Buzz
According to the search giant, the latest improvements to Smart Canvas enhance collaboration capabilities and streamline user workflows when using Google Workspace applications like Google Docs and Sheets.
Google adds productivity tools to Smart Canvas
The latest enhancements include the ability to view automatic summaries in Google Docs, preview Google Maps within Google Docs, as well as draft and send emails directly within Docs without needing to switch or copy content into Gmail.
You can download the latest Google Docs here to utilize these features.
- Link Download Google Docs for Android
- Link Download Google Docs for iPhone
The smart summary feature utilizes artificial intelligence to generate highlights of the document. These summaries can also be manually edited to display important information when collaborating on large documents. Google states that this new feature will be rolled out to users today.
In addition to smart summaries, Google also assists users in easily focusing on their workflow in documents by removing page breaks in Docs, introducing a new pageless format instead. This creates an instant whiteboard-like experience when users are working on their phone, laptop, or computer. Essentially, the new pageless format resembles a long note that users can scroll through.
Furthermore, with the latest Smart Canvas update, Google introduces and supplements new features called Smart Chips, which can bring rich, interactive information into user documents.
With Smart Chips, users can insert @-mentions to chip in users, files, and meetings. The new Google Maps Chip allows users to preview map images before adding them to documents. Additionally, there are other Smart Chips supporting the insertion of company and job titles, making it easier to identify individuals referenced in the document. The @-mention experience is enhanced to create more information-rich documents.
When using the @-mention command, users can also insert images or files from Google Drive, add calendar events, or insert tables, charts.
- Learn more: How to Install and Use Google Drive
According to Google, the current process is quite cumbersome. Moreover, collaborators need to create emails within the document editor, then manually share them via email. That's why the company helps users easily collaborate on draft emails within Docs using a new email draft template. When ready to send, users simply click a button to convert the content into a draft email in Gmail, and relevant fields (frames) will be automatically filled in. The new email template tool will be introduced and deployed to users in the coming weeks.
Similarly, with the meeting note template, users can use smart chips to insert events from their calendar, meeting participants, or attached files.
Finally, Google also notes that smart chips can search within Google Drive to filter relevant results.
- Download link: Google Sheets
