U-M Google Updates

Google has introduced a new account-blocking capability within Google Calendar to help you manage unsolicited and spam event invitations (similar to those outlined on the ITS Safe Computing site). When you block an individual in Calendar, the event invitation is removed automatically, and future invitations from that sender will be blocked.

To block an account in Calendar:

1. Click the calendar event from the person you want to block.
2. Click the three-dot icon in the top right of the event dialog.
3. Select Block [account].
4. Click Block in the pop-up to confirm.

Blocking an account in Calendar adds them to your account-wide blocklist. This prevents interactions with that account across other Google products, like Gmail, Chat, and Drive. Likewise, if you have previously blocked someone in another Google product, their Calendar invites will be blocked automatically.

Important Notes

• You can only block someone from Calendar on a computer.
• You can only block other Google accounts. To block non-Google accounts, block their email address in Gmail.
• After you block someone, any existing invitations from that account remain on your calendar, except the one you used to block them.
  • If you don’t want the existing invitations on your calendar, you should delete them manually.
• If you accidentally block someone, you can unblock them from your Google Account settings. After unblocking, you can restore the event from your Calendar trash.

Refer to the Google Help Center to learn more about blocking accounts in Calendar.

If you are experiencing an influx of spam event invites appearing on your U-M Google Calendar, refer to Google: Spam and Phishing Calendar Events for tips on ways to mitigate this issue, including reporting the events as spam or changing your Calendar invitation settings.

According to Google, this feature should be available to everyone by September 30, 2026, but could take longer to become fully visible.

Updates

Calendar

New calendar sharing permission level and changes to recurring event visibility

Google has added an additional calendar sharing permission called “Make changes (see private events as free/busy).” This permission allows you to grant someone edit access to your calendar while keeping the details of your private events hidden.

In addition to this permission change, you can no longer change the visibility of a single event in a recurring series. Any changes to visibility will be applied to all events in the series. Existing events in a recurring series have been updated to match the strictest visibility setting of any event in that series. For example, if one event in the series is marked private but the others are not, all events in that series were changed to private.

Custom event colors

You have access to an expanded color palette so you can personalize events and visually organize your calendar by color. Previously, you were restricted to 11 default colors. Now, you can have up to 200 custom colors for individual events, and on Calendar on the web, you can define additional colors by using a full RGB color picker. Learn more about using colored labels to organize your Calendar events.

Chat

New discoverable space setting

Google expanded how individuals can find and join Chat spaces by adding a third access option called "Discoverable." Discoverable spaces appear when individuals browse for spaces within U-M, but the conversation history and messages remain private until a space owner or manager approves their request to join. Previously, spaces were either private (invite-only) or open (anyone at U-M can find and join). According to Google, space access types can only be changed in space settings, but they will be available at space creation in the future. Learn more about changing Chat space access levels.

Group conversations now allow external collaborators

Google has improved external collaboration in Chat by making it possible to create group conversations that include external (non-UM) accounts. Previously, you could only create 1:1 conversations with external accounts or create a space with external access enabled. Group conversations with external members are labeled with a visible badge.

External accounts can’t be added to existing group conversations with only U-M accounts. External accounts that are added to group conversations will receive an email invitation and must accept the invitation to participate in the group conversation. Learn more about external group conversations in Chat.

Drive

Improvements to Out-of-Domain file-level warnings

Google has improved the Out-of-Domain file-level warnings announced in April 2025. The following scenarios will now show an external badge or indicator:

• Files in the Android and iOS apps for Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides
• Files shared in an externally shared Chat space or 1:1/group conversation
• Files that are accessible by externally-owned service accounts
• Comment and file-sharing email notifications for external files and accounts

These badges help you identify potentially harmful files and when to be cautious when sharing confidential information in external files.

Timestamped comments on Drive videos

You can now anchor comments to a specific timestamp in a video stored in Drive. While you must create timestamped comments on the web, mobile users viewing videos on iOS or Android can still see these entries formatted as standard file-level comments. Learn more about commenting on Drive videos.

Import 3D bar charts into Sheets

Sheets now supports importing 3D bar charts. Previously, when you imported files containing 3D bar charts into Sheets, they appeared as 2D bar charts.

