Here are some things you should know
- Google Chat offers threading within a given space.
- You can now reply to one specific message within a thread, without needing to post your reply on the main forum.
- Therefore, in 2023 the ability to arrange spaces by discussion topic will cease.
The ability to create in-line chat threads on certain topics helps declutter your main chat board. This is why they are a very popular feature of Slack, Microsoft Teams and other services. Google Chat now supports in-line threading for existing and new spaces.
Google stated in a blog posting (Opens in a new tab The goal of this feature is to let you reply to specific messages in any space. Other uses of the feature include initiating group discussions with participants interested.
Dropping your reply in-line, all the posters and @ mentions in the thread will receive a notification. This is similar to the way it works in Slack.
“We hope that by incorporating in-line threading into spaces, it will also be easier and more intuitive for users to scan the space and know what’s going on,” Google said. It will reduce the noise and notify users only for responses to threads that they have chosen to follow or participated in.
Google Chat features “threaded space”, which include messages and responses stacked up for chat members. This space is distinguished from those with one flow of unthreaded message and is clearly identified by the button “+New topic” at the bottom. Each topic in threaded spaces has its own compose menu.
In-line threading is not available for chat spaces. Instead, they will be called “spaces organized by topic” in Chat. In-line threading will be the default format for all spaces, so you won’t have the ability to organize chat rooms by topic. This change is expected to take effect in early 2023.
Each new space supports in-line threading by default. It is currently being developed in phases, so it will not be fully available for everyone before the end of March.
Google Workspace customers can access it, along with legacy G Suite Basic Business and Legacy G Suite Basic users. Access will also be available to personal Google account users.
