Google Workspace and Chat are free, available to everyone

The search giant, Google, is announcing some changes to its Workspace suite of apps and services on Monday, including availability for anybody who has a Google account. According to the firm, there are more than three billion users of its Workspace apps.

Many people will soon have the option to switch over to Google’s more modern system for Gmail, Docs, and Chat. Remarkably, all of them can be integrated in a single tab more easily. It’s also related to Google’s new smart canvas push, which is also designed to interlink its various apps via smart chips.

The company is now officially offering the setting to turn on Google Chat to all users. It’s a new setting within Gmail.

Google Chat messaging should be an option for all now, including direct messages and chat Rooms. However, Google is also introducing the evolution of Rooms in Google Chat to Spaces.

A Space is similar to a chat Room. However, Google wants to separate them out into their top-level form of communication next to Gmail, Chat, and Meet.

The firm is layering on a few new features like improved message threading, more emoji reactions, user roles, moderation tools, and discoverable spaces. It appears that Spaces wants to serve both as a Slack competitor and as a competitor for public Discord groups.

The firm promises to launch a streamlined and flexible user interface for Spaces this summer.

Google launches Google Workspace Individual

The search giant is also launching a new tier called Google Workspace Individual at $9.99 per month. Remarkably, it gives users more Workspace tools without requiring them to set up their domain or custom email address.

Moreover, when Workspace users say yes to a meeting, they will be able to indicate whether they’ll be attending remotely or in the reserved meeting room.

Google also snuck in an announcement that it will offer a progressive web app for Google Workspace in September. It could make it much simpler for Gmail users to have their email and other Google apps feel more like actual desktop apps.

Google Workspace has been rapidly updating over the past few months. It indicates that the firm might intend to compete with Microsoft.

The company is improving some security features in Workspace. Google is working on client-side encryption and new Trust rules and labels for Drive.

Labels for Drive will let administrators classify files and apply controls based on their sensitivity levels.