Gmail integrates Google Chat, Rooms within one app, now available for all users - Android

With an aim to make Gmail your 'Home for work', Google is now making its Chat and Rooms feature available to all of its users. Earlier, this feature was exclusively available only to the enterprise users but now, Google will now make the integrated workspace feature available for personal account holders as well.

The goal here, is to let users get everything done in one page without the user having to keep switching between other tabs. The 2 new tabs that have joined the existing 'Mail' and 'Meet' tabs include 'Chat' and 'Rooms' tabs. The "Chat” is where you can message individual and small groups, while “Rooms” are dedicated to larger conversations with shared chat, files, and tasks. The Rooms tab works similar to how Slack does.

Once a user activates this setting, it will be visible at the bottom bar of the Android app where currently the Meet and Mail tabs reside. On Gmail's Web client however, the sidebar with the four sections will appear on the side of the screen by default and can be hidden by clicking on the double-arrow icon. 

The functionality of these new features remains similar to Google Chat's standalone app. Users will now be able to delete the standalone chat app if they want to once they gain access to the new feature. This integration of new tabs will be available for all Android app users as well as Gmail web client whereas there is no news when iOS users will get it. 

To activate this setting in your Gmail Android app, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Gmail app

2. At the top left, tap Menu (3 lines) and then Settings.

3. Select your account.

4. Check or uncheck the 'Show the chat and rooms tab box' to turn Chat on or off in the Gmail app.