Google Chat: The Ultimate Guide to Messaging, Video Chats, & Rooms

Starting a Chat using the Mobile App

Download and install the Google Chat app from the Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS). If you already have Hangouts, you will be redirected to the new app called "Chats," and all your current chats will be located within the Chats app. Google Chats can still send messages to people who are using classic Hangouts. When you download Chats, you'll need to log in with your Google account.

Tap New Chat. It's in the lower-left corner of the chats window next to an icon of a chat bubble.

Address the chat to someone. You can either tap from the suggested people listed under "Frequent" or you can choose to either create a room, browse rooms, or see your message requests. If you know the email address of who you want to talk with, enter that here, and their profile will appear under the header "More Results." Tap their profile to start a chat with them. If you want to create a group chat, enter the first name in the address bar then tap the group icon to the right of their name to add more people.

Start chatting. You can enter a message using the on-screen keyboard or you can tap one of the icons to add to your message. The first icon looks like the icon for a picture (two mountains inside a picture frame) and will open your camera roll so you can add an image. The second icon looks like a camera icon and will open your camera so you can add a video or picture to your chat. The third icon looks like the Google Drive icon and it will open your Drive so you can share a file or folder that's in your Google Drive. The fourth icon looks like a video camera and will send a link to a Google Meet (video chat) to the conversation. After you tap the Google Meet icon, tap the Send icon (the paper airplane), and the people in the conversation can click or tap it to join your video meeting. The fifth icon looks like a calendar and will let you schedule a meeting using Google Meet.

Starting a Chat using a Computer

Go to https://chat.google.com/ in a web browser. You may be prompted to log in.

Click + to the right of "Chat." You'll see the "Chat" header in the panel on the left side of the page. If this panel is closed, you can click the three-line menu icon to expand it. If you want to create a room instead of a chat, click the + next to "Rooms" instead.

Address the chat to someone. You can either click from the suggested people listed under "Frequent" or you can choose to either create a room, browse rooms, or see your message requests. If you know the email address of who you want to talk with, enter that here, and their profile will appear under the header "More Results." Click their profile to start a chat with them. If you want to create a group chat, select Start a group conversation instead.

Start chatting. You can enter a message using your keyboard or you can click one of the icons to add to your message. The first icon looks like a smiley face and will open a list of emojis that you can enter into your chat message. The second icon looks like the letters "GIF" inside a rectangle and will let you send a GIF to the conversation. The third icon looks like an upwards-pointing arrow and will open your file manager so you can share a file to the conversation. The fourth icon looks like the Google Drive icon and it will open your Drive so you can share a file or folder that's in your Google Drive. The fifth icon looks like a new document icon and will let you create a new Google Doc, Sheets, or Slides project with the people in your conversation. The sixth icon looks like a video camera and will send a link to a Google Meet (video chat) to the conversation. After you click the Google Meet icon, tap the Send icon (the paper airplane), and the people in the conversation can click or tap it to join your video meeting. The seventh icon looks like a calendar and will let you schedule a meeting using Google Meet.

Turning On or Off Google Chat in Gmail using the Mobile App

Open Gmail. This app icon looks like a white and red envelope. You can find it on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.

Tap ☰ and tap Settings. The three-line menu icon is in the top left corner of your screen, and the Settings option is generally at the bottom of the menu next to a gear icon. If you have multiple Gmail accounts, select the one you want to use Google Chats with. You can repeat these steps if you want to use Google Chats with multiple Gmail accounts.

Tap to check or uncheck the box next to "Chat." A checked box indicates that Google Chat is active in your Gmail account and you'll see the Chat and Rooms tabs near the bottom of your screen. If Google Chat is enabled, you can tap these tabs to move between conversations in Chat and your emails in Gmail. If this is turned off, you'll need to use the Google Chats app to see your conversations in Chat. To start a chat using the Gmail app, tap the Chats tab first, then tap New Chat.

Turning On or Off Google Chat in Gmail using a Computer

Go to https://gmail.google.com/ using a web browser on your computer. This link will direct you to your Gmail account.

Click the gear icon and select See all settings. The gear icon is in the top right corner of the page.

Click the Chat and Meet tab. It's in the horizontal menu running along the top of the Settings page.

Click to select Google Chat or Off. Clicking an option will fill the radial dial and select that option.

Click Save Changes. You'll see this at the bottom of the settings menu. To start a new chat from Gmail, click the + icon in the panel on the left of your Gmail.

Using Rooms

Click or tap + next to "Rooms." You can use a web browser with Gmail, the Google Chats link, the Chats app for your mobile, or Gmail on mobile to use rooms. Rooms and group conversations are similar, but rooms are more formal whereas group conversations are casual. Rooms have more administrative privileges than group and one-on-one conversations. If you want to allow threaded conversations and people outside your organization to join your room, you can make those choices here.

Create a room. Click or tap Create (web) or Done (mobile). Skip this step if you're looking to join a room instead of creating your own.

Browse rooms. Click or tap Browse rooms after you select the + next to "Rooms". Rooms that you've been invited to are at the top of the list, and all rooms open to the public are listed below. Click or tap the room name, then select Preview to see the room first before joining it.

Join an existing room. Click or tap + or Join. If you're looking for a specific room, you can skip this step.

Search for a room. Click or tap + next to "Rooms," select Browse rooms, and enter the name of the room you're looking for. Use this step if you know a specific room that you want to join. To send a DM to someone in your group, navigate to their name within the group (room name > view members), then click or tap the three-dot menu icon and select Message. To leave a room or group conversation, click or tap the three-dot menu icon next to the group's name, then select Leave room.