use Gemini to interact with PDFs in Google Drive’s overlay file previewer

Earlier this year, we introduced the ability to use Gemini in Google Drive to interact with PDFs. To improve your viewing experience when reviewing PDFs from Drive, we’re excited to announce that Gemini in the side panel of Drive is now integrated into Drive's overlay file previewer. Read more.

Availability: Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: Gemini Business, Gemini Enterprise, Gemini Education, Gemini Education Premium and Google One AI Premium

⭐ Prevent the downloading, printing, or copying of files by all users with Enhanced IRM for Google Drive Data-Loss Prevention

Google Drive’s Information Rights Management (IRM) capability protects documents from data exfiltration actions, specifically downloading, printing, and copying. This is useful for making sure that sensitive content is protected from data leakage. 

Historically, this feature has only been applicable to users with either the “viewer” or “commenter” role, which has left administrators unable to apply the setting to users with write permissions (see here for more information on Drive roles). To address this, we’re expanding IRM to be applicable to all users, including file writers and owners, when it is applied by a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rule. Read more.

Availability: Prevent the downloading, printing, or copying of files by all users with Enhanced IRM for Google Drive Data-Loss Prevention

⭐ Local files now sync to Google Drive faster

We’ve added support for differential uploads to Google Drive, which means when large files are edited, Drive for desktop will now upload only the parts of the file that changed. This highly-requested feature results in much faster Drive syncs. Read more.

Availability: Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

⭐ New file picker method for pre-selecting Google Drive files coming soon

Today, Google Drive developers rely on the drive.file scope and the Google Picker API to optimize user experience and safety when creating their applications. 

To make it faster and easier for users to provide applications access to specific Drive files, the Google Picker API will introduce a new method to the Class view called setFileIds(fileIds). This method lets application developers present users with a picker that is pre-navigated to the specified file IDs the application is seeking access to, allowing faster consent for your users and a more continuous experience for your application. Read more.

Availability: Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers

Gmail

⭐ Improving event summary cards in the Gmail mobile app

Following last year's announcement of purchase summary cards, we're excited to introduce updates to the summary cards for Google Calendar events that make it easier for you to find relevant event information directly in Gmail. Now, when you receive an event related email, such as a restaurant reservation or dentist appointment, an updated card will show above the email content. This card summarizes the most up to date event information from the email and lets you quickly complete event actions, such as adding the event to your Calendar, getting directions to the location, or calling the venue. Read more.

Availability: Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

Workspace

⭐ The best of Google AI, now included in Workspace Business and Enterprise plans

Today we announced that we’re including the best of Google AI in Workspace Business and Enterprise plans without the need to purchase an add-on. Many Workspace customers have been using generative AI to boost productivity, creativity, and innovation, transforming how they work. Gemini is helping reduce the burden of mundane tasks, like taking notes during meetings and synthesizing long documents, and stepping in as a strategic thought partner to bring ideas to life and find ways to problem solve. Expanding the latest generative AI capabilities to more of our customers ensures they have the tools they need to stay on the cutting and competitive edge. Read more.

Availability:

This change impacts Google Workspace: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus, Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
This change also impacts existing Gemini for Workspace add-on subscriptions: Gemini Business, Gemini Enterprise, AI Meetings & Messaging, AI Security

Source: https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com