How to enable Chat and Rooms, the new Gmail features everyone’s talking about on iPhone or Android

The Gmail app for iOS and Android recently received an update, which unlocked some new features. Google has been merging its services over the years and making things more streamlined. Last year, the company launched a redesigned Gmail app for G-Suite (now WorkSpace) users, which offered easy access to Chat, Rooms, and Meet. Now, these features are available for all users.

Although the new options are available for all users on iOS and Android, it isn’t enabled by default in the Gmail app. In this post, we will show you how to enable the Chat and Rooms options in the app.

Also see: How to schedule emails in the Gmail app on iPhone and iPad

Chat and Rooms in Gmail

Google’s Gmail app, in its current avatar, gives you the Mail and Meet tabs in its latest update. However, it has been discovered that a simple toggle in the Settings can enable the new Chat and Rooms tabs. The Chat option lets you easily have a chat with your contacts, especially those who you’ve been pinging on Hangouts.

On the other hand, Rooms is nothing but a group chat feature, where you can create or be added to certain rooms. You can then have a conversation with the members within the Room, share files, and assign tasks as well.

Enable Chat and Rooms in Gmail for iOS and Android

It’s quite an easy task to enable the new Chat and Rooms tabs in the Gmail app. The steps are similar on both the Android and iOS apps, as they share a common user interface. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Note: Before you begin, make sure you have the latest version of the app installed on your device.

1) Launch the Gmail app on your iOS or Android device.

2) Tap on the hamburger menu bar on the top left corner of the app.

3) Now scroll down and select Settings.

4) Choose your Gmail account.

5) Look for the Chat option under General settings. Enable this option to show the Chat and Rooms tabs.

Gmail app Chat and Rooms

The app should now quit automatically and restart with the Chat and Rooms tabs at the bottom. You will now have access to Mail, Chat, Rooms, and Meet, all from the comfort of the Gmail app.

Enable Chat and Rooms in Gmail for web

If you want to access the new Chat and Rooms feature in Gmail on your web browser, then that’s possible as well. Follow the steps below to make this happen.

1) Login to Gmail on your web browser.

2) Click on the gear wheel on the top right corner and select See all Settings.

3) Select the tab that says Chat and Meet. Check the box that says Google Chat under Chat options.

Google Chat and Rooms web

4) Click Save changes, wait for Gmail to reload, and you should have the Chat and Rooms tabs on the left panel.

Wrapping up

The Chat and Rooms services, although not new, are useful for those who have a lot of Google Chat conversations, Google Meet video calls, and collaborate using Rooms. Making these services available to all users, from within the Gmail apps and web client, is the right move by Google. We hope this tutorial helped you get access to the new features on your iOS or Android devices. Some people may not see the Chat and Rooms option in the iOS app yet, but not to worry, Google is rolling it out to all users. It’s still in early access mode, as the company is still