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.