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The side panel is a powerful way to use more than one service at a time - be it our Google services or your territory's custom-developed services that tie into the ecosystem of Google apps. Get work done without changing tabs or customize your work cockpit.
Let's dive into the how, why and what else of side panels, which are becoming more powerful with every release.
Juggle multiple things at the same time - in one window.
How to use the side panel
How to use the side panel
Most services in Google Workspace let you use a second app in a side panel. A < arrow reveals the side panel's list of available services. You chose which side panel you want. To close it, press the x button and (if you are a minimalist) hide the side panel entirely again.
If you look closely, the side panel is split into two sections. The upper section (2) houses Google's services. The lower section (3) houses third-party services - either you installed them or (more likely) your company installed them for you. There is a + button to install more side panels, but don't get your hopes up. There are good reasons for tightly controlling available options - like Chrome extensions.
Available side panels vary by app. Developers can specify which Google services they would like their panel to be available in. For example, the Google Contacts panel is only available in Gmail.
Side panels have two modes: They can just mind their own business, like showing your calendar. They can also react to the item currently open in the tab - for example: When you have an email open and want to schedule a calendar event in the side panel, the title will be the email's subject and participants are suggested from email, too.
Finally, some side panels are available on mobile. For example, custom spam reporting apps are available when you scroll all the way down on an email. Those apps are not available on Apple Mail and another reason why those users are having a poorer experience.
A Google service showing the expanded Calendar side panel.
Why they are important
Why they are important
Customize your Google Workspace
Customize your Google Workspace
You may have made up your mind between Keep and Tasks and decided what suits you best - make it yours!
Perhaps you will retire a permanently pinned tab in favor of its side panel version.
Or you want to put distractions into just a single tab - Gmail has Meet and Chat integrated, and thanks to the side panel, this single tab can have Calendar, too.
Separating and uniting services
Separating and uniting services
By separating Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Keep etc. into separate services, Google is able to keep them nimble. The side panel serves to bring them back together when you need them.
Every now and then, people still ask for MS Outlook. Those cannot be the same people who google bing for "Outlook loading time" (159.000.000 results) and read "try safe mode", "kill all Office processes", "compress PST file". Those folks would appreciate separate services.
Your very own integrations
Your very own integrations
Your company can develop its own side panels. If you are a developer, you too can tie your applications into the Google side panels this way.
Workflows
Workflows
There are some unique capabilities that the side panels unlock - here are some "combos" of Workspace. Let me know if you are using any different ones!
Calendar scheduling
Calendar scheduling
When you are in Gmail, you can make friends by scheduling a quick Meet to get out of an endless thread with lots of people. Start scheduling and the subject and people from your email will be suggested when you add guests. Then, use Find a time (1) to get a suggestion for a time that works for all - done.
There is an older functionality (Create event (2)) that does the same thing, but opens Calendar in a new tab. I hope they merge the two soon.
Cloud drag & drop with Keep
Cloud drag & drop with Keep
Keep is available in all side panels, but in Docs and Slides it gets a special feature: You can drag the note into your working area to paste it. You can create text blocks, templates, images etc. this way.
Task management
Task management
Tasks is special, because it lives exclusively in the side panel - there is no app for it (besides Chat integration and a mobile app).
But: The side panel was just updated, to edit faster and display more tasks at once.
Tasks is available in all services and will become more important with the launch of team tasks in Chat.
Here is to your disk task jockeying super powers, brought to you by the side panel. It makes existing Google services more versatile, even smarter and lets you work your way. Thank you for reading!
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