Reply to a message in Google Chat

There are several ways to reply to a message in Google Chat. You can:

• Reply in the conversation.
• Reply inline to a message in a space.
• Quote a message in your reply.
• Use a reply suggestion.

Respond to a message

2. Open a conversation.
3. In the reply area, enter a message.
4. Tap Send .

Reply in a thread

Important: You can reply in a thread in a space with inline threading. Learn about spaces with inline threading.

2. In the bottom navigation menu, tap Spaces .
3. Open a space.
4. Tap and hold a message.
5. Tap Reply in thread.
6. In the reply area, enter your message.
7. Tap Send .

Tips:

• To open a thread with replies, tap the reply counter at the bottom of the threaded message.
• To find all threads in a space, at the top right, tap Active threads .

Quote a message in your reply

Important: When you quote a message, the quoted content displays the original message. If the original message is deleted or edited, the quoted content isn’t updated in your reply. 

2. Open a conversation.
3. Tap and hold the message.
4. From the available message actions, tap Quote in reply.
5. Enter your message.
6. Tap Send .

Get suggestions for quick replies

To respond to messages quickly, turn on Smart Reply. When Smart Reply is on, you can find suggestions above the reply area in Chat.

Turn on Smart Reply in Chat

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Chat app .
2. At the top left, tap Menu Settings.
3. Next to “Smart reply,” tap the toggle.

Turn on Smart Reply in Gmail

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Gmail app .
2. At the top left, tap Menu Settings.
3. Tap Smart reply.
4. Next to “Smart reply in chat,” tap the box.

Tips:

• To reply, select a suggestion below the message. You can edit the suggestion before you reply.
• Before you can turn on Smart Reply, enable smart features and personalization in Gmail. Learn more about smart features & controls.

Related resources

• Send a direct message
• Mark a conversation as read or unread