Google Chat’s integration with other Google Workspace apps facilitates its use for personal and professional purposes. Users can easily share files & documents directly within the chat interface. However, this leads to lengthy chat threads and a huge number of messages pilling up in the inbox over time. It gets difficult to find a particular message or content when required. Luckily, search filters ease the process. Recently, Google has improved its Google Chat search filters and we will show you how to use them. Let’s get started!
How to Use New Google Chat Search Filters
Search filters on Google Chat help you find specific messages or conversations more switfly. You can narrow down searches based on keywords, specific senders, and even within dedicated rooms. After the integration of Duet AI in Google Workspace, they recently announced new ways to find past discussions and shared content from the chat history. Here are they:
1. Catch Up on Recent Conversations
You can easily track down any chat if you remember minor details about it. This helps you find important and specific information again if by chance you lost it, and you can even search the source of certain types of content, such as images. All you have to do is:
1. Open Google Chat, and in the search box at the top, type the keyword you want to search and press Enter.
2. Locate the chat from the search results and click on them to open.
2. Track Down Files
There are times when you lose an important file on a busy day and don’t have time to search every folder on your PC. Well, the AI-powered Google chat search filters can save your day by finding that file for you within a few seconds. All you have to do is:
1. Type the name or a part of the file name in the search bar.
2. Refine search results by file type, date range, and source. You can also specify whether it was mentioned in a space or was a direct message.
3. Select your file from the search results and download it.
Also Read: Can You Appear Offline on Google Chat?
3. Find Your Mentions
This feature can be very helpful for finding critical messages in a group chat with a sheer number of participants. You can keep track of your assigned tasks just by finding your mentions. Here’s how you can find them easily:
1. Type the keyword in the search bar and press Enter.
2. Click on the Mention Me option in the extreme left corner of the type file row.
All the search results containing the specified keyword will appear.
4. Discover New Communities
You can create and join a variety of spaces in your organization and there is a very easy way to discover these conversations. Follow these steps to find and join new communities:
1. If you want to find or create a community then click on the Find a space to join option in the sidebar menu.
2. Select the options to create or browse according to your goals.
- To join a space, click on Browse spaces, type the keyword in the search bar, and hit enter, you can join any space from the search results.
- To create a space, click on Create spaces, fill in the space details, and click on Create.
Also Read: How Do I Restore My Google Chat
5. Build Custom Queries
You can build Custom Queries in Google chat using search operators as these operators allow you to exclude specific messages from search results, that can contain Google Docs, sheets, and slide attachments. All you have to do is type in the exact phrase you are looking for along with the operators to access the accurate results. The image shows the example of operators you can use to search files according to their format.
How to Search Google Chat History
There is no specific option to search or access Google chat history, you can use all the above filters to find everything you are looking for in your chats. However, you have the option to turn on and off specific chat history in the Google chat.
1. Open the targeted chat and click on the downward pointing arrow next to the recipient’s name.
2. Now, click on Turn off history.
Also Read: What Happens If You Turn Off History in Google Chat?
Some Other Impressive Features of Google Chat
Apart from the above-mentioned search filters, there are many other features in Google Chat as well. Let’s have a look.
Smart Compose
Smart compose in Google chat that helps you draft a response in the blink of an eye. All you have to do is just start typing in chat and the suggestions will start to appear to complete your sentence. Hit the Tab key to accept them. Moreover, Smart Compose is rolling out in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Quote Messages
Quote Messages can help you keep a conversation organized, especially in group chats. You can quote a message in your response so that the group can easily see what comment you’re responding to without putting the main discussion to a halt.
Check Read Receipts
With the Read receipts feature, you can check the status of the sent message. As soon as the recipient reads your text, an avatar will appear below it confirming that the message has been seen. The read receipts are available for group messages on mobile and web.
Add Apps for More Features
The ability to download apps for your chats and spaces will help you manage work in an organized way. For example, you can install Zapier to manage custom notifications and keep everyone updated on the plan.
Hide Inactive Conversations
Nobody likes a jumble of unnecessary chats on their screen. Google Chat allows you to hide direct messages and spaces that have been inactive for the last seven days. Whenever you need access to these hidden chats, just toggle the More button those will automatically resurface at the top when a new message is posted.
We hope our blog helped you learn about the new Google chat search filters. If you have any queries or suggestions, do let us know in the comments box. Stay tuned to Techcult for more informative blogs..
