Learn about huddles in Google Chat

Important: Only users with a work account can access huddles in Chat, which aren't available for personal or school accounts.

You can start a huddle instantly as a voice chat from a 1:1 conversation, group conversation, or space in Google Chat without ringing.
You can share your screen or turn on your camera in a huddle.
You can also choose to start a video meeting or call someone directly from Chat or Gmail. Learn more about how to start a video meeting or call someone.

Start a huddle in Chat

On your computer, open Google Chat or Gmail.
- In Gmail: On the left, click Chat.
Open a direct message or space.
To start a huddle with the members of a direct message or space:
- In a 1:1 conversation: At the top right, next to “Call,” click More options Start a huddle .
- In a group conversation or a space: At the top right, next to “Call,” click More options Start a huddle .
To end the call, click End call .

Tips:

If participants are in a huddle, it remains active.
Someone can join a huddle anytime through a huddle invitation chip as long as the person who started the huddle is in it.

On your computer, open Google Chat or Gmail.
- In Gmail: On the left, click Chat.
You can join a huddle from your list of conversations or from a direct message or space:
- To join from your list of conversations: click the huddle icon next to the name or space name.
- To join from within a conversation: select a direct message or space with an active huddle, which has the huddle icon next to the name or space name. In the huddle invitation banner, click Join.

By default, the huddle opens as a voice chat.

To change the voice chat to a video chat, click Turn on camera .
- Tip: If someone in the huddle turns on their camera, a video badge displays next to their profile picture.
To share your screen, click Present now .