You can send a direct message in Google Chat to one or more people in your business, work, or school, or to someone outside of your organization. However, you can't include people outside your organization in a group message. When you chat with someone outside of your organization, they’re identified with a badge next to their name.
If you have a Google Workspace account or a personal Google Account, you can send a message to people who use Chat or classic Hangouts. You can only chat with someone outside your organization with Google Workspace, or if their organization allows it.
The recipient of a direct message may need to accept your request to message you back.
- 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.
- 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.
- In Chat, click Find people, rooms, bots
- 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.
You can add or remove people to create a new conversation with a different group of people.
- Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
- In Chat, at the top, next to the conversation name, click the Down arrow
Start a new chat.
- In Gmail, click More options
Start a new chat.
- Add or remove people from the existing group conversation:
- To add people, enter their names.
- To remove people, next to their name, click Remove from room
.
- Click Create.
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
.
You can chat with a bot in a message.
- Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
- In Chat, next to "Bots," click Start a chat
.
In Gmail, next to "Chat," click Start a chatFind a bot.
- Type the bot name or select from the suggestions.
- Enter your message.
- Tap Send
.
- Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
- Open the direct message that contains the bot.
- In the top right of the conversation window, click More options
Remove.
- Go to Google Chat or your Gmail Account.
- Open a room.
- Click More options
View members.
- Next to the bot you want to remove, click More options
Remove from room.
Chat shows the out of office status people set up in Google Calendar. You can still send the person a message while they’re out of office. If a person doesn't have permission to view your out of office status, Chat won't show your status. When you set up your out of office status in Calendar, your Chat messages or notifications aren’t muted.
To show your status:
- Share your calendar with someone.
- Create an out of office event that spans all day or past your work hours. Learn how to set your working hours and availability.