Last year, Google announced that the future of Gmail will allow instant messaging and group chambers to join the existing Meet Video call integration. It’s already available to Enterprise Workspace users, and Google is now allowing personalized Gmail accounts this ‘integrated workspace’.
This merger is because Google wants to make Gmail your new “home for work”. The goal is to get users to do everything on one page without having to keep switching between other tabs. Since Gmail is probably open on the desktop, this is where Google integrates everything.
Gmail now has four main sections. ‘Mail’ and ‘Measure’ have been around for the past few months. ‘Chat’ is where you can send a message to individual and small groups, while ‘Rooms’ – like their Slack equivalents – are dedicated to larger conversations with shared chat, files and tasks.
It manifests as a bottom bar with four tabs on Android, while the Gmail sidebar on the Internet is divided into four sections. They are shown by default, but can be quickly hidden by clicking on the chevron. When you tap ‘Chat’, the conversation opens in the lower right corner of your screen. Rooms open full screen and replace the standard list with messages. As seen below, a feature coming ‘in the future’ is the ability to have photo-in-picture Meet calls in Gmail.
The functionality of these two new tabs is identical to the standalone Google Chat app, and users can remove the dedicated client. Next to the search bar, which can now look up both ’email and chat’ on the web, is a status indicator (automatic, do not disturb, turn it off), with these controls in the Gmail navigation load on mobile devices. Other changes include updated ‘outline’ icon designs throughout the web interface.
Many free Google Accounts available today can enable the new Gmail with Chat on Android and web. This experience is not yet available for the iOS application. Business accounts need permission from their administrators. Make sure you have the latest version of Gmail installed in the Play Store to get started, with Google warning that “you may experience errors and other issues.”
To access, you must enable Chat “Early Access” on each of your Android devices and the Internet, as well as Google Accounts. Enabling one does not bring the new experience to all of your Gmail cases.
How to turn on new Gmail with Chat, Rooms
Android
- Open Settings (at the bottom of the navigation tray)
- Tap a personal Gmail account
- Select ‘General’ (Chat (early access)) under General
- Click “Try this”
- Gmail app launches tutorial and instructions to disable notifications from standalone Google Chat app (if installed)
Web
- Visit mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#settings/chat
- Choose “Google Chat (early access) instead of” Classic Hangouts ”
- Confirm pop-up window
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