Why where you post matters
Google Chat gives you three places to talk: direct messages, group messages and spaces. You can also reply in a thread under any message. If a conversation goes in the wrong place, decisions get lost and files are hard to find later. Think of them as rooms in an office:
- Direct message (DM): a one-to-one conversation at someone's desk.
- Group message (group DM): a quick huddle of a few people. It has no name, and the chat list shows it by its members' names.
- Space: a named project room with a membership list. It is where shared files, tasks and threads belong.
- Thread: a side conversation about one message. It stays off the main conversation.
Screens and labels in Chat change often. The steps below were checked against Google's help pages in November 2026.
How they differ
| DM / group message | Space | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The members' names only | A name you choose (for example "Q4 Website Launch") |
| Default notifications | Every message | Mainly threads you take part in and @mentions |
| Membership | People can leave and rejoin freely | People can leave. They need a new invitation to rejoin |
| Files | Can be shared | Listed together in a searchable Shared tab |
| Best for | Quick, private or short-lived exchanges | Ongoing work on a topic, team or project |
Plan note: personal Google accounts can create collaboration spaces. Announcement-only spaces need a work or school account, and on a corporate account IT may restrict who can create spaces (see Level 1).
Task 1: Start a DM, a group message and a space
Desktop (Chat app) and web (chat.google.com or Gmail > Chat): the steps are the same.
- Click New chat.
- DM: type one person's name or email, select them and start chatting.
- Group message: add two or more people, then click Start chat.
- Space: click Create a space, enter a name, optionally choose an emoji, then click Create. Add members afterwards.
Mobile (Chat or Gmail app on Android and iPhone):
- Tap New chat.
- Pick one person for a DM, several for a group message, or tap Create a space and name it.
- Use the bottom bar to switch between Home, Direct messages and Spaces.
Turn a group message into a space (computer): open the group chat, click the Down arrow next to its name, choose Turn this chat into a space, add a name, then click Done. Do this when a quick huddle turns into a real project.
DO: start one DM with a colleague. Then create a test space called "Sandbox – [your name]".
Task 2: Reply in a thread
Threads keep a side conversation attached to the message it is about. Spaces have used in-line threads since 2023. Since November 2025, Google has also rolled out in-line threads to DMs and group messages for Workspace and personal accounts.
Computer (desktop or web):
- Point to the message.
- Click Reply in thread.
- Type in the thread panel on the right and click Send.
- To open an existing thread, click "X replies" under the message.
Mobile: touch and hold the message, then tap the reply option to open its thread.
Finding threads: in a conversation, click Threads (top right) to see unread and followed threads. You follow a thread automatically when you start it, reply to it or are mentioned in it. A thread holds up to 500 replies.
DO: in your sandbox space, post "Agenda for Friday?" and reply to it in a thread.
Task 3: Choose the right place
Work through these checks in order:
- Is it private or personal (feedback, HR, a quick question for one person)? → DM.
- Is it a short exchange between a few people with no lasting record needed? → Group message.
- Is it about an ongoing project, team or topic, or will newcomers need the history and files? → Space.
- Is it a follow-up to one specific message in a space? → Reply in a thread, not a new main message.
Example: a designer posts a homepage mock-up in the "Q4 Website Launch" space. Your comments on that mock-up go in its thread. A new topic, such as the launch date, gets a new main message. A private note to the designer about their workload goes in a DM.
Task 4: Find where shared files live
Where a file is stored depends on how it was shared:
- Shared from Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Drive files): the file stays where it is in its owner's Drive. Chat only shares a link. If you give a space access, people who join later also get access.
- Attached from your computer or phone: the file is not added to anyone's Drive. It sits in the message. To keep it, use Add to Drive or add a shortcut to Drive.
Open files from the Shared tab (computer):
- Open the space or conversation.
- At the top, click Shared. In Gmail you may need to expand the space first.
- Sort by Category (files, links, media) or Date shared.
- Click a file name to open it.
On mobile the layout differs between app versions, so look for Shared at the top of the space. Removing a file from a space requires a Workspace account. Lesson 5 covers file management in depth.
DO: in a real space you belong to, open Shared and find the most recent file. Note whether it is a Drive file or an attachment.
Your task: tidy one real conversation
- List three active Chat conversations from your own work.
- For each one, decide whether it belongs in a DM, a group message, a space or a thread, using Task 3.
- If a group message has become a project, turn it into a space.
- In that space, open Shared and check that the key files are there.
Key takeaways
- DMs and group messages are for quick or private talk. Spaces are named, lasting rooms for projects.
- The steps start from New chat on every device. Mobile adds a bottom bar for switching views.
- Reply in a thread to keep follow-ups attached to the original message.
- Drive files stay in their owner's Drive. Attachments uploaded to Chat do not go to Drive unless you add them.
- The Shared tab lists a space's files, links and media in one place.