Google Adds Gmail Widget to iOS and Picture-in-Picture to Google Meet

Google has announced that it will be launching new productivity features to iOS devices. On iPhone and iPad, Google will be supporting a Gmail widget and Picture-in-Picture functionality for Google Meet.

In a blog post, Google announced a small handful of new productivity features arriving on iOS. Luke Wroblewski, the Director of iOS at Google, wrote that the company is “making some improvements to help you stay organized and productive.”

Following the sudden removal of the original Gmail widget, Google is rolling out a new one. The company assures users that it has been listening to feedback and taking it into consideration when designing the new Gmail widget. Now, the widget will display the subject and sender of the last three emails to arrive in your inbox. Dark mode is also available as shown off by Google. The company has stated that it will be available in the “next few weeks”.

Additionally, Google Meet’s Picture-in-Picture mode will also be available on iOS thanks to this new update. When supported, the PiP mode will allow you to navigate between apps while still participating in a meeting. When done so, the app will be minimized to a small window that can be moved around the screen. Google has stated that this feature will arrive within the same window as the Gmail update.

Finally, shortcut support is coming to Google Sheets on iOS. Using the keyboard, holding down on the command key will bring up shortcuts you can use such as selecting a row or selecting certain values amongst your Google Sheet. Again, this feature appears to be coming down the line over the next few weeks as well.

While not inherently changing the dynamic of any of Google’s core apps, these changes are welcomed and look to provide meaningful quality of life improvements for iOS users.