About Google Rooms and Group Messages

You have the option to use a room or group message in Google Chat to communicate with more than one person.

● Rooms - Central location where teams can communicate and work together on ​ projects on an ongoing basis. When you create a room, members of a team can share files, assign tasks and stay connected, all in one place. ● Group messages - Chat directly with a few people on an ad-hoc basis. For example, ​ you might want to have a quick discussion about a specific question after a meeting.

When you are unsure if you should use a room or group message, the chart below should be of assistance:

Rooms Group messages

Purpose Team or project collaboration and Direct message with 2 or more communication people

Who can chat Add and remove people at any time After starting the chat, can't add or remove people

Conversations Multiple, threaded conversations Unthreaded messages

Message history Always on and retained according to Depending on your organization's your organization's policy settings, history can be:

Turned off (messages removed after 24 hours) Turned on (messages follow your organization's retention policy)

Name Room creator chooses name, for List of member names, for example, example, Solarmora Project Brendan, Ann, Rosa

Notifications Members notified for conversations Members notified for every they're in or when @mentioned message Membership Members can leave and rejoin Members can't leave, but can hide the chat in the sidebar

Multiple chat spaces Can have 2 or more rooms with the Can't have 2 group messages with with same users same set of people the same set of people

Create and assign Can create and assign tasks to Not available tasks other room members

Shared files View a list of files shared with the Can share files but can't view a list room of the files

How to use Chat Room in Gmail

Creating a room in Google Chat will provide you a place where a team, teacher or co-worker can communicate and collaborate.

By creating a Google room, you can allow people outside of your organization to join a room, but you must do so when you create the room. Remember, if you allow external people in a room, they must either have a G Suite account with another organization or a person Google Account (usually ending in @gmail.com).

To create the Google room, you will follow the steps below:

1. Sign in to Chat or Gmail 2. Next to ROOMS, click Create Create room ​ ​ ​ ​ 3. Create or Enter a room name. 4. (OPTIONAL) - To add a room avatar, click the CHOOSE an EMOJI. Remember ​ ​ that if you do not select an emoji, a default avatar is used instead. 5. Now you are able to enter the names or email addresses of the people or groups that you want to add or you can select from the suggestions. Suggestions include everyone that is in your organization, even if they don’t have CHAT. 6. (OPTIONAL) - To allow individuals from outside your organization to join the room, check the Allow people outside your organization to join box. ​ ​ 7. (OPTIONAL) - To notify invitees, check the Notify people via email box. ​ ​ 8. You are now able to click Create. ​ 9. (OPTIONAL) - To add more people and bots to the room, click on Add people and ​ bots, enter the name and then click Send. ​ ​

How to join a Google Chat Room

When you have been invited to join a room, you will get an email notification if the person inviting you to the room requests it. Before you join, you are able to preview the room and see the message history.

You can get notifications and preview the room even if you’re invited with your personal Google Account or the room is owned by another organization.

Joining a room from Chat

1. Open Chat ​ 2. At the top left, you will need to click on Find people, rooms, bots. ​ 3. Here you will click on Browse Rooms (The rooms that you’re directly invited to will ​ ​ appear at the top of the list. Enter a room name if you have it to quickly find a room. 4. (OPTIONAL) - To preview a room, point to the room name and click Preview. (When ​ ​ you preview a room, you can also read the messages, but you can’t participate in the conversation or get notifications.) 5. Click ADD + or Join in the preview to join the room. ​ ​ ​ ​ 6. Click Open to open the room. ​ ​

Joining a room from Gmail

1. Open Gmail ​ 2. Next to Rooms, click ADD Browse rooms. ​ ​ ​ ​ 3. The rooms that you have been invited to will appear at the top of the list. Enter a room name if you have it to quickly find a room. 4. (OPTIONAL) - To preview a room, point to the room name and click Preview. (When ​ ​ you preview a room, you can read the messages, but you can’t participate in the conversation or get notifications.) 5. Click ADD + or Join in the preview to join the room. ​ ​ ​ ​ 6. Click Open to open the room. ​ ​

Searching for a Room

You can Search for a room that you have been invited to in Google Chat. ​ ​

Search for a room in Chat: ​

1. Sign in to Chat ​ 2. In the top left corner, click Find People, rooms, bots ​ 3. Enter the name of the room that you want to find to see a list of matching people, bots and rooms. 4. Once you have located the correct room, click on the room to open it.

Search for a Chat Room in Gmail: ​

1. Sign in to Gmail ​ 2. Next to Rooms, click Expand +. ​ ​ ​ 3. Next, you will click on Person, room, or bot. ​ 4. Here you will enter the name of the room you want to find to see a list of matching people, bots and rooms. 5. Once you have located the correct room, click on the room to open it.

Leaving or Rejoining a room

You are able to leave and rejoin any room in Google Chat. If you leave a room, you won’t get room updates or be able to post messages unless you rejoin the room.

Remember, if you rejoin a room, you can view all of the message history, including the messages that you missed. If you are removed from a room by someone else, you must be re-invited before you are able to rejoin.

