Google Calendar events now include a way to start group chats with attendees

Google is introducing a new button to Google Calendar events on mobile and the web to immediately start a chat with meeting attendees. Google started its rebranded version of Hangouts Chat to consumers earlier this year and has gradually added more features to the principal Gmail landing page, comprising its Zoom-like Google Meet video chat.

The new Chat button is present next to the attendee list in a Calendar event. Earlier, Google only gave email attendees about a meeting, but this new addition makes sense since the company has firmly integrated Chats and Gmail — apparently to popularize Chats. You can begin a chat before, during, or after the meeting with attendees, and the feature will be toggled on by default.

It’s worth seeing, though, the automated group chats “only [apply] to members within your business, external attendees are not involved in the chat group,” Google mentions in a post. So some attendees might be spared (or miss, whichever you favor) the additional messages.

Google requires you to utilize its messaging apps, despite what its complex, ever-changing strategy might imply. It might be irritating to be funneled towards Chat in yet another section of Google’s software suite, but for anyone who’s bound themselves to Google Workspace — or been compelled to do so by their employer — here’s some added comfort.

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