Get started with Google Chat

2. Create direct messages and rooms

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In Chat, you can send a direct message to individuals or groups. Direct messages are private conversations between you and other people. Once you create a direct message, you can't add people, so the conversation remains private.

You can send a direct message in Chat to one or more people in your business, work, or school or to someone outside of your organization. However, you can't include external people in a group message. (To chat with external guests in a group, create a room).

Send a direct message to a person

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
If the name isn’t under Chat, click Find people, rooms, bots or click Start a chat .
Enter a name or email address. Suggestions appear as you type.
To send a direct message to someone outside of your organization, enter their full email address.
Select the person you want to message.
Enter a message click Send .
Suggestions include everyone in your organization, even if they don't have Chat.

Send a direct message to a group

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
Under "Chat," click a group name, enter a message, click Send .
If the group name isn’t under "Chat":
- In Chat, click Find people, rooms, bots Start group conversation.
- In Gmail, under Chat, click Start a chat Start group conversation.
Enter a name or email address. Suggestions appear as you type.
Click Message or Done .
Enter a message click Send .
Suggestions include everyone in your organization, even if they don't have Chat.

Note: To hide a direct message to a group, click More Hide conversation Remove .

Message someone directly

2.2 Edit conversations

You can edit text in your conversation or add an emoji.

You can add these options to your message:

To add a person to the conversation, click enter a name.
To add emojis to your message, click Emoji .
To share files from your device, click Upload file . Everyone in a room can view shared files.
To share files from Google Drive, click Add Google Drive file . Everyone in a room can view shared Drive files.
To start a video call, click Add video meeting .

2.3 Create a room

With Chat, you can meet and brainstorm ideas with your team in rooms. Chat with your co-workers, share files and other online resources, and work together on team projects.

You can chat in a room with people outside your organization if they have a Google Workspace or personal Google (Gmail) Account. Guests from outside your organization are labelled as external, and the room must be designated as external when you create it. If you created a room for people within your organization only, you won't be able to add external guests later.

Conversations are organized into different conversation threads in rooms, so you and your team can discuss multiple subjects at the same time.

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
Next to “Rooms,” click Create or Find a room Create room.
Enter a room name.
(Optional) In the top left, click Choose an emoji . If you don't select an emoji, a default avatar is used.
Enter names or email addresses of people and groups you want to add. You can also select from suggestions. Suggestions include everyone in your organization, even if they don't have Chat.
(Optional) To allow threaded replies, select Use threaded replies.
1. Important: You can’t change this setting later.
(Optional) To allow external people to join the room, select Allow people outside your organization to join. If your administrator doesn’t allow this feature, you may not have this option.
1. Important: You can’t change this setting later.
(Optional) To notify invitees, select the box next to “Notify people via email.”
Click Create.
(Optional) To add more people and bots to the room, click Add people & bots. Enter names or emails. Click Send.

2.4 Add or remove people in a room

You can add people to a room in 2 ways:

Invite people to a room—Invite people to join a room by email.
Mention someone in a conversation—Enter @johns to automatically add them to the room.

If you @mention someone in a conversation, for example, @cassy, they're immediately added to the room. They can join the discussion, view the room in their room list, and receive notifications for the room.

Invite people to a room

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
On the left, next to the person's name or group, click More Hide conversation .

See members of a room

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
On the left, select the room.
At the top, click the room nameView members.
(Optional) To add more members to the room, click Add .

2.5 Join or leave a room

Individuals are added to rooms automatically, whereas groups have the option to join a room. You can add up to 8,000 people to a room. Both individuals and group members can leave a room.

Note: You can't delete a room, but you can leave it. If you leave a room, your content stays unless you delete it. Once you leave, you won't get any notifications from the room.

Join a room from Chat

Open Chat.
At the top left, click Find people, rooms, bots.
Click Browse rooms.
The rooms that you're directly invited to appear at the top of the list. Enter a room name to quickly find a room.
(Optional) To preview a room, point to the room name and click Preview.
When you preview a room, you can read messages, but you can't participate in the conversation or get notifications.
Click Add or Join in the preview to join the room.
Click Open to open the room.

Join a room from Gmail

Open Gmail.
Next to Rooms, click Add Browse rooms.
The rooms that you're invited to appear at the top of the list. Enter a room name to quickly find a room.
(Optional) To preview a room, point to the room name and click Preview.
When you preview a room, you can read messages, but you can't participate in the conversation or get notifications.
Click Add or Join in the preview to join the room.
Click Open to open the room.

Leave a room

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
Next to a room name, click More Leave.
Click Leave room.

Rejoin a room

Open Chat.
At the top left, click Find people, rooms, bots.
Click Browse rooms.
Next to the room name, click Add .

2.6 Start multiple conversations in a room

If you’re collaborating on a large project with your team, you might need to chat about different topics. Having multiple ongoing conversations helps everyone share information and ideas faster.

Start a different conversation in a room:

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
Under Rooms, select a room.
At the bottom, click New thread in room name.
Enter the message and click Send .

Discuss different topics and converse with different people

Send a direct message to someone in a room:

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
On the left, under Rooms, click a room to open it.
At the top, click the room nameView members.
Point to the person's name and click MoreMessage.
Enter your message and then click Send .

2.7 Block a room

If you find a room abusive in Google Chat, you can block and report the room. For more details, see Block a room.

Block a room

Important: You can only report rooms as spam or abuse that include external members.

Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
Choose one:
- On the left, under “Rooms,” next to the room name, click More options Block room.
- Select the room you want to block Click the room details drop-down Block room.
Click Block.

Optional: To report the room as spam or abuse, check the box next to Report this room as spam or abuse.

Unblock a room

Go to Google Chat.
On the top right, click Settings Settings.
Under “Blocked Rooms,” click Manage blocked rooms.
Point to the room you want to unblock to select it Click Unblock.

Tip: When you unblock a room, it becomes browsable. You can search for it in “Browse rooms."

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