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

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chat app or Gmail app .
- In Gmail: At the bottom, tap Chat .

Open a conversation.
In the reply area, enter a message.
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.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chat app or Gmail app .
- In Gmail: At the bottom, tap Chat .

In the bottom navigation menu, tap Spaces .
Open a space.
Tap and hold a message.
Tap Reply in thread.
In the reply area, enter your message.
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.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chat app or Gmail app .
- In Gmail: At the bottom, tap Chat .

Open a conversation.
Tap and hold the message.
From the available message actions, tap Quote in reply.
Enter your message.
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

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chat app .
At the top left, tap Menu Settings.
Next to “Smart Reply,” tap the toggle.

Turn on Smart Reply in Gmail

On your Android phone or table, open the Gmail app .
At the top left, tap Menu Settings.
Select your email account.
Next to “Smart Reply in Chat,” tap the box.