You can now reply to specific messages in Google Chat spaces with in-line threading

Google Workspace users can now reply directly to any message in Google Chat spaces by creating an in-line thread alongside the main conversation.

You can find and navigate to the threads you're following or where you're specifically mentioned with a new thread navigation panel on the right side of the conversation. This functionality can be useful in the following scenarios:

• Answering questions with in-line replies, while not disrupting the flow of the main space
• Starting a break-out discussion for topics that may not be of interest to everyone.
• Replying to an older message when the main discussion has moved on to a different topic.

"We hope that by incorporating in-line threading into spaces, it will also be easier and more intuitive for users to scan the space and know what's going on. It will also help reduce noise for many users, as they will only be notified for replies to threads they participated in or choose to follow," Google said.

Google noted that in-line threading functionality will be available in existing spaces where there is a single stream of unthreaded messages, previously known as unthreaded spaces.

Threaded space, existing spaces with messages and replies grouped together for everyone in the main chat window will now be referred to as "spaces organized by conversation topic." These spaces will not have in-line threading and cannot be reconfigured.

The in-line threading functionality in Google Chat spaces is gradually rolling out to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains and may take up to 15 days to be fully visible. Starting with this rollout, Google said that the newly created spaces will feature in-line threading by default.

Until early 2023, users can change this to spaces organized by conversation topic from the creation menu under "Advanced Settings". Once a space is configured, it cannot be changed. Beginning early next year, the option to create spaces organized by conversation topic will be removed, and in-line threading will be the standard for all new spaces.