Import and create combo charts in Sheets

You can create new “combo” chart types in Sheets, enabling complex dataset visualization with different scales and metrics without requiring manual replotting. Additionally, your combo charts with secondary axes are now preserved when importing Microsoft Excel spreadsheets into Google. Previously, importing external files that contained combo charts with a secondary axis dropped the secondary axis. Learn more about creating and editing charts in Sheets.

Import and create scatter charts with multiple x-series in Sheets

Sheets now supports creating and importing scatter charts with multiple independent x-series. Previously, importing Excel files with multiple x-series scatter charts dropped the extra axes and reverted to a single x-axis.

Improved file importing in Sheets with tables and linked pivot tables

Google has introduced two key improvements in Sheets that preserve formatting and linked data when converting files from Microsoft Excel. Sheets now fully supports importing Excel pivot tables that are backed by table ranges. Also, Excel tables will now import as Sheets tables. Previously, when converting Excel files, pivot tables linked to tables were replaced with static grids, and tables did not import as Sheets tables.

Expanded options for header images in Forms

Form creators now have more options for header images. Previously, creators could only use a pre-selected theme, upload an image, or choose an image from Google Photos. In addition to these options, creators can now choose an image from Google Drive, Google Images, or use a URL. Learn more about adding a Form header image.

Scan multiple pages in Drive app on Android

The Google Drive app on Android has added a new “Document Scanner” feature, allowing you to scan multiple pages at the same time. Note that this is only available for Android devices with 8GB+ RAM.

Gemini & Notebook

NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook

As many of you have likely already noticed, NotebookLM has been renamed “Gemini Notebook.” Learn more about using Gemini Notebook at U-M.

Automatic Drive syncing in Gemini Notebook

As the content in your Drive files changes, the files imported to your notebook now sync automatically. Previously, you had to manually re-sync each Drive file in your notebook to reflect updates. Additionally, if your access to a Drive file is revoked, you can no longer use that file as a source. However, it will still appear in your sources list with a link to request access. If a file is deleted from Drive, it will be removed from the notebook’s sources list.

Share chats, canvases, and generated media from the Gemini app via Drive

You can now share your Gemini conversations, canvases, and other generated media from the Gemini web app using the standard Drive sharing menu. (As with Drive files, you can share Gemini artifacts with external (non-UM) collaborators, too.) From within the conversation or other artifact you’d like to share, click the three-dot icon in the top right corner and select Share via Drive. Learn more about sharing your Gemini chats.

Mail

Work with delegated accounts from mobile devices

The iOS and Android Gmail app now allows account delegates to read, manage, and compose emails on behalf of a delegator directly from their mobile devices. Previously, you could only work with delegated Gmail accounts through the web interface. (Delegators do not need to perform any additional setup to enable mobile access for their existing delegates.) Learn more about account delegation in Gmail and at U-M.

New reply all warning banner

Google introduced a new warning banner in Gmail related to the reply-all feature. This warning displays whenever you attempt to reply all to an email thread where your email address is not listed explicitly in the To or CC fields (such as BCC'd, auto-forwarded, or delegated emails), preventing accidental disclosure.

This banner may also appear when replying all to an MCommunity group or Shared Account. Because of how MCommunity groups function within U-M Google, Google interprets these groups as having members who are "hidden" from recipients and other group members. Since your account's email address is not explicitly named within the To or CC fields (just the group or Shared Account email), you will always receive this banner. Refer to the ITS Knowledge Base for more UM-specific information.

Meet

Now available on Android Auto

If you use an Android, you can now access Meet directly from your car's dashboard through Android Auto. Please note that when you join a meeting, your camera is turned off, and you won’t see incoming video. You will hear the meeting audio and have audio input via your car’s microphone. Learn more about using Meet on Android Auto.

Redesigned Meet homepage

The new homepage at meet.google.com provides a centralized view where you can access meeting descriptions and calendar attachments for upcoming calls and find meeting notes from past calls.

Previously Communicated

• Migration update for legacy restricted access files in Google Drive
• Delete and start temporary chats in Google Gemini

Google now allows you to start a temporary chat or delete chats in the Gemini app (gemini.google.com). Previously, these features weren’t available to Education accounts, like U-M Google.

Temporary chats allow you to have conversations with Gemini that are not saved to your chat history (under “Recents”) and won’t appear in your Gemini Apps Activity. As soon as you leave a temporary chat, you’ll no longer have access to it, so only use them when you don’t need to retain the chat. To start a temporary chat:

1. Go to the Gemini web app.
2. Click Temporary chat next to “New chat” in the top left corner.

When you’re in a temporary chat, the temporary chat icon () will be at the top of the screen.

