Key Takeaways
- Google Chat now has a compact mode with wider bubbles and padding, making it easier to view more conversations.
- Users can switch between the new compact mode and a more traditional view for Chat and Gmail in density settings.
- The new compact mode in Google Chat allows users to see more information on screen at once, similar to Chrome’s compact mode.
There are tons of apps included within Google Workspace, such as Gmail, Docs, Slides, and more. Perhaps the most underrated for what it can do, though, is Google Chat, a collaborative messaging platform that has numerous integrations throughout the entirety of the Workspace. In fact, Chat works directly within Gmail from a desktop or laptop web browser, although there is an app for it on smartphones and tablets. Gmail itself has a super-compact display mode that crams as much information into it as possible. Chat just got charged up with the same mode.
Today, Google announced on its Workspace Updates blog that it is adding a new density setting to Google Chat that will allow users to swap between a more appealing message view and an info-heavy compact view. In the “compact” mode, message bubbles between both people in a conversation will be aligned in the same direction. The message bubbles will also be wider, and there will be padding in the left bar, conversation list, and home. To change between view modes, users can go into Chat or Gmail settings to access the “Density” menu. As a note, Google says that changing the view mode on either Gmail or Chat will change the setting for the other platform, too. All users will have access to the setting starting now (or, for Scheduled Release Domains, starting December 2).
Compact browsing for all
(Source: Google)
Depending on what apps you use for work (if your team utilizes the Google Workspace, that is), you may have a lot of conversations and projects all going on at once on Chat. This new compact mode will make it easy to see as much information as possible on the screen at one time. While the default “comfortable” view may work better for people that get overwhelmed with information overload too quickly, the “compact” view provides an alternative. This is not dissimilar from Google Chrome’s relatively new “compact” mode.
Google Chat may not get big updates as frequently as other apps in the Workspace, but it still gets its fair share of love. After all, Chat spaces now support up to 500,000 members (as of June), so that must mean there’s a healthy number of users on the platform. In early October, Chat added a feature for sending video messages to contacts, making it even easier for introverts to get involved in conversations. If you’ve never used Chat, here are some tips to get the most out of it.
