Google Chat announced the “Huddle” feature to accelerate intra-team communication and provide a more flexible working environment. This feature, which uses the Google Meet infrastructure, allows users to start voice calls instantly. First announced a year ago, Huddle is now being rolled out in phases, rolling out to all Workspace users by January 6, 2025. This new form of communication stands out as an effective communication solution, especially for teams working remotely.
Huddle is accessed from the drop-down menu at the top of the chat window. Users can instantly create a voice call invitation by clicking the “Start Huddle” option. This invitation can be enriched with additional features such as screen sharing and video calling offered by Google Meet. This way, users can quickly jump into meetings and hold more in-depth conversations to resolve ideas or issues that arise during the chat.
With the Huddle feature, Google aims to use communication tools faster and more effectively. The company has strengthened Google Chat with various features over the last year. Innovations such as Gemini-powered artificial intelligence summaries, voice message recording and tagging colleagues have made Chat users’ workflows more organized. However, it can be said that Huddle is the most striking innovation among these features.
This feature directly shares the same name with Slack’s similar function and is very similar in terms of functionality. It is clear that Google aims to compete directly with Slack in this area. However, Google emphasizes that Huddle offers a more comprehensive experience thanks to its Google Meet integration.
Advantages of “Huddle” in Google Chat
“Huddle” enables users to make instant and unplanned calls. It offers an ideal solution especially for urgent meetings or situations requiring short information exchange. For example, when a decision needs to be made quickly during a team project, users can resolve the issue by starting a “huddle” directly from the chat window. This feature helps teams move faster and save time.
With Google Meet support, it is also possible to screen share or switch to video mode during huddle calls. In this way, it becomes very easy to work on documents or give a presentation during the meeting. All these features make Google Chat much more than just a messaging app.
Google states that it attaches importance to privacy and security measures as well as huddle. The security protocols offered by the Google Meet infrastructure ensure that users’ data remains safe during Huddle meetings. It is also stated that the necessary infrastructure is provided so that users can use this feature without any problems.
The “Huddle” feature is currently being rolled out in phases and is expected to reach all Workspace users in early January 2024. Google says it can further improve huddle by taking user feedback into account. In particular, it is stated that studies are being carried out on how this feature can be optimized for individual users and small teams.
Google Chat’s new “huddle” feature aims to respond to the changing needs of the modern business world. Especially today, when remote and hybrid working models have become widespread, instant communication and collaboration solutions have become even more important. Google Chat users can take advantage of the opportunities provided by huddle in the coming weeks to try the new feature and make their business processes more efficient.