Leave a room

1. Sign in to Chat or Gmail ​ 2. Next to a room name, click More Leave ​ 3. Here you will click Leave room. ​

Rejoin a room from Chat

1. Open Chat ​ 2. At the top left, you will click on Find people, rooms, bots. ​ 3. Next you will click Browse Rooms ​ 4. Next to the correct room name, click Add +. ​

Rejoin a room from Gmail

1. Open Gmail ​ 2. Next to Rooms, click Browse rooms. ​ ​ 3. Enter the room name. 4. Click Add +. ​

Sending a direct message to someone in a room

**This feature is only available on a computer, not on mobile apps. ​ In Google Chat, you can send a direct message to anyone who is in a room.

1. Sign in to Chat or Gmail ​ ​ ​ 2. On the left, under Rooms, click a room to open it. ​ ​ 3. At the top, you will click the room name, > View Members ​ 4. Point to the person’s name and then click More Message ​ 5. Now you can enter your message and then click Send ​

TIP: You are also able to click on someone’s photo to start a direct message with them. ​ ​

Starting a new conversation thread

You can use the conversation threads in Google Chat to discuss separate topins while in a room.

1. Sign in to Chat or Gmail ​ ​ ​ 2. Under Rooms, select a room. ​ ​ 3. After you have done this, at the boom, click New thread in room name. ​ ​ 4. Now you can enter the message and click Send ​

TIP: If there are new messages, click New Messages to view them at the bottom of the ​ ​ ​ screen.

Create and assign tasks in a room

As a member of a room in Google Chat, you are able to create and manage group tasks and also assign tasks to other room members. You will see tasks in the room where they are created. If a task is assigned to you, you can see it in your personal task list in Google Tasks. When someone creates or updates a task, such as assigning or completing the task, a notification appears in the room.

If perhaps you do not see the Tasks tab in a room, contact your G Suite administrator. Your organization needs to turn on the Tasks service to use this feature.

Create and assign a task in a room.

1. Open Gmail ​ 2. Here you will select the room where you want to create a specific task. 3. At the top, click the Tasks tab > Add room task. (You may have to expand the room ​ ​ ​ ​ to see the Tasks tab.) 4. Now you can enter the task title. 5. (OPTIONAL) - To add a description or more details, all you will need to do is click Add details and enter the additional information. ​ 6. (OPTIONAL) - To add a date and time, all you will need to do is click Add ​ date/time, select them > click OK. ​ ​ 7. (OPTIONAL) - To assign the task to a member of the room, you will click Assign > ​ ​ the name of the person. To assign the task to an individual who isn’t a member of the room, you will need to invite them to the room first. If the assignee happens to leave the room, the task remains in the room and in their personal task list in Google Tasks. 8. Click ADD. ​

After you have created a task, a notification displays in the room to let everyone know.

Edit a Task

1. Open Gmail ​ 2. Select the room. 3. At the top right, click on the Tasks tab > select the task you want to edit. (In ​ ​ Gmail,, you might have to expand the room to see the Tasks tab.) 4. Click the title, details, date and time, or assignee and make the necessary changes.

If you happen to have a task in your personal task list, you can edit the task title, details and date/time from your personal task list. Any changes will update the task for everyone in the room and a notification will be displayed.

Mark a task complete

1. Open Gmail ​ 2. Select the correct room. 3. At the top, click on the Tasks tab. (In Gmail, you might have to expand the room to ​ ​ see the Tasks tab) 4. Next to the task, point to Incomplete and click Complete .

After a room task appears on your personal task list, you can mark the task complete from your personal task list instead of from the room. Any changes will update the task for everyone in the room and a notification will be displayed.

Mark a task incomplete

1. Open Gmail ​ 2. Select the correct room. 3. At the top, click on the Tasks tab. (In Gmail, you may have to expend the room to ​ ​ see the Tasks tab. 4. Next to Completed, click Expand v to view the task. ​ ​ 5. Next to the task, click Complete ✓ to change the status to Incomplete .

Delete a task

1. Open Gmail. ​ 2. Select the correct room. 3. At the top, you will click on the Tasks tab > select the task. (In Gmail, you might ​ ​ have to expand the room to see the Tasks tab.) 4. At the top right, click the Delete > Delete ​

Blocking a Room

If you find a room abusive in Google Chat, you have the ability to block and report the room. If you unblock a room, you can only rejoin if you see Can Join in Browse rooms. ​ ​

When you block a room: ● You don’t get any more updates from the room. ● Your older posts in the room are still visible to the other room members. ● You Won’t see the room in the list of joined rooms or if you browse or search for rooms. ● If you were invited to the room, the other members of the room still see you as an invited member.

IF you are reinvited to a blocked room: ● You will appear as an invited member, but aren’t notified or added to the room. ● The inviter or other room member won’t know that you have blocked the room.

If you are removed from a room that you have blocked and are reinvited, the inviter and room members will see an error message saying that they can’t add you with a link to a Help Center article.

NOTE: Blocked users can’t add you to a room and you can’t add blocked users to a room. ​

Block a Room

1. Sign in to Chat ​ 2. On the left, under Rooms, you will click on the room. ​ ​ 3. Point to the room name and click More Block Room. ​ 4. (OPTIONAL) - To report this room as spam or for abuse, check the Report this ​ room as spam or abuse box. You can on do this for external rooms. ​ 5. Click BLOCK ​

Unblock a room

1. Sign in to Chat ​ 2. At the top, click Settings > Settings ​ 3. Click Manage blocked rooms. ​ 4. Select the room you are wanting to unblock. 5. Click Unblock ​