Thanks mostly to HP, the Chromebase has made a strong comeback, and the all-in-one Chrome OS desktop presents itself as a solid option for the workplace, consumer kiosks, and home setups alike. For those that use a Chromebase at work or as a work-from-home device, Google is adding a very useful … [Read more...] about Chromebase for Meetings can now participate in Google Meet Polls and Q&As
Workspace Sessions
Welcome to the Workspace Sessions. This is our ongoing series to help you and your organization make the most out of the Google Admin Console, Workspace apps, hardware and more.
Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Google launches Workspace Essentials Starter, costs you nothing but doesn’t include Gmail
A brand new version of Google Workspace is launching since we don't already have enough. It's called Workspace Essentials Starter, and it's going to cost you a big, fat zero dollars per month for you and your team. Wait, what? That's right, Essentials Starter will cost you nothing, and that's … [Read more...] about Google launches Workspace Essentials Starter, costs you nothing but doesn’t include Gmail
Gmail on the web is getting a massive visual overhaul complete with Material You
A while back, we covered a fairly standard Workspace update blog post from Google. Inside of that blog post though, was something that flew completely under the radar. Google purposely dropped a single image of a completely revamped Gmail interface and chose not to say anything about it. Despite … [Read more...] about Gmail on the web is getting a massive visual overhaul complete with Material You
G Suite Legacy free edition users may not be forced to pay for Workspace after all
Recently, we discussed how longtime users of G Suite's legacy free edition would basically be forced to upgrade to the new and improved Google Workspace on July 1, 2022, and there were understandably many people who were upset by the company's decision. Possibly due to the immediate and heavy … [Read more...] about G Suite Legacy free edition users may not be forced to pay for Workspace after all
Unthreaded Google Chat Spaces will now let you know when someone deletes a message
One of the most frustrating things for me about the new Google Chat and its Spaces is that several core functionalities are missing that were present in Hangouts. I mean, if you use it at all, you're probably already painfully aware of the fact that you can't edit messages, you only recently became … [Read more...] about Unthreaded Google Chat Spaces will now let you know when someone deletes a message
Google Docs users can now insert text or image watermarks to protect their work
What's one of the features that Google Docs is missing in your opinion? What's that, you say the ability to add a watermark to your document? I thought that was already available! Wasn't that something that most services have had since the early 2000s? Nope. Google Docs is actually adding it in … [Read more...] about Google Docs users can now insert text or image watermarks to protect their work
Google Chat on the web gets bold and finally adds rich text editing tools
Until now, Google Chat on the web has had very limited tools for adding any sort of emphasis to your messages - absolutely nothing. You'd type something out and hit enter to send it. The Android app, on the other hand, has had a full suite of formatting options, and the experience across the two has … [Read more...] about Google Chat on the web gets bold and finally adds rich text editing tools
Google Drive will now alert you of suspicious files with a large, yellow banner
At Google's Cloud Next event last year, it announced that it was going to find new ways to protect users against spam and abusive practices of its services. The entire year was filled with Calendar and Drive spam among other things where suspicious events, files, and more were randomly appearing in … [Read more...] about Google Drive will now alert you of suspicious files with a large, yellow banner
G Suite Legacy Free Edition users are being required to upgrade to Workspace in July
Admins for organizations using G Suite's Legacy Free edition are receiving emails this morning stating that support for the service is being deprecated. All users are being told that they are now required to upgrade their license to the new and improved Google Workspace. This comes 16 years after … [Read more...] about G Suite Legacy Free Edition users are being required to upgrade to Workspace in July
[Updated link] How to pop Google Tasks out of Gmail and use it as a standalone web app
Updated link: Try clicking this link instead to access Google Tasks as a separate website! I love Google Tasks. Even though its identity has effectively been split between two different task management systems - one in Google Chat, and the other remaining traditionally named with just a new … [Read more...] about [Updated link] How to pop Google Tasks out of Gmail and use it as a standalone web app
‘Companion Mode’ in Google Meet rolling out now to make hybrid meetings much easier
Not long ago, Google announced something called 'Companion Mode' for its Google Meet hardware that was meant to help remote teams connect with each other, even if they weren't in front of a Chromebook or desktop computer. Now, this new tool is rolling out in an official capacity! Companion Mode … [Read more...] about ‘Companion Mode’ in Google Meet rolling out now to make hybrid meetings much easier
Live translated captions are now able in Google Meet to reduce language proficiency barriers
If you're hosting an all-hands meeting with globally distributed teams, you may be happy to hear that Google Meet's previously announced 'Live translated captions' are now generally available. The company stated last year that they would be rolling out soon for select Workspace editions, and now … [Read more...] about Live translated captions are now able in Google Meet to reduce language proficiency barriers
