What’s changing 

As previously announced, we’re streamlining the way you organize conversations in Google Chat. Starting March 13, 2023, all newly created spaces in Google Chat will be in-line threaded. Users will no longer have the option to organize them by conversation topic, where related messages and replies were grouped together in the main conversation window. Existing spaces organized by conversation topic will continue to function as they do today. 


Later this year, existing spaces organized by conversation topic will be migrated to the new in-line threaded experience — we will provide more information on the Workspace Updates blog and via email to the primary admin in your domain ahead of this change.


In-line threaded spaces


Space organized by conversation topic



Who’s impacted

Admins and end users 


Why it’s important 

Spaces in Google Chat can help you communicate with a group of people or an organization about a topic, project, or shared interest. We’ve heard from users that having two different options to organize their spaces can be confusing. To streamline the user experience and accelerate product development, we’re focusing on the model most users prefer: in-line threading. With in-line threading, you can reply to any message and create a separate discussion isolated from the main conversation. In-line threads can be helpful when you want to reply to a specific message or discuss a topic in-depth without disrupting the flow of the main conversation.

Thread panel to create a separate discussion isolated from the main conversation in an in-line threaded space




In-line threaded spaces are more organized, making it easier for you to: 
  • Scan and understand what’s being discussed in the space 
  • Browse all topics via the active thread navigation panel 
  • Find and follow the most relevant topics and conversations

Additional details 

All spaces created on or after March 13, 2023, will be in-line threaded. Starting on that date, the option to “Organize the conversation by topic” will no longer be visible when users create a new space.


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers 
  • Not available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources