Google Chat is getting some big updates that take significant strides to better the user experiences and add interoperability across platforms.

Google Chat will soon be able to Duet you and help you collaborate even better with your coworkers. Duet AI is Google’s real-time collaboration partner is designed to provide users with updates, insights, and proactive suggestions across their Google Workspace apps. It will also be able to handle complex queries and even search through organisational data by searching through messages and files in Gmail and Drive. You won’t be slugging away to summarizing shared documents, and even offering recaps of missed conversations much longer as Duet AI will be able to take over with a simple prompt.

Together with the inclusion of Duet AI, Google Chat is getting a makeover. It will be getting updated colour schemes, typography, and visual styling inline with Google’s Material 3 design language. It will also be getting a little bit more accessible with a unified conversation list that will consolidate direct messages and spaces. Additionally, new shortcuts, including a chronological home view, @mentions, and starred conversations, aim to streamline communication for users.

New Features To Enhance Collaboration

Collaboration is taking centerstage in Google Chat. Google is introducing a bevvy of new features that will allow teams to work seamlessly and collaborate more efficiently.

One of the many changes coming to Google Chat is the integration of Smart Canvas on the chat platform. This will allow teams to collaboration real time and interact seamlessly as if they were in the same room even remotely. The addition of smart chips for quick file sharing directly from the compose bar will also make collaborating a breeze. Accessing relevant conversation threads is also getting easier with in-line threading improvements.

Speaking of real time collaboration, Huddles offers teams a way to communicate in real time through quick-to-join audio and video conversations. Huddles seamlessly integrate meetings into the Chat experience, eliminating the need to switch between platforms. This feature is expected to enter customer preview by the end of the year.

Of course, in many organisation or even when it comes to cross organisational collaboration, compatibility is always an issue. Recognizing that collaboration often spans multiple platforms and tools, Google Chat is partnering with Mio, a collaborative interoperability solutions provider. This collaboration enables messaging interoperability between Google Chat and other platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Scaling your team and collaborating with more parties will now be easier with Google Chat. The limitations on team size on team size is figuratively going away with Google increasing the number of members in spaces to a whopping 500,000 members compared to 8,000 members previously. This will allow larger corporations to manage their workforces through a single space.

Better Search, More Privacy

Google Chat’s search functionality is receiving a revamp. It will feature a redesigned results page and enhanced features such as suggested queries, autocomplete, and AI-based relevance ranking of results. Additionally, an autocorrect feature is being introduced to the suite of AI-powered composition tools, ensuring professional and polished communication.

With Chat being integrated into the Workspace ecosystem, users benefit from built-in protections against spam, phishing, and malware. Real-time data loss prevention warnings and content moderation tools help organizations maintain data security and privacy.