Google Workspace Tools Now Available to All Users With a Google Account

Google Workspace services are now available for free to all users with a Google account, CEO Sundar PIchai has announced. The collaboration tools in Chat, along with features like smart canvas, were announced at Google I/O developers conference. With this feature now enabled, users can take advantage of the integrated experience in Google Workspace by turning on Rooms in Google Chat. It can be used as a central place to connect, create and collaborate with others. The smart canvas feature can help generate a checklist in Google Docs and quickly assign roles and next steps.

Pichai took to Twitter to announce that the fully integrated Google Workspace experience is now available to all users with a Google account. The company also detailed what the new chat service will entail in a blog post, including the ability to create Rooms collaboration space in Google Chat to keep everyone up-to-date, share ideas, and keep track of all your important info in one place, from videos and pictures of your last trip, to a Google Sheet of your family's annual budget. Users can head over to the Gmail inbox to enable Google Chat and access the features for free including the new collaboration tool in Rooms. These features have been available for paid users, but now all Google account holders can access it for free.

Google says that it will replace Rooms with Spaces feature in summer to introduce a more streamlined and flexible user interface. It will have features like like in-line topic threading, presence indicators, custom statuses, expressive reactions, and a collapsible view. Users can choose smart canvas to generate a checklist in Google Docs and quickly assign roles and next steps. “And if your project calls for a spontaneous conversation, you can present the Doc, Sheet or Slide you're working on together directly into a Google Meet call with just one click,” Google explains in the blog.