Thursday, September 28, 2023

Updates regarding the transition from spaces organized by topic to in-line threading in Google Chat

What’s changing 

In 2022, we introduced in-line threading for Google Chat and since March 2023, all newly created spaces in Google Chat are in-line threaded by default. 


On September 30, 2023, we will begin taking the next step toward a single, streamlined flow of conversation in Google Chat: all existing spaces organized by conversation topic will be upgraded to the in-line threaded experience. We’d like to share more information regarding the migration, what to expect, as well as what’s next for Google Chat. 


Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users


Why it’s important

Whether it’s a 1:1 conversation  or a space, Google Chat plays a critical role in collaborating and communicating. Our goal is to continue evolving Chat to best serve our users and keep teams productive and connected. 


As such, we’ve heard from our customers that the way conversations were structured in spaces could be improved. Specifically, users found topic-based conversations to be restrictive and tricky to navigate. With topic-based conversations users would struggle to keep track of individual topics as new replies were added, and often find themselves scrolling back through threads to locate relevant topics.. Over time, topic threads have become noisier and more complex for many users.


What became clear was the need for a continuous conversation flow. In-line threading allows users to reply to any message and create a discussion separate from the main conversation and users have reported a much higher satisfaction rate as compared to topic-based spaces. Users can also follow specific threads, whereby they’ll receive notifications for replies and @ mentions in that thread, helping to cut through clutter and stay on top of what matters most.


What to expect during the upgrade period

Beginning September 30, 2023 we will begin upgrading conversations grouped by topic to in-line threading. We anticipate this change to be completed by March 2024. 


In order to minimize disruptions on day-to-day work, we will do our best to initiate upgrades during off-peak times on weekends. Should you be using Chat during these upgrades, spaces that are being upgraded will be inaccessible for a few minutes. Admins can use this form to specify a specific month and whether they prefer the upgrade to take place on weekdays or weekends. Please note this will be on a best effort basis and this form must be submitted by October 15, 2023. Based on the preference selected by a customer, we’ll choose one of the upgrade windows on a weekday or a weekend in the selected month and upgrade all the eligible spaces during off-peak hours. 

Prior to the upgrade

A minimum of two weeks prior to the upgrade taking place, a banner will be displayed in impacted spaces notifying users about the impending change. Users will be able to click through to the Help Center for more information.


During the upgrade

As mentioned above, we plan to execute these changes during off-peak times to help minimize disruption. If you’re using an impacted space when the upgrade commences, most functions such as sending and receiving messages will be inaccessible. Typically, this will only last for a few minutes, after which users simply need to refresh the browser tab to access and use the newly upgraded space. Other direct messages, group conversations and in-line threaded spaces will not be impacted and will remain accessible during the upgrade



After the upgrade 

Once the upgrade is complete, the space will use the in-line threaded model. Messages sent before the upgrade will be retained, and will be arranged chronologically, instead of by topic. There will also be a separator titled “Begin New Topic” to indicate every time a new topic was started. 

In some cases, when people have responded on older topics, the new chronological order takes precedence. This means that messages may not appear next to the original topic, but rather according to their timestamp. When this occurs, the new response will quote the last corresponding message that it is replying to, as seen in the image below. 

You’ll also see a separator between the last message sent before the migration, and a message indicating that the space has been upgraded to a space with in-line replies. Going forward, all new messages will feature in-line threaded functionality. 


More new ways to work with threads

To further elevate the in-line threading experience, we’ll be introducing several new features during the remainder of the year and into 2024. Here’s a preview of some of those features — be sure to subscribe to the Workspace Updates blog for the latest updates on availability. Meanwhile, please refer to this post for even more features coming to Google Chat. 


Resizable threads panel

You’ll be able to easily resize the threads sidebar to best suit your screen size or increase the focus on threads most important to you.


Home shortcut 
“Home” is the place to manage and catch up on your Chat messages. Messages from your followed threads will be shown in Home. You can also filter to only see your followed threads and unread conversations. You’ll be able to open a conversation or reply from the Home view.

Select "Home" from the sidebar. 






You can choose to get notified for all messages, and automatically follow all threads within a space ensuring you don’t miss any updates.


Thread participants 
You will be able to see avatars of users that have replied to a thread to get better context and decide whether the thread is relevant to you.


Getting started


Availability

  • This update impacts all Google Workspace customers 

Resources