Starting this week, the previously introduced Google Drive Chat app will be automatically installed and send you notifications about recent activity in Google Drive documents, such as new comments and share requests. Directly in Chat, you can now: 

• Reply to or resolve comments in Docs, Sheets and Slides, which includes the ability to mention your colleagues easily while replying. 
• Choose the appropriate access level (e.g. viewer, commenter, editor) for share requests. 
• See when you’ve been mentioned in Docs, Sheets or Slides using Chat’s “Mentions” shortcut. 
• Easily block a sender or report abuse from the Drive Chat app’s notifications when they come from a user outside of your organization. 

While this new app will be automatically installed, you can easily manage notifications, mute or uninstall the app at any time by going to the three dot overflow menu. 

• Admins: This feature will be ON by default and can be disabled via the Workspace Marketplace app allowlist at the domain, OU or group level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing the Workspace Marketplace app allowlist for your organization. 
• End users: This feature will be ON by default and can be disabled by the user. Visit the Help Center to learn more about managing the Google Drive app for your account. 

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 18, 2024, with expected completion by January 15, 2025

• Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers 

• Google Workspace Admin Help: Manage Marketplace apps on your allowlist 
• Google Help: Google Drive app for Google Chat

Users can now ask Gemini in Gmail to perform calendar related actions or answer questions about their calendars. | Learn more about using Gemini in Gmail to reference Calendar.

Completed rollouts

Following our introduction of uploading full-bleed cover images in Google Docs and AI-generated images in Google Slides with help me visualize, we’re launching the ability to create unique inline images and full bleed cover images using Gemini in Docs. 

These new image generation capabilities benefit from our latest image generation model, Imagen 3, our highest quality, text-to-image model. Now you can create photorealistic images of people, landscapes, and more with even better detail than before.

To create inline images for numerous use cases (e.g. a restaurant menu, marketing campaign brief, or promotional flier), simply type your prompt into Create an image, and Gemini in Docs will generate the image based on your instruction. Plus, you can decide the aspect ratio you want the image to be and choose a style like photography, water color and more. 

You can further customize your document by creating a unique cover image using Gemini in Docs, which can add flavor to a résumé, stylize an invitation, or personalize a client pitch. 

End users 

The ability to generate unique images with Gemini in Docs empowers everyone, regardless of artistic skill, to create differentiated and visually compelling content. Now you can communicate ideas more effectively, without having to tirelessly search for the perfect image. 

Cover images can only be added to documents set to pageless mode, allowing the image to span the entire width of the document. To set up the more immersive experience of pageless mode, go to File > Page setup > Pageless or Format > Switch to Pageless format. 

• Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
• End users: 
• To create a cover image, you can either go to Insert > Cover image > Help me create an image, or Type “@” followed by Cover image > Help me create an image. 
• To add an image, go to Insert > Image > Help me create an image > type in an image description (optionally select a style for your image) > click Create > then, you will see generated options > select the one you like and it will be added to your document. 
• Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating images with Gemini in Google Docs and adding a cover image to your document. 

• Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 15, 2024
• Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 16, 2024

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace customers with these add-ons: 

• Gemini Business 
• Gemini Enterprise 
• Gemini Education 
• Gemini Education Premium 
• Google One AI Premium 

Resources

• Google Help: Create images with Gemini in Google Docs

Following the recent announcement of summaries in home and other features that help you find what you need much faster using home, we’re introducing the split pane in the home view. 

Using the split pane, you can now respond directly to a space, group or direct message without ever navigating away from the home view in Chat. 

• Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
• End users: 
• To reply in the split pane view, simply click on a message and the split pane will open with the conversation. You can click on the expand icon in the conversation header if you wish to view that particular conversation in full screen. You can also toggle the split pane mode in the home header if you wish to completely enable/disable opening conversations in the split pane. 
• Visit the Help Center to learn more about replying to Chat messages in home with the split pane view. 

• Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on November 14, 2024 
• Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 4, 2024 

• Available to all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers 

• Google Help: Send and reply to messages