New Smart Canvas Features in Google Sheets and Google Docs
Google Workspace is introducing new features and enhancements to Smart Canvas, a set of intelligent tools that helps users work more efficiently and easily. With the latest updates, Smart Canvas now includes more smart chips and a new way to display dates across Google Sheets, making it easier for users to quickly preview and interact with dates, locations, and financial information. Additionally, Google Docs has added a stopwatch chip that can track the time taken to complete an activity, helping users stay on task and on time.
Place Chips
Google Maps place chips can now be added to Google Sheets, allowing users to open the location directly in Google Maps and see a preview of the location or find directions. This feature is especially useful for users who need to include location information in their spreadsheets. By simply typing “@” followed by the place or finance entity, users can easily insert a smart chip into their sheet.
Expanded Date Capabilities
Google Sheets now includes expanded date capabilities with the @ entry point, which provides shortcuts like @today, @yesterday, @tomorrow, and @date. Clicking on the date will display a date picker that allows users to update dates as needed. This feature makes it easier for users to work with dates and keep track of important deadlines.
Finance Chips
Users can now add Google Finance entities, such as stocks, mutual funds, and currencies, into a Google Sheet. The finance chips provide users with information depending on the entity type. For example, for stocks, users can see the company name, listing Index, stock price, and market cap. Clicking the chip will take users to the entity’s dedicated Finance page. This feature is especially useful for users who work with financial data and need quick and easy access to financial information.
Stopwatch Chips
Google Docs has added a stopwatch chip that allows users to track the time to complete an activity. The stopwatch chip can be inserted by typing “@” followed by “Stopwatch” or by navigating to Insert > Smart chips. Users can start, stop, and reset the timer as needed, making staying on task and on time easier.
Google Workspace continues to innovate with Smart Canvas by introducing more smart chips and enhancements to Google Sheets and Google Docs. These new features make it easier for users to work with dates, locations, financial data, and track time. The updates are available to all Google Workspace customers, legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google Accounts. The rollout will take place gradually, with feature visibility beginning on February 23, 2023, for Rapid Release domains and March 9, 2023, for Scheduled Release domains.
