Google I/O introduced us to a huge bunch of updates of services, and the Smart Canvas update was amongst the most significant ones. Let’s see how the new features will change the way we use Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Slides!
1. Docs, Sheets, and Slides & Google Meet Integration
Smart Canvas is announced to integrate collaboration and communication tools even deeper into the workflow. Now you can have video or audio meetings right in Docs, Sheets, and Slides to show your work to others and collaborate while having direct contact in the same tab of the browser.
Google Meet can also generate live captions in 5 languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German (feature arrives later this year).
2. Assisted Writing
Docs will now include Grammarly-like assistive writing features. The new module will provide stylistic suggestions, warn about offensive language, and supply you with word choices. A similar assistant will later come to Slides to help you gather deeper insights into the data in your presentations.
3. Timeline View for Sheets
At last, Google realized that task tracking could be implemented better and added the brand new Timeline View to it much faster. Now you can organize info by owners, categories, and other specs.
4. Smart Chips
Google Smart Chips are now available for use in the Smart Canvas. They expand the options of the user’s favorite “@ user name mention” feature. After the update, you can type @ not only to mention users but also to add various special links to meetings, files, and events. You can already test the feature on Google Docs, and it will arrive in Sheets later this summer.
You can also utilize Smart Chips to assign tasks to other users in a more streamlined manner or to create checklists. All the assignments will now appear in the Google Tasks To-Do List of the assignee. Due to the table templates, you can conveniently track feedback, project progress, and more parameters. One of the templates can even capture meeting notes, and import information from your calendar invites automatically.
More to Come
It seems that Google has hacked the right course of updates and will provide us with more useful features during the year. Do you like the Smart Canvas update? Does it solve any of your problems, or you wish to see some other changes? Let’s discuss it in the comments, and don’t forget to share the news with other users of Google Workspace.
