Manage conversations in Google Chat by turning notifications on and off

What’s changing

Google is introducing a new mute/unmute option in Google Chat to assist you in prioritizing and managing your messages. This is the latest feature within the recently announced enhanced Chat experience that helps you increase concentration, eliminate distractions and ultimately focus on the most important conversations.

Muted conversations will not send push notifications, will not appear in home, and will also be visually deprioritized by being moved to the bottom of each conversation section. Notification badges will still apply to muted conversations when there are new @ mentions for you or everyone in the conversation.

Who’s impacted

End users

Why you’d use it

This update is particularly useful for those who feel overwhelmed by numerous, highly active conversations as they now have an option to tune out the extra noise, protect their time for heads-down individual work and focus on the most important communication.

Additional details

Unmuting a conversation undoes the visual deprioritization applied to the conversation and the notification settings prior to muting will re-apply to the communication.

Getting started

• Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
• End users 
  • To mute notifications:
    • Click the three-dot menu on the left panel of any chat
    • Select the mute option
    • Or open the notification settings of any chat and select the mute option

• To unmute a chat:
  • Click the three-dot menu on the left panel of any chat
  • Select the unmute option
  • Or open any chat's notification settings and uncheck the mute option

• Visit the Help Center to learn more about Mute notifications in Google Chat

Rollout pace

Web: 

• Rapid release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting December 6, 2023
• Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on December 18, 2023

Mobile: 

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting November 28, 2023

Availability

• Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts