Learn about huddles in Google Chat

Important: Only users with a work account can access huddles in Chat, which aren't available for personal or school accounts.

  • You can start a huddle instantly as a voice chat from a 1:1 conversation, group conversation, or space in Google Chat without ringing.
  • You can share your screen or turn on your camera in a huddle.
  • You can also choose to start a video meeting or call someone directly from Chat or Gmail. Learn more about how to start a video meeting or call someone.

Start a huddle in Chat

  1. On your computer, open Google Chat or Gmail.
    • In Gmail: On the left, click Chat.
  2. Open a direct message or space.
  3. To start a huddle with the members of a direct message or space:
    • In a 1:1 conversation: At the top right, next to “Call,” click More options and then Start a huddle .
    • In a group conversation or a space: At the top right, next to “Call,” click More options and then Start a huddle .
  4. To end the call, click End call Call end icon.

Tips:

  • If participants are in a huddle, it remains active.
  • Someone can join a huddle anytime through a huddle invitation chip as long as the person who started the huddle is in it.

Join a huddle

  1. On your computer, open Google Chat or Gmail.
    • In Gmail: On the left, click Chat.
  2. You can join a huddle from your list of conversations or from a direct message or space:
    • To join from your list of conversations: click the huddle icon next to the name or space name.
    • To join from within a conversation: select a direct message or space with an active huddle, which has the huddle icon next to the name or space name. In the huddle invitation banner, click Join.
Turn cameras on or share your screen in a huddle

By default, the huddle opens as a voice chat.

  • To change the voice chat to a video chat, click Turn on camera .
    • Tip: If someone in the huddle turns on their camera, a video badge Start a video meeting displays next to their profile picture.
  • To share your screen, click Present now .
Resize your huddle window

To resize a huddle, at the bottom left, drag the handle .

Tip: The huddle window automatically resizes if someone turns on their camera or you click the presentation tile .
Switch from a Chat huddle to Google Meet
To switch from a Chat huddle to Google Meet, at the top right, click Open Meet in tab .
Change background effects
To use a background effect in a huddle, hover over your video, then click Apply visual effects .
Send an emoji reaction

To send an emoji reaction in a huddle, click More and then Send a reaction .

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