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Overview
Google Chat is a secure communications tool designed to provide easy business communications within the Google Workspace ecosystem. With Google Chat, teams collaborate via text, build collaborative chat spaces (formerly referred to as rooms), share documents, deliver presentations, and establish web conferences (Google Meet). Google Chat is similar to other Direct Messaging (DM), or Instant Messaging (IM) services.
Chat works in your computer browser or with a mobile app (Android and iOS). Chat keeps all your messages in sync no matter which devices you use, even if you switch between them. Google Chat is built upon their former messaging service which was called Google Hangouts. You may still encounter references to Hangouts when using the service or when searching their help database.
Starting Google Chat
There are several ways to begin a chat session: In Gmail, Web, Desktop App, Mobile App
In Gmail
Use Chat in your browser-based Gmail. If you like to multi-task and prefer to see all your communications in one place, this is an ideal method to select. You may need to first update your settings to see this option, which can be done by selecting the gear icon, selecting ‘see all settings,’ and then selecting the Chat and Meet tab where you can turn on the service and select if you want it to display to the right or left of your screen. This area also provides options how you want notifications to be handled. Additional information about using Chat features in Gmail can be found at https://support.google.com/a/answer/9296621?hl=en&ref_topic=9292289.
Web
You can visit chat.google.com directly from any computer to send/reply to a message.
Desktop App
If you prefer a dedicated chat experience and don't mind switching between different apps, you can install Google Chat by visiting https://support.google.com/chat/answer/9455386
Mobile App
Google Chat is also available as a mobile app. Visit your device’s App Store and search for “Google Chat”. Then sign in with your F&M Google account and you are ready to start chatting.
Chat Notifications
Notifications are an important part of any chat program. You likely want people to respond a bit sooner than they might if they were using email, and you would likely want to know right away when someone is asking you to join a chat so you don’t miss out on something important! And at the same time, you may have times when you want to suspend notifications or get them for only certain conversations. To modify your notifications on your computer, on your Android device, or on your iPhone/iPad device, visit https://support.google.com/chat/answer/7655718. By default, notifications are turned on.
Spaces
You can create a (work)space to have an ongoing conversation with a group of people that can change over time. Participants can even be from outside of F&M (but they will still need to have a Google account). Click the + sign next to the Spaces section in the navigation bar to create a space or to join an existing space. All members can view the conversation history so they won't miss what was already discussed. Spaces can have multiple threads, called conversations, for different topics within the same space.
Start a Video Meeting
You can start an “instant meeting” using Google Meet from within a current Chat conversation. Just click the video camera icon and the Send button (you may need to expand the chat or browser window to see this icon). The Chat participant(s) will immediately receive a link to join.