Google Workspace has announced a new round of revamping of the emailing platform Gmail.
A new update is introducing a set of features that are designed to make collaboration and productivity even easier on Gmail.
After the upgrade, Gmail will resemble the messaging program Slack in terms of Search options, integrations, and team collaboration.
More About Gmail’s New “Chat Spaces” Feature
The incoming improvement will introduce various new features to the email application.
All of them are listed below:
Image source: Google workspace updates
Find Chats Without a Hitch:
Google Workspace users can find a chat simply by using the Gmail Search facility on top of the page. Previously, users had to select the ‘Mail’ and ‘Messages’ buttons to find a specific email or chat and space conversations.
From now on, A new additional button, ‘Spaces,’ will be there along with the existing controls. So when you add your query in the Gmail Search for a particular Space name or description, all matches in the domain will be visible in the new Spaces option.
Searchable Restricted Spaces:
Earlier, Google has taken several initiatives to make Gmail more collaborative in post-pandemic remote work culture.
Continuing that effort, Workspace has now made it possible for users to find and join discoverable Spaces along with Restricted Spaces that you have been invited to but did not join yet.
Preview Button:
Google Workspace has added more visibility to the Spaces. Before joining a new Space, you can preview the space by clicking the ‘Preview’ button. It promotes easier decision-making for the end users.
Google’s Focus on Collaboration
Earlier, Google had stated its commitment to upgrade the Cloud tools on its platform to meet the overarching expectations of the hybrid work culture.
Since then, it has introduced several goal-oriented changes to realize the vision of providing users a “single connected experience in Google Workspace.”
For example, in September 2021, rooms were rebranded as ‘Spaces.’ It became a central place for collaboration.
The integration with critical productivity tools like Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheet, and Meet would facilitate discussion and teamwork.
Also read: Google Workspace Clears Up Compatibility Issues With Microsoft 365
The Importance Of The Current Improvement
The redesign seems to be an effort to equip Gmail with the necessary productivity tools. Presently, Google is competing with other tech majors like Microsoft and Slack. The latter holds a sizeable chunk, almost 22.5%, of the collaborative software market.
The redesign integrated Google Docs, Drive, Calendar, Meet, and Rooms with the Gmail web client and application in July.
The latest upgrade offers users essential features to “discover and find the exact space,” which, Google hopes, will make multinational entities, cross-functional teams, and individual users connect with specific teams easily and get involved in ongoing projects.
Slack And Gmail Similarity
The Spaces are identical to Slack channels. It allows quick chatting with coworkers, sharing and swapping files, working on Google Docs without changing tabs, etc.
However, there remain many distinctions. For example, Slack has a more advanced Search option and 2400+ integrations.
Admin’s Role
The latest update requires no admin intervention. The end users can update their Gmail clients and start using the new features soon after the rollout.
Who can receive the update?
All end users, that is, Google Workspace customers, legacy G suite clients, and users with personal accounts, are eligible to receive the update.
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