New Google Calendar update makes it harder to hide at your next meeting

The new RSVP options will expand to calendar invitations in Gmail later this year.

What you need to know

• Google has added new RSVP options for Calendar invitations.
• The new functionality lets you specify how you’ll join a meeting — in the meeting room, or virtually.
• In addition to the organizer, all guests will also be able to view how attendees plan to attend the meeting.

Google has introduced a useful new feature that makes Google Calendar “more flexible” in the hybrid workplace. Thanks to RSVP options for Calendar invitations, you can now indicate whether you’ll join a meeting in person or virtually.

You can access the feature from the drop-down menu that shows up when you click on the “Yes” button at the bottom of a Google Calendar invitation. As you can see in the screenshot below, there are two RSVP options: “Yes, in a meeting room” and “Yes, joining virtually.” Both the organizer of the meeting and guests will be able to view how the attendees are planning to attend the meeting by heading over to the event detail. This, Google says, “will help meeting attendees know what to expect when joining a meeting, and prepare accordingly.”

Guests who choose to attend the meeting physically will have a door icon placed next to their name on the invitation, while a camera icon will appear next to the names of guests attending virtually. You can easily change your join method by tapping the event on your calendar. Google also says that the join method details aren’t shared with contacts on other platforms like Microsoft Outlook.

The new RSVP options will be available only on Google Calendar initially, but the company has confirmed that it is coming to calendar invitations in Gmail “soon.” RSVP options in Google Calendar will roll out over the coming weeks to all Google Workspace customers, including G Suite Basic users. As you would expect, the feature won’t be limited to Google Calendar on the web. It will also be available on iOS devices and the best Android phones.