Google Sheets is adding native box-and-whisker charts, including support for keeping them when you import an Excel file. These charts show how values are spread out rather than reducing a dataset to one average.
In its October 22 announcement, Google says Excel imports previously dropped this chart type entirely. The update preserves its data references, calculations and formatting. Charts made in Sheets also export to Excel in an editable form. That matters when the person preparing a report isn't the person presenting it.
Check a copy before handing over a report
Suppose you're comparing delivery times from two suppliers. One might usually arrive within a narrow window; another might vary widely. An average alone wouldn't tell you how much room to leave in your schedule. A distribution chart gives you a reason to investigate the variation before deciding which supplier fits the job.
That example also suggests a sensible handover check. Keep the original workbook, import a copy and compare the chart with the version its author intended you to see. Check the labels, the selected cells and whether the chart still answers the same question. If you're sending an edited file back, reopen that exported copy too. These are precautions, not findings from a hands-on test of the update.
Sheets can build the new chart from raw numeric values without helper formulas. Options include inclusive or exclusive quartile calculations and controls for displaying outliers and mean markers. If you're matching someone else's report, ask which calculation they used before changing the presentation.
The chart-editing help page explains the desktop starting point: select your cells, then choose Insert and Chart. An existing chart's type and data range are managed under Setup in the chart editor.
Availability depends on your rollout
The feature is available to all Workspace customers and personal Google accounts. Rapid Release domains began receiving it October 22; Scheduled Release domains start November 6. Each rollout can take up to 15 days.
For your next shared workbook, try one representative chart in a copy first. Keep the original file alongside it until everyone involved has checked the result, especially if a deadline arrives before your organisation's rollout does.