Google Workspace is in a constant state of evolution, with a steady stream of updates released each month. Keeping up can be a challenge, but understanding the key changes can unlock significant productivity gains. June 2025 was a landmark month, with a heavy focus on integrating Gemini AI more deeply into the tools you use every day.
Let's break down the most impactful new features, moving beyond the release notes to explore what they mean for you and your organization.
Feeling overwhelmed by the constant activity in your shared files? Google Drive's new "Catch Me Up" feature is designed to cut through the noise. Powered by Gemini, this smart summary button appears at the top of your Drive interface, offering high-level "nudges" about important changes.
How it works: Instead of a simple chronological list of every single edit, Gemini analyzes recent activity to highlight the most relevant updates. Think of it as a personal assistant that points you toward files that need your attention, summarizing key changes and ongoing work. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive audit log, but rather a curated glimpse into your most dynamic documents, helping you dive back into your work more efficiently.
This was one of the most highly requested features, and it’s finally here. You can now access basic analytics for videos stored directly in Google Drive. As a file owner, you will see an "opens" metric, giving you a clear, simple way to gauge how many times your video has been viewed.
Why it matters: For anyone creating internal training materials, company announcements, or project updates, this data is invaluable. It provides a tangible metric for understanding the reach and effectiveness of your video content without needing to rely on third-party platforms.
Gemini's integration with Google Sheets has taken a significant leap forward. Previously, you could ask Gemini to analyze your data and generate a chart, but the output was a static image. The June update changes the game completely.
Now, when Gemini creates a chart from your data, it's a fully editable and dynamic object within Google Sheets. This creates a powerful new workflow:
This enhancement bridges the gap between AI-powered speed and the granular control users need for creating polished, personalized reports.
AI() FunctionWhile Gemini in the sidebar is great for analysis and chart creation, Google is now embedding its AI even more deeply into the core Sheets experience. This comes in the form of a new, powerful spreadsheet function: =AI(). This is a significant shift, moving AI from a conversational partner in a side panel to a dynamic tool you can call directly within any cell, just like SUM or VLOOKUP.
How it Works: The syntax is elegantly simple: =AI("Your Prompt", [Optional_Cell_Reference]). You provide a text prompt telling Gemini what you want to do, and you can optionally reference other cells or ranges. This optional reference is the key to unlocking its power, as it allows Gemini to work directly with your specific data.
The possibilities this enables are vast, essentially allowing you to automate creative and analytical tasks at scale. Here are a few examples of what you can do:
=AI("Write a formal ad copy based on the features listed here", A2:C2) in column D. Dragging this function down the column would instantly generate unique ad copy for every product in your list. The same logic applies to creating personalized emails, project updates, or any form of templated text that needs to be customized with specific data.E2) and use a prompt like =AI("Categorize this inquiry into one of the following: 'Sales', 'Support', 'Billing', or 'Other'", E2). It can also be used for powerful, context-aware summarization, such as =AI("Summarize this customer feedback in one professional sentence", G2:H2).
What makes the =AI() function so transformative is that its output is not generic. Because it can reference your data, the results are highly specific and contextual, providing a powerful new way to enrich, analyze, and generate information right where you work.
Google Vids is pushing the boundaries of creative content with the introduction of full video clip generation powered by VO3, Google's advanced video generation model. Building on the previous ability to create AI voiceovers, you can now generate entire video clips with sound from a simple text prompt.
Whether you need a specific piece of stock footage that you can’t find, or you want to create a unique visual for a promotional video, this tool opens up a world of possibilities. Simply describe the scene you envision, and Google Vids will generate and insert the clip directly into your project.
Gemini's ability to understand and summarize content has been extended across Drive and Forms in three powerful ways.
The June 2025 updates clearly signal Google's strategy: to weave AI into the fabric of its applications, making them not just tools, but intelligent partners in your work. From gaining quick insights to generating new content, these features are designed to help you focus less on the process and more on the impact.
Having trouble keeping up with Google Workspace updates? Every month we go over the releases and bring you the ones that matter most to your activity. We specialize in Google Workspace, guiding businesses to maximize the platform's potential. We provide seamless migration, expert support, and comprehensive training to empower your team for success.
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