Google Chat rolling out split pane UI on the web

Abner Li | Nov 14 2024 - 9:25 am PT

To let you get more done in one screen, Google Chat on the web is getting a split pane UI.

The Home page today lists all your conversations in an edge-to-edge view with a click opening the space, group, or direct message in fullscreen.

Now, this split pane opens those conversations in a new right column so that you can respond “without ever navigating away from the home view in Chat.” This is a pretty traditional multi-column UI for messaging apps, while, you can technically have up to four given the left navigation sidebar and Gemini or Workspace side panel (Calendar, Keep, Tasks, and Contacts).

An expand button in the top-right corner lets you “view that particular conversation in full screen.” Meanwhile, “you can also toggle the split pane mode in the home header if you wish to completely enable/disable opening conversations in the split pane.”

This joins how Gemini can Summarize conversations in the Home view, so that “you find what you need much faster using [H]ome.” Google Chat will show a “quick, bulleted synopsis” of unread messages.

Google Chat’s split pane view is rolling out over the coming weeks to “all Google Workspace customers and Workspace Individual Subscribers.”