Create or delete a space in Google Chat

You can create a space in Google Chat to provide a place where a group can communicate and collaborate. If you’re the space creator, you can delete the space.

Create a space from Chat or Gmail

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Next to “Spaces,” click Create or find a space   Create space.
3. Enter a space name.
4. Optional: Below the space name, you can add a space description.
5. Optional: At the top left, click Choose an emoji . If you don't select an emoji, a default avatar is used.
6. Enter names or email addresses of people and groups you want to add. You can also select from suggestions. If you use a Google Workspace account, suggestions include everyone in your organization, even if they don't have Google Chat.
7. Optional: To allow threaded replies, select Use threaded replies.
   Important: 
   • You can’t change this setting.
   • Threaded spaces can only be created by Google Workspace accounts.
8. Optional: To allow external people to join the space, select Allow people outside your organization to join. If your administrator doesn’t allow this feature, you may not have this option.
   Important: 
   • You can’t change this setting.
   • The option to create spaces that allow guests is only available on Google Workspace accounts.
9. Click Create.
10. Optional: To add more people and bots to the space, click Add people & bots. Enter names or emails. Click Send.

Turn a group chat into a space

If you created a group chat, you can turn it into a space. When you use a space, you can name the space, share files, and assign tasks with other people in the space. 

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. From the Chat panel, find and click the group chat you want to change to a space.
3. At the top, next to the group chat name, click the Down arrow Turn this chat into a space .
4. Add a space name. To add an optional space icon, click Add .
5. Click Done. A notification confirms your chat is now a space, and notifies members in the group of the change.

After you make the change, you can find chat, files, and tasks tabs in your space.

Tip: You can add and remove people from a space at any time.

Delete a space

Important: 

• You can only delete a space if you’re the space creator. 
• When you delete a space, all messages and tasks in the space are deleted. Permissions on Drive files are removed, but the file isn’t deleted. 
• Once a space is deleted, you can’t recover it. 

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Open the space that you want to delete.
3. At the top, next to the space name, click Down arrow  Delete space  Delete.

Tip: If you didn’t create the space, learn how to leave a space.