How to Use the Chat Feature on Gmail

Gmail offers a web-based chat feature that can be used without downloading any additional software. It can be used when you are logged into your Gmail account to talk to friends who are also logged in. It is very easy to use and will make your instant messaging experience a breeze.

Instructions

1. Sign up for a Gmail account. Gmail Chat is a feature of the email service offered by Google. Make sure that anyone you plan on chatting with also has a Gmail account.

2. Sign into your Gmail account and look in the "Quick Contacts" box on the left of the screen. Any contact that is available for chat will have a green button beside their name.

3. Place your mouse over the name of the contact with whom you want to chat. A box will appear that gives you the option of emailing this person or chatting with them. Click on the word "Chat," and a pop-up window will appear in the lower right corner of the screen. Or, you can simply double click on a contact to make the pop-up appear.

4. Decide if you want to save the chat. When the Gmail chat features are enabled, you are given the choice of whether to save your chats to your Gmail account by default. To change your settings, go to the Gmail "Settings" page.

5. Click on the "Options" button in the pop-up window if you don't want the chat saved in either email account. From this menu, click on "Go off the record."

6. Click on the "Pop-out" button if you want the chat to take place in its own window.

7. Begin typing into the chat box and hit enter. You are now using Gmail Chat.

Tips & Warnings

• All chats can be found in the "Chats" folder if you have enabled your settings to save chats.

• To enable chat, scroll to the bottom of your inbox and click on the link that says "Standard with chat."

• "Go off the record" contacts stay off the record with each subsequent chat until you cancel the "Go off the record" feature. If you don't want all of your chats with a contact to be off the record, be sure to click on "Cancel" in pop-up window. A message saying the chat is no longer off the record will appear.

Resources

• Gmail