Collaborative real-time Chat, Slack-style, has become one of the easiest ways for users to converse in times of covid. Not only and not so much for fun but out of necessity. And so, Google has taken note, too, taking two features from its enterprise Workplace suite — Chats and Spaces — and integrating them into its standard Gmail app. Here’s how to activate this new Chat and use it from a web browser and a mobile app. Chat and Spaces are two ways Google intends to offer users the easiest way to converse. According to Google, Chat is simply a way in which two or more people can chat without formalities.
Chats, once a conversation is finished, it will be deleted after five days (if you use a personal account and not a Workspace account). On the other hand, the spaces are intended for more formal conversations, presumably those in a professional setting. Each Space has its name, remains available for people to leave and rejoin, and will send notifications to attendees while allowing you to share files. You can understand how they are meant to handle work projects, party planning, or any other activity where you want to keep the conversation going over days, weeks, or even beyond. However, whatever the reason you want to use Google chat, here’s how to activate it on the web browser and the mobile app.
Enable Google To Chat On The App
Activation is effortless. It is adequate to open Gmail and:
- Tap the three-line symbol in the upper left corner.
- Scroll down and select “Settings”;
- Select an account
- Scroll down to the “General” section;
- From here, activate the option “Show chat tabs and spaces”;
Now, on the Gmail main screen, at the bottom, you will also have the Chat and Space icons and only the Mail and Meet icons.
Enable Google Chat On The Web Browser
It is equally easy to activate Chats and Spaces from a web browser. Here are the steps to follow:
- Type https://mail.google.com/ in the address bar;
- Access the Settings of your Gmail account by tapping on the stuff symbol in the upper right corner:
- Select “See all settings.”
- In the top menu, select “Visit and Meet.”
- Pick “Google Visit;
Presently, two separate windows will appear on the main screen’s left half. The primary Visit, while additional down there, will be the Spaces window. To start a Chat on the Web, click on the plus sign in the corners of the Chat or Space boxes to reveal a drop-down menu. If you want to chat with just one person, type their name. At this point, a small popup chat window will appear, which can also be enlarged if necessary, just like sending a simple email. If, on the other hand, you want to talk to more people, select the “Start group conversation” item to include all the people you want to chat with. The same menu also allows you to start a Space, browse existing Spaces or search for previous messages.
On the other hand, to start a chat on the mobile app, create the Chat icon that will appear on the bottom after following the activation procedure described above and tap on the small “New chat” popup in the bottom corner. To the right. Also, in this case, it will be sufficient to type a person’s name to start the conversation. It will likewise be feasible to make a space from this screen. To make a gathering discussion, type the name of the primary individual you need to visit with, tap the gathering symbol that will appear in a similar field you’re composing, and add some other names. If you’re utilizing your internet browser or a talk application, type into the message field at the lower part of the screen to add another message. A progression of symbols will permit you to add emoticons or photographs, begin a good gathering, and even begin Google Meet and timetable an occasion.
Create A Space
From the Web, go to the Chat Box or the Space box, found on the left of the Gmail interface, and click on the plus sign. In the mobile app, however, you will have to click on the Spaces icon. At this point, it will be sufficient to give a name to the Space created and add the people you wish to include. At this point, click on “Create.” Invited people will receive an email with a link to click on to be automatically catapulted into the created Space. In addition to accessing the Space, invited users will also have the opportunity to block it.
To add a new message to the Space, type it into the text field on the screen’s bottom. Like Chat, a series of icons will let you add emojis, upload a file, add a file from Google Drive, start an audio meeting or Google Meet, and schedule an event. We advise that Space can incorporate pictures, emoticons, and exercises, yet unlike Talk, it isn’t brief. Note that anyone in the Space could change its name if you created a space using a personal account, not a corporate one. Otherwise, the participants cannot change their name if you created it from a company account.
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