10 Google Chat Life Hacks Every User Should Know
If you work in the Google ecosystem or use Google Workspace at work, Google Chat is a popular choice for messaging and collaboration. The app replaced Hangouts in Gmail (RIP), originally launched for businesses and later made available to everyone. Regardless of your context, there are several ways to get the most out of Google Chat.
Add Chat to Gmail to keep everything in one tab.
If you already have too many tabs open, and one of them is Gmail, you don’t really need another one for Google Chat. Instead, you can add Chat to your Gmail taskbar and switch between your inbox and the chat interface in a single tab (assuming they’re under the same Google account). Click the “Settings” gear icon at the top of the Gmail window and select “Show all settings.” Select the “Chat & Meetings” tab and flip the toggle next to Google Chat . You can also manage chat settings from this tab. For mobile Gmail, go to “Settings” > “Chat” and turn on “Show Chat Tab.”
Google Chat has a desktop app if you use Chrome.
For those who prefer the desktop app to a browser window, you can download the Google Chat app. While it’s a standalone app and not an extension, it requires Chrome to be open and running. However, Chrome doesn’t have to be your default browser. To install the app, open chat.google.com in Chrome and either click the “Install” icon or go to “More” > “Install Google Chat.” You can then launch Chat from your computer.
Schedule chat messages to be sent later.
The ability to schedule messages for later means you can create draft messages while they’re in your mind, but only send them to the recipient when you really want to. This is convenient for communicating with colleagues who have different work hours, saving messages for those returning from vacation, or scheduling regular chats to check in. Create a draft message and click the down arrow next to the “Send” button, then select a suggested sending time or set your own.
Set Do Not Disturb periods.
If you don’t want to receive notifications 24/7, set up Do Not Disturb mode to activate after you finish work. This will disable Google Chat notifications during set time periods. In the chat window, go to Settings > Notifications and scroll down to the Do Not Disturb Schedule section . You can enable one of the default options or click Create New to create your own schedule. Be sure to enable the option “Match Do Not Disturb schedule to time zone,” especially if your team works across time zones.
Receive email notifications about unread messages.
There are times when Google Chat is closed or push notifications are disabled, but you still want to see a summary of important messages. You can enable email notifications for unread direct messages or @mentions to receive reminders about chat messages you haven’t read in more than 12 hours. On your computer, go to Settings > Notifications and turn on “Get email notifications for unread direct messages or @mentions.”
Open multiple chats in windowed mode.
To avoid switching between multiple conversations in Google Chat on your computer, you can open them in pop-up windows so you can see them side by side. From the main chat screen, tap the three vertical dots ( Options ) on the right and select “Open in pop-up window.” You can also tap the pop-up icon at the top of any private message or workspace. Note that you can’t open individual conversations.
Add individual messages to tasks.
Google Chat obviously works well with other Google apps, including Tasks. If there’s a task in a chat that needs to be completed, you can add it to your Tasks to-do list by tapping the three-dot menu > Add to Tasks . On mobile, long-press the message, then go to More > Add to Tasks . If Tasks is added to the right panel in Chat, you can view and organize your list in the same window as your conversations.
Use search filters to find specific messages.
Like other Google apps, Chat features advanced filters to narrow your search results and find specific messages in your chats and conversation history. Enter your query in the search bar at the top of the window, then select one of the following filters:
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From:
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It says in:
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Date:
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Contains file:
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There is a link:
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Mentioned me:
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I only participate in the following conversations:
You can also sort results by recency and relevance.
Turn off chat history to prevent messages from being automatically deleted.
For sensitive messages you don’t want saved in your chat history, Google Chat has a feature similar to disappearing messages that removes new messages from your chat history after 24 hours. To enable it, open a conversation, click the down arrow next to the chat header, and select “Mute History.” The history will show which messages were sent with and without history enabled, so you know which ones will be deleted.
Get quick conversation summaries from Gemini.
If you have a Google Workspace account, you can ask Gemini to summarize read and unread messages in chat so you don’t have to review each message individually. Summaries are available for private messages (group and individual), spaces, and discussion threads. Message summaries are enabled by default for relevant accounts. To use this feature, select a read or unread message in Google Chat or Gmail chat, hover over it in the Home tab, and click “Summary.” You can also summarize unread messages in a message by opening it and selecting “Unread Summary.”