At the Google I/O 2021 event, Google disclosed that it is bringing updates to its apps like Docs, Sheets, Meet and others. Google revealed that these apps will be revamped with new features. Here are the features.
Docs will become page-less. Users will be able to remove the boundaries of a page to create a surface that expands to whatever device or screen they’re using. According to Google, this will make it “easier to work with wide tables, large images or detailed feedback in comments”. Another quite interesting update is the introduction of emojis to Google Docs. Google is introducing emojis to Docs, and along with this, Docs template will automatically import any relevant information from a Calendar meeting invite, including smart chips for attendees and attached files.
Real-time meetings app Google Meet, will now have direct access to Sheets, Docs, etc. What this means for users is that they will now be able to access content directly from the Doc, Sheet, or Slide in a call. For now, this feature is only available on the app, and thus not available on the web version, but will be added later this year.
Google Sheets has also been upgraded with new features that facilitate better and smoother work. Users can now jump from a discussion in Google Chat directly to building content together. Creating and editing Sheets and Docs from Google Chat rooms is already live and Google says that it will enable it for Slides as well soon.
Coming on board later this year are live translation captions. According to Google, the live translation captions will start with English-language live captions translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, or German, with many more languages to follow.
And just when we thought we’ve seen it all, Google revealed that it is getting something called Smart Chips. The Smart Chips will enable users to get additional information on a person’s location, job title and contact information. All users need to do is simply type “@“and they will see a list of recommended people, files and meetings.
