Google Workspace is currently free for everyone

[Jhon Dolton]

Google Workspace the company's suite of business tools previously called Google Suite — is currently free, and offered to everyone.

This may be confusing for some Google users, who've been using apps such as for instance Gmail, Meet, and Docs for a while without paying a dime. But Google Workspace does involve some extra features that have been previously available only to paying customers. 

Making the switch to Workspace can give users an even more integrated experience. They'll get smart suggestions in emails, and manage to show a document in a Google Meet call with one click. 

Central to the new experience is Google Chat (formerly Hangouts), which will be available nowadays for everyone and may be turned on in Gmail's settings. With Chat, you'll manage to create group chat experiences Google Workspace Extension, which are now called Rooms but will be "evolved" to Spaces within the summer. Spaces provides several new features, including in-line topic threading, presence indicators, custom statuses, expressive reactions, and a retractable view, all of which sounds as being similar to Slack, only integrated within Gmail. 

And yes, it's only a little weird to open a characteristic (Rooms) to more users only to immediately rename it (Spaces), but Google has a talent for confusing its users with constant name changes for similar features. 

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Google's massive announcement also incorporates several new features in Workspace, such as for instance Companion Mode for Google Meet, that will launch in September and give meeting participants access to interactive tools such as for instance Q&As, polls, and live captions, as well as new RVSP alternatives for Calendar, coming "soon." Larger companies will be happy to understand that client-side encryption is coming to Google Workspace, as are enhanced phishing and malware protections. 

Finally, Google also launched Google Workspace Individual, which is a new subscription choice for individual business owners. It has several premium features on top of Google Workspace, such as for instance smart booking services, personalized email marketing, and pro video meetings.