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What you need to know
Google’s recent update to Workspace for April 2025 introduces new AI capabilities for Gemini, Gmail, Google Slides, and Chat. Notable features include Canvas and Audio Overviews, reminiscent of those found in the popular NotebookLM tool. Additionally, Gmail will now seamlessly detect and prompt users to add event invitations from emails directly into their Calendar with a single click. Google Slides has also been enhanced with a new sidebar designed to simplify the process of incorporating design elements into presentations.
In a recent blog post, Google announced these upgrades, highlighting how they bring functional features from NotebookLM into the broader Gemini platform. These enhancements will allow users to leverage existing tools like Deep Research while providing a more expansive writing and coding experience.
The latest round of updates focuses on diverse functionalities ranging from calendar management to creative presentation building. Let’s explore the details of these new features in Google Workspace.
This month’s upgrades to Gemini begin with Canvas, a versatile feature available directly from the main app. Users can now initiate document drafts, generate code, and more within Canvas. A new button for Canvas appears alongside the Deep Research button in the command area, enabling users to create, refine, and export projects directly to Google Docs or other platforms.
While Canvas offers a familiar functionality, it is designed to be more accessible than NotebookLM. In addition, Google is integrating the Audio Overviews feature from NotebookLM into the main Gemini app, allowing users to convert documents and presentations into spoken audio formats, akin to podcast listening.
Audio Overviews work seamlessly with other Gemini tools like Canvas and Deep Research, enabling quick transitions from research reports to audio formats. Following their initial announcement in March, these features are now broadly available to users.
The Gemini 2.5 Pro version, which is experimental in nature, is also now available for all free users, as indicated in the March notes from Google.
Gemini in Gmail will automatically find appointments buried in your emails
Another valuable addition is a Gmail feature that identifies event invitations hidden within your emails, facilitating a streamlined process to add these events to your calendar. Previously, this functionality was reserved for Google Calendar or Google Meet invites, but the new tool extends this capability to any written invite in your inbox.
Powered by Gemini, this feature analyzes email content for event details and presents an Add to Calendar button in the Gemini sidebar for Gmail. This convenient feature automates calendar creation based on the extracted event information.
Moreover, Gmail is integrating Contextual Smart Replies powered by Gemini, which provides tailored response suggestions that can be sent quickly from both desktop and mobile platforms.
It’s now easier to build presentations in Google Slides
Google Slides has also received a dedicated new sidebar that makes it effortless to search for templates, create building blocks, access stock photos, or utilize AI to generate images—all without disrupting your workflow. This design-focused sidebar remains unobtrusive, positioned alongside the working slide for easy reference.
The company emphasizes that this sidebar centralizes essential features, allowing users to develop visually impressive presentations seamlessly.
Everything else that’s new, and when the features will be available
For organizational users, Google is rolling out a new board tab in Chat, enabling teams to pin important messages, documents, and links conveniently. Additionally, a new HubSpot app is being added to Google Chat, facilitating easier access to customer relationship management functionalities.
While many of these features were previewed previously on the Google Workspace Blog, they are now being fully rolled out as part of the April 2025 feature drop, enhancing overall user experience within the Google Workspace environment.
Source
www.androidcentral.com