How Gemini changed work in Google Workspace in 2026

In 2026, Gemini in Google Workspace moved from a writing helper to an assistant that creates files, schedules meetings and runs tasks across apps. Here are the Google Workspace AI changes that matter most for teams, and one deadline to plan for: Gems are being replaced by skills.

Gemini now works across Workspace apps

Since September, you can ask Gemini to work across Workspace from Gmail, Docs, Drive, Chat or Slides. It can create a Doc, Sheet or Slides deck, run deep research, send an email, schedule a meeting or add a task. Before it sends an email or books a meeting, it shows a preview card for you to check.

This works on Business and Enterprise Standard and Plus, and on Google AI Pro and Ultra. At launch it supports English only.

It runs on Workspace Intelligence, which Google announced on 22 April. It grounds Gemini in your Gmail, Chat, Calendar and Drive, so you do not have to paste in context each time. Admins can choose which data sources it may use.

Docs, Sheets and Slides now write the first draft

• Docs: an upgraded “Help me create” drafts a formatted document from your files, email, chats and the web (April). Since July, Gemini can also summarise and reply to comments and add images, diagrams and infographics.
• Sheets: Gemini can build and edit whole spreadsheets, and Fill with Gemini completes columns for you (April). Since late October, Fill with Gemini shows the web source for each cell it fills from the web. Gemini can also analyse BigQuery data in Connected Sheets (19 October).
• Slides: Gemini creates full, editable decks from one prompt (30 June). Since 30 October, it can also edit a whole deck at once.
• Drive: AI Overviews in Drive and Ask Gemini in Drive answer questions across your files. Both became generally available in April. Organize My Files, which suggests where to move loose files, followed in June.

Cell-level sources help anyone who has to check AI output. You can see where each value came from before you rely on it.

New names and apps for notes and images

• NotebookLM became Gemini Notebook on 16 July. Existing shared notebooks and links redirect automatically.
• Google Pics, an app for creating and editing images, became generally available on 1 September. It is on by default for Business and Enterprise Standard and Plus, and admins can turn it off.

Gems are being replaced by skills

On 30 September, Google announced that skills will replace Gems. Skills are reusable instructions for Gemini. They use the open SKILL.md format, so you can copy skills you made on other platforms. You can also use several skills in one prompt.

The key dates for business and enterprise editions:

Date	What happens
17 November 2026	Gems move to the Settings panel of the Gemini app. You can still create, edit and use them.
No sooner than 1 March 2027	Gems stop working. Workspace Studio flows with an “Ask a Gem” step stop working. Remaining Gems in the Gemini app convert to draft skills.

Admins will get at least 30 days’ notice of the automatic conversion. On 13 October, Google announced a delay to the skills launch in Workspace apps and Workspace Studio. Check the Workspace Updates blog before you plan around a date.

Skills in the Gemini app and in Workspace apps do not sync. If you want a skill in both, you need to create it in each place.

If your team relies on Gems, list them now and note which ones matter. Rebuild the important ones as skills, or review each draft skill after the conversion.

Automations with Workspace Studio

Workspace Studio is Google’s tool for building automated flows in Workspace. On 17 September, it gained custom starters and steps, webhooks, and third-party integrations in beta. The integrations include Asana, Confluence, HubSpot, Jira, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Salesforce and Slack.

These features are on Business Starter, Standard and Plus, and on Enterprise Standard and Plus. They are off by default, so an admin has to turn them on.

This makes simple cross-app automations possible without a separate automation tool. For example, a new lead could create a HubSpot contact and post a summary to Slack. For more ideas, read 7 AI automations a small business can run today.

Agents that work in the background

• Gemini Spark, announced in May, is a personal agent that keeps working in the background. It works with Gmail, Docs, Slides and other Workspace tools. It is available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in more than 160 countries.
• The Gemini agent, announced by Google Cloud on 8 October, is a single agent for work that plans tasks and connects to your systems. It can also act as a “coworker agent” with its own Workspace account, email address and calendar.

Plans and usage limits

In February, Google launched the AI Expanded Access add-on for Business and Enterprise Standard and Plus. It raises limits for features such as image and video generation, NotebookLM and Workspace Studio. Since 1 March 2026, Workspace customers need this add-on to keep higher access to advanced image and video generation.

Many new features reach Business Standard and Plus first. If you are on Business Starter, check each feature’s edition list before you plan around it.

Where to start with Gemini in Workspace

1. List your Gems before 1 March 2027.
2. Try cross-app requests for routine admin, such as turning meeting notes into tasks and a follow-up email.
3. Build one Workspace Studio flow for a task your team repeats every week.

For the models behind these features, read Gemini 4 Argon, Carbon and the 2026 Gemini models.