Send a direct message

You can send a direct message (DM) to a person or group in Google Chat.

Learn how DMs work

DMs can be from you to another person or include multiple people.
When one or more people read your message, their avatar displays next to their last read message.
To focus conversation around a topic, project, or shared interest with multiple people, create a space instead. Learn the differences between spaces and DMs.

On your computer, open Google Chat or Gmail.
- In Gmail: On the left, click Chat.

Tip: To search for DMs, use the search bar at the top. Learn how to search for messages.

Important: If this is your first time sending a message to someone else, they need to accept your message request before you can chat with them.

On your computer, open Google Chat or Gmail.
- In Gmail: On the left, click Chat.

Click New chat.
Enter a name or an email addres.
Click Start chat.
- When you enter a name or email address, you can get suggestions.
- To start a group DM, add more names or email addresses.
In the reply area, enter a message.
Click Send .

Tip: To start a new DM easily, next to a person’s name:

In the reply area, you can add more content to your message before you send it. You can:

For more options, click Google Workspace tools to:

Important: If there are 2 or more people in the DM, you can turn a DM into a space.

On your computer, open Google Chat or Gmail.
- In Gmail: On the left, click Chat.

If your work or school uses Chat, your administrator allows you to send messages to people in and out of your organization.

You can chat with someone outside of your organization if:
- They use their personal Google Account.
- Both organizations allow it.
When you chat with someone outside of your organization, an “External” badge displays next to their name.
You can’t add people outside of your organization to group DMs.
When you add people to a DM, you can find suggestions. Suggestions include everyone in your organization, even if they don’t have Google Chat.