In the previous year, Google had announced Gmail’s future. They had stated that the existing video calling service called Meet will be integrated with the messaging service Chat and the group service Rooms.
Workspace users in enterprises already had access to the feature. Now, Google is rolling out the “integrated workspace” for personal accounts on Gmail as well.
Gmail Is Now The Work Center
The merger is the sign of Google’s intentions about making Gmail the base for an individual’s work. The aim is to enable users to get everything on one page without needing to open multiple tabs and switching between them. As the service is most likely to be accessed through the desktop version, Google is focusing the integration on that platform.
Currently, the service has four primary sections. “Meet” and “Mail” have already been present for quite a few months now. “Chat” is the place to message small groups and individuals. “Rooms”, similar to equals in Stack, are specifically for bigger conversations and allows shared tasks, files, and chats.
On the interface in the Android app, the four sections are found on the bottom bar. The web version of Gmail has a sidebar that is divided into four parts. By default, they are visible. However, they can be hidden as always by selecting the chevron.
The two latest tabs will function in the same way as their standalone apps. This means that the specific app is no longer needed on the phone. Furthermore, users can now also search for “chat and mail” in the search bar. Next to it, the status indicator is there. All of these controls will be placed in the navigation drawer of the Gmail app.
Several personal free Google accounts can enable the latest features right now. However, the feature has not yet been released for iOS. Moreover, Enterprise accounts will need to have administrator permissions to access them.
