Gmail's fancy Contacts side panel is coming to more Google apps

Say goodbye to basic info cards

Whether you like it or not, Google’s spent the last couple of years bringing all of its apps and services closer together. There’s no better example of this than the right sidebar spread throughout various Workspace-adjacent products, like Drive and Calendar. These apps are all getting access to a new tool over the next few weeks, and it’s bound to make communication a little easier.

A Contacts shortcut is the latest addition to this right sidebar, spreading throughout all of Google’s various Workspace services nearly a year after it arrived in Gmail. It’s the same information card currently displayed next to your inbox, with space for phone numbers and email addresses, office and desk location, team and manager info, and previous interactions.

The Contacts sidebar shortcut, as it currently appears in Gmail.

It doesn’t seem like Google is making any significant changes from its original Gmail implementation — it’s just coming to more of the applications you’re already using every day. Google Chat, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Calendar seems to be the biggest benefactor of this tool — with so many virtual meetings still occurring every day, having to open contact information in a separate tab feels pretty unintuitive. These apps all rely on collaboration with other team members or co-workers, so this should make communication far more streamlined.

You might have to wait a little while before trying it out for yourself. Though this shortcut started making its way to users Monday, it may take more than 15 days to arrive for everyone. It’s coming to all Google Workspace, G Suite Basic, and G Suite Business customers.

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