Conversation deletion allows you to remove individual chats or your entire chat history from your account. If you delete a chat from pinned and recent chats, it also deletes any content created in that chat (such as files, slide decks, or images) and the related activity from Gemini Apps Activity. To delete a chat:

1. Go to the Gemini web app.
2. Hover over the chat in your left sidebar and click the three-dots icon.
3. Select Delete from the drop-down.

According to Google, this feature began appearing in U-M Google on June 21, 2026, and may take 7 days or longer to become fully visible.

Updates

Calendar

• New privacy logic for Meet sessions and Calendar events

  To expand upon the update referenced in our Winter 2025 summary, Google has updated the logic used to link specific Meet sessions with Calendar events. Meet session links/codes are now permanently linked to the Calendar event where they were first created. Moving forward, if you manually paste a Meet link into another event or share it via email/chat, you will receive a notification warning you that the link is tied to the original event and guest list. This means that any guest on the original Calendar event will automatically have access to the meeting without needing to request to join, even if not invited to the new event. You should not reuse meeting links/codes for new events. Instead, create a new link for each new event. Learn more about meeting codes in Calendar events.

  

• Transfer ownership of secondary calendars before leaving U-M

  We want to remind you of the new secondary calendar lifecycle changes being implemented by Google, which we communicated about in January. Secondary calendars now have a single, dedicated owner. According to Google, they will implement a new policy on October 5 that will permanently delete secondary calendars when an owner’s account is deleted. For this reason, you must transfer ownership of any secondary calendars you own before leaving the university.

• Updates to meetings made by a delegate

  Google has updated how meeting notifications are handled when someone manages a calendar on behalf of another user (through delegated access). Previously, initial invitations created by the delegate appeared to come from the main account’s email, but subsequent updates or cancellations were sent from the delegate’s email. To provide a more consistent experience for meeting participants, all event-related emails, including cancellations and modifications, will now come from the main account’s email instead of the delegate’s.

• Event color labels now accessible to individuals with “Make changes to events” permission

  Google Calendar offers event color labels for events on your primary calendar, which help you visually organize your meetings and categorize them with Time Insights. Previously, color labels were visible only to individuals with the “Make changes to events and manage sharing” permission on your primary calendar. This label visibility has been expanded to include individuals with the “Make changes to events” permission.

Drive

• New video player experience in Drive app on iOS devices

  Last year, Google announced a more modern video player in the Google Drive Android app. This updated look and feel is now available when watching Drive videos on your iOS devices.

• Two new functions in Sheets

  Google has added two new functions to Google Sheets: =SHEET and =SHEETS. These additions help you manage and reference spreadsheets with multiple tabs more effectively. They operate as follows:

• =SHEET(value): Returns the sheet number of a specified sheet name or reference. If the argument is omitted, it returns the number of the sheet on which the function is defined.

• =SHEETS(): Returns the number of all sheets in the spreadsheet.

  Note that the =SHEETS function does not accept arguments (such as a range of tabs). Formulas containing arguments for this function will result in an error. Learn more about Sheets functions.

Gemini & NotebookLM

• Google Chat available as a data source in Gemini

  Chat has been added as an additional data source in the Gemini web app when using the Google Workspace Connected App. When prompting Gemini with @Google Chat, you can ask it to summarize your chat history or retrieve specific chats based on content, sender, or date. It cannot send messages, create/update Chat spaces, or edit/delete existing messages. Note that this capability is currently available only in the web app (gemini.google.com) in English. Learn more about using the Google Workspace Connected App.

• Nano Banana 2 in Gemini

  You can now create and edit images using Google Gemini’s updated image generation model, Nano Banana 2. Learn more about creating and editing images in Gemini.

