How to Chat in Gmail

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: May 21, 2024 Tested

Did you know you can chat with contacts right from your Gmail homepage? Google Chat comes with all Google accounts; you'll just need to enable it first. Here's how to chat in Gmail using a computer.

Enabling Chat in Gmail

Open Gmail in your web browser. Click the cog icon in the top-right corner and select Customize. Check the box for Google Chat. Click Done, and then Reload. To start a chat, click a contact in the left panel.

Steps

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1
Open Gmail. Go to https://www.gmail.com/ in your computer's web browser. This will open your Gmail inbox if you're logged in.
- If you aren't logged into Gmail, enter your email address and password when prompted.
2
Enable Google Chat. If you don't see a Chat menu on your Gmail home page, you'll need to enable it in your settings. Do the following:
- Click the cog icon in the top-right corner.
- Click Customize under Chat and Meet.
- Check the box for Google Chat.
- Click Done.
- Click Reload.
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You'll find your name and email address listed toward the lower-left side of the page; this is the chat section, which is where you'll be able to select people with whom to chat.
It's to the right of your chat name. Doing so opens a pop-up menu.
5
Select a contact. Click a contact's name in the resulting pop-out menu, or type in a contact's email address or phone number and then click their name in the resulting drop-down menu.
- If the person's name doesn't show up after searching for them, they probably aren't in your contacts. You'll need to add them to your contacts before you can chat with them.
In the text box near the top of the chat window, type in a message (e.g., "Hi! Please add me to your chat contacts.") that you'd like to use to invite your contact to chat with you.
It's a blue button at the bottom of the chat window.
Once the person accepts your chat request, you'll be able to proceed.
9
Chat with your friend. Once your friend accept's your request, you can click ＋ and then click their name to begin chatting with them. Their chat window will open in the far-right side of the page.
- If you close the chat window, you can always re-open it by clicking the person's name in the chat section on the left side of the page.
Click the ＋ icon, then enter a contact's name, click their name when it appears, repeat until you've added the people you want for your group, and click
in the top-right corner of the pop-out menu. This will allow you to chat with multiple people at once.
11
Use Gmail to make a voice call. If you want to call a local number (e.g., not an international line) without using your phone, you can use Gmail's chat feature to make the call:
- Click the phone-shaped icon below the chats section.
- Type in the phone number you want to call.
- Click Call [number] in the resulting drop-down menu.

Community Q&A

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Question

Someone is sending invitations to me but I am not able to see them. Where will those invitations be stored?

Community Answer

They are not stored anywhere. You have to enable the chat settings to be able to see the invitations.

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Question

Where are the chats stored?

Community Answer

Select "Other" on the side of your inbox and then select "Chats." This is where your previous chats are stored.

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Question

How do I enable chat on settings?

Community Answer

Press the Settings icon in Gmail, select Settings from the menu that drops down, select Chat on the ribbon and click Enable chat.

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