Google Chat
Getting started
Use the links below to find out how to get started with Google Chat and send direct messages to colleagues.
With the Gmail Integrated Workspace, you can access Google Chat for 1:1 messages and spaces without leaving Gmail.
To view all spaces and start a conversation with anyone in your organisation, you can launch the Google Chat app through the app launcher on any Google Workspace screen.
You can set your current status so that colleagues know they are able to start a conversation with you.
You will be notified by a sound and flashing message on the browser tab when you receive a new chat, and if you use Gmail, a chat window will open automatically, allowing you to read the chat message and reply as required. You can change notification settings as required.
If the person you want to chat with is listed as a recent contact, you can simply click on their name to show previous conversations and to send them another message, otherwise you can search for peopel in your organisation, or by email address.
You can send a direct message to anyone in your organisation or any external contact if your organisation has enabled this feature in the Google Workspace admin console.
You can share documents stored in Google Drive with the person you are having a conversation with in Google Chat. You can also share files from your computer and add emojis to messages.
If you wish to escalate a chat conversation to a video call, you can add a Google Meet link to your chat conversation, so that you and the person you are chatting to can join the meeting.
You can send messages to groups of people, but can’t add or remove people from the conversation once it’s started.
You can search all of your messages in Google Chat or search for messages that include specific people or certain types of content, such as images.
Forwarding a chat message to your Inbox
You can forward a message from a chat conversation to your Gmail Inbox, so that the message will still be available if it is removed from Chat. When you forward a message, the selected message and the last 4 messages in the thread will be forwarded, including any images and links to shared documents.
Chat bots are special accounts that you can chat with as if you were talking to a person, but they provide information to you instead.
Using Google Chat on your mobile device
With the Google Hangouts Chat app, you can send instant messaging to individuals or spaces, share links to Google Docs, Sheet and Slides and search conversations for content.
Best practices for using Google Chat
Read our best practices to get the most from Google Chat for direct and group conversations, and using spaces.