• Improvements to content customization and interaction in NotebookLM

  Google has made several updates to NotebookLM, including:

• Slide revisions: You can revise presentation content, ask for changes, or fix any issues on both the web and mobile apps. You can submit stylistic or factual feedback for each slide, and the slides are regenerated as a new deck in the right-side Studio panel.
• New infographic styles: You can manually choose from ten new predefined infographic styles. Options include Sketch Note, Kawaii, Professional, Scientific, Anime, Clay, Editorial, Instructional, Bento Grid, and Bricks. By default, NotebookLM will continue to auto-select the best style for your sources.
• Improved flashcards & quizzes: Progress is now saved and loaded across sessions when using Flashcards and Quizzes. You can also mark flashcards as "Got it" or "Missed it," shuffle the deck, and use a new results screen to rerun any cards you missed. Additionally, specific flashcards or quiz questions can now be deleted. These improvements are available on both the web and mobile apps.
• More supported file types: EPUB files can now be uploaded as a supported source type. You can also export generated slide decks as PowerPoint files (PPTX) in addition to PDF.

• Chat improvements: Your chat conversations are now automatically saved and kept private to you in both private and shared notebooks. You can close a session and resume it later without losing your conversation history. You can also ask NotebookLM to transform your chat conversations into Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, tailored reports, and more.

  Learn more about using NotebookLM at U-M.

• Longer musical track generation in Gemini

  You can use Lyria 3 Pro in Gemini to create tracks up to three minutes long, with customization and creative control. Previously, you only had access to the Lyria 3 Flash model to create tracks that were 30 seconds long. Learn more about creating music in Gemini.

• File generation in Gemini

  You can now prompt Gemini to generate a response in a specific supported file type. Supported file formats include:

• Google Workspace files (Docs, Sheets, and Slides)
• PDF
• Microsoft Word (.docx)
• Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)
• CSV (.csv)
• LaTeX (.tex)
• Plain Text (.txt)
• Rich Text Format (.rtf)

• Markdown (.md)

  You can currently only generate one file per prompt. For most file types, you can download the file directly to your device or export it to your Google Drive. Learn more about generating files from your Gemini chats.

Meet

• Safeguarded guest admit flow in Meet

  An updated guest admit flow helps hosts efficiently manage large volumes of meeting join requests ("knocking") by splitting them into two separate queues. The new secondary queue isolates requests that require closer scrutiny, automatically defaulting their action to deny entry. Hosts and co-hosts remain in full control and can manually override the default suggestion to approve or deny any request. Learn more about adding/removing guests from a Meet call.

• Meet now available on Apple CarPlay

  If you use an iPhone, you can now access Meet directly from your car's dashboard through Apple CarPlay. Please note that when you join a meeting, your camera is turned off, and you won’t see incoming video. You will hear the meeting audio and have audio input via your car’s microphone. Android users can expect a version of Meet for Android Auto soon. Learn more about using Meet with Apple CarPlay.

Photos

• Google Takeout Transfer now supports Google Photos

  Google Takeout Transfer allows you to copy your Gmail and Drive content from your U-M Google account to a personal (non-UM) Google account when you leave the university. Google has added the ability to also copy all your photos, videos, and albums from Photos from U-M to a personal account. Learn more about using Takeout Transfer.

In addition to the updates above, Google has changed their Google Workspace app icons.

Previously Communicated

None!

Following our March and October 2025 communications regarding the new "limited access" folder setting, Google has completed automatically migrating all remaining items with "legacy" restricted access settings to the new limited access experience.

What changed?

Last year, Google introduced limited access folders to streamline permission management. While new folders have used this setting for months, some older files and folders still relied on legacy "restricted" settings (such as those using the now-retired “Update item only” option mentioned in October’s communication).

With this update, Google automatically converted those remaining legacy items to the limited access setting to ensure a consistent sharing experience across My Drive and shared drives.

Key information

• This migration did not change who can view or access your files. It only updated the underlying setting to match Google’s updated sharing model.

• Items that have been automatically migrated will display a restricted symbol next to the file’s name and a note in the file’s Activity dialog stating that "limited access was turned on for an item” by Google Drive.

  
• The updated files are hidden from people with access to the parent folder. This is a different experience than if the file were in a limited access folder, as the item would appear grayed out to them instead.
• Once removed from a file, limited access cannot be reapplied (except by moving the file into a limited access folder). Files outside this scenario cannot have limited access applied directly to them.

How to audit your files

If you would like to view which of your files (if any) have been moved to the limited access setting, you can use the following search query in the Google Drive search bar: owner:me is:limitedaccess

This search will return all items you own that currently have the limited access setting applied, including those that Google recently migrated.

Refer to the Google Help Center to learn more about limiting access to files and folders in Google Drive.