Google has recently made significant improvements to its browser-based spreadsheet editor, Google Sheets, resulting in a noticeable speed increase for users. One of the main enhancements includes doubling the speed of calculations, regardless of the file size or complexity of formulas being processed. This improvement is attributed to the transition of JavaScript code processing to WebAssembly.
In addition to faster calculations, Google has also introduced features like smooth desktop scrolling, expanded cell boundaries, and Gemini integration, which allows for summarizing open spreadsheets and creating predefined sheets. The Gemini feature further offers a “Help me organize” button to generate project plans based on prompts or use data from various sources like emails and documents to populate a spreadsheet.
Although these improvements will be noticeable when running formulas, creating pivot tables, or utilizing conditional formatting, it is important to note that the speed enhancements will only be experienced by users of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers. Despite this limitation, Google has assured that similar improvements will be extended to Safari and Firefox in the future.
Google continues to work on further enhancements for Sheets, focusing on reducing the initial loading time of the web application and improving the performance of copy/paste and filters. Users on Chrome or Edge browsers can expect to see these improvements in Sheets starting immediately.
Overall, Google’s efforts in optimizing Google Sheets aim to enhance the user experience by providing faster calculations, smoother navigation, and enhanced productivity features. With the promise of future improvements for other browsers, users can look forward to a more efficient and seamless spreadsheet editing experience on Google Sheets.
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https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-sheets-just-got-a-lot-faster-but-theres-a-small-catch-heres-what-you-need-to-know/