Have you ever found yourself frustrated after losing the context of a Gemini interaction in your Google Workspace side panel? Until now, these conversations were ephemeral—once the panel closed, the history vanished. Google is changing that with the introduction of conversation history for the Gemini side panel.

What Is It?

Conversation history allows users to resume their interactions with Gemini directly within the side panel of specific Workspace applications. It provides a seamless transition between sessions, ensuring your workflow remains uninterrupted.

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Note: History is scoped to the specific application. A conversation in Google Docs remains in Docs and will not appear in Sheets. Privacy remains paramount: conversations stay private to the individual user, even in shared documents.

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What Is the Impact?

This feature effectively turns Gemini into a persistent assistant that remembers your project context.

auto_awesomeContextual Productivity
You can now iterate on complex tasks over several days without losing your previous prompts or AI-generated insights.

Who Is It For?

This rollout applies to a wide range of organizations and plans:

  • check_circleBusiness Starter, Standard, and Plus editions
  • check_circleEnterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus editions
  • check_circleEducation Plus and Teaching & Learning upgrades
  • check_circleUsers with Google AI Pro or Ultra subscriptions

When Will It Roll Out?

The rollout is being handled in phases:

  • February 25, 2026: Admin controls become available.
  • March 3, 2026: Rollout begins for Gemini Alpha, Labs, and AI Pro/Ultra subscribers.
  • March 17, 2026: General rollout for all other Workspace users begins.

What Should You Do?

Admins should proactively configure the data lifecycle settings to align with organizational compliance policies.

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Step 1
Access your admin settings via
Appsarrow_forward_iosGoogle Workspacearrow_forward_iosGemini
.
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Step 2
Define whether users can manually delete their own conversation history.
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Step 3
Set up auto-deletion rules if your company policy requires automated data retention management (e.g., 3 months, 18 months, or 3 years).
  • check_circleEnsure that 'Smart features and personalization' are toggled ON for your users.
  • check_circleCommunicate to staff that history will only begin saving once the feature is live on their account.

In conclusion, this update significantly boosts Gemini's utility by providing a persistent knowledge base for your daily tasks. By configuring the admin settings today, you ensure your organization is ready for this productivity shift.