Overview
- Google announced Sheets canvas this week as a Gemini-powered tab inside Google Sheets that can turn rows and columns into custom, interactive mini‑apps using the Ask Gemini side panel.
- The canvas is a dynamic, read‑write layer that keeps changes on the visual canvas and the underlying sheet in two‑way real‑time sync so edits in either place update the other instantly.
- Users create and change canvases with plain‑language prompts instead of formulas or code, and they can iteratively refine layout, colors and functionality by asking Gemini follow-up questions.
- Google has begun rolling the feature out in English to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and to eligible Google Workspace Business, Enterprise and Education add‑ons, so access is currently subscription gated.
- Because the canvas lives as a Sheets tab it inherits sharing and collaboration controls, which should make it easy for teams to build dashboards and planning tools without developers and could shift how nontechnical users make and share interactive reports.