Google has unveiled a significant redesign of its Calendar app, among nearly 50 other applications, particularly catering to tablets and larger displays like Chromebooks. This move marks a departure from the long-standing norm of phone-sized user interfaces for larger screens, a strategy that favored developers at the expense of user experience. Initially, the tech giant was expected to release many of its redesigned apps in May this year. However, the widespread availability of the redesigned Google Calendar app has only been observed recently. Users are now able to access this feature on their Chromebook tablets, such as the Lenovo Chromebook Duet. The app now boasts a two-panel editing mode with event creation and modification on the left and the calendar view on the right. A new, handy feature has been introduced, allowing users to switch between ‘Schedule,’ ‘Day,’ ‘Week,’ and ‘Month’ views conveniently from the top of the app. There’s no need to access the sidebar and toggle the option. This modification has been much appreciated by users frequently toggling between Day view and Schedule view to use their Calendar as a more detailed planner.
Location-specific Working Hours: A Feature Enhancement for the Hybrid Work Culture
In line with the growing popularity of hybrid work environments, Google has enhanced an existing feature, enabling users to specify their working locations at different times of the day. This feature, named “working locations,” had initially been launched in 2021, offering users an opportunity to indicate their working venue through their schedules. Now, users can set their working locations in Calendar for specific periods, thereby accurately reflecting their availability. This improvement can help coworkers identify if an in-person meeting can be scheduled or if a video conference is more suitable.
How to use the Feature
To use this feature, users can create an event, choose ‘Working Location,’ and then select a time frame while indicating their location for those hours. This feature is available for all Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Nonprofit users.
Revamped Google Docs for Android Devices
In addition to Calendar, Google is also making the Docs app more user-friendly. Android users, upon opening a Docs file, will now directly land in edit mode. There’s no need to tap on the edit button anymore; users can immediately start typing or modifying the document. Tapping on the open document will instantly activate the on-screen keyboard unless there’s a physical keyboard connected to the device.
Conclusion
Google’s latest enhancements offer better convenience, improved productivity, and a more user-friendly experience. As the modern workspace evolves, tools like Google Calendar and Docs continue to adapt, meeting the needs of a diverse user base. Whether it’s the new design facilitating more efficient use of larger screen space or the modified ‘working location’ feature fostering effective hybrid work environments, these changes make a meaningful impact on everyday productivity. Whether you’ve already received this update or are still using the previous versions, feel free to share your experiences and feedback. For more information on the new features and to stay updated with future releases, follow Google’s official product blog.
