Learn the differences between Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace and get best practices for collaboration at work or school.
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What you'll need
15 minutes
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Note: The instructions in this guide are primarily web only. Get switching information for mobile devices .
Comparison at a glance
You can also assign tasks from a chat space in Gmail. For details, visit Create and assign tasks in spaces .
Send a direct message to a person
- Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account .
- If the name isn’t already under "Chat," click Start a chat.
- Enter a name or email address. Suggestions appear as you enter text.
- To send a 1:1 message to someone outside of your organization, enter their email address.
- Click the person you want to message.
- Enter a message, then click Send.
Send a direct message to a group
- Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account .
- Under "Chat," click on an existing group conversation, enter a messageclick Send.
- If the group conversation isn’t under "Chat,” click Start a chat Start group conversation.
- Enter a name or email address. Suggestions appear as you enter text.
- Click Done.
- Enter a message, then click Send.
- In a web browser, enter https://meet.google.com .
- Click New meeting Start an instant meeting.
- To add someone to a meeting, in the pop-up window that appears, choose an option:
- Click Add othersand choose an option:
- Under the Invitesection, select a name or enter an email address and click Send email.
- Under the Callsection, enter a phone number and press Call.
- Click Copyand paste the meeting details into an email or another app.
- Click Add othersand choose an option:
Note: You can send a meeting link to people outside of your organization, but someone from within your organization might need to give them access to the video meeting.
For details about how to join meetings from Calendar and Gmail, visit Join a video meeting .
- Open Google Drive .
- On the left, click Shared drives.
Shared drives are available only if your organization supports them. For help, contact your administrator .
- At the top, click New.
- Enter a name and click Create.
For details, visit Get started with shared drives .
- Open Meet and join a video meeting .
- On the bottom, click Present now and choose what to share:
- Your entire screen
- A window
- A tab
- Click Share.
- When you’re done presenting, click Stop presenting.
- In Calendar , create an event.
- Click Add guests.
- Enter the names or email of the people you want to invite.
- Click Save.
- To notify guests, click Send.
Guests receive an email with the event information and a link to the video meeting.
For details, visit Start a new video meeting .
Choose an option:
- From the Sites homepage , at the top, click Blank, or to choose a template, click Template galleryand select a template.
- From Google Drive , click New More Google Sites.
For details, visit Get started with Sites .
- Sign in to Cloud Search at cloudsearch.google.com .
If you can't sign in, your account doesn't have Cloud Search. Learn more
- Do a search, such as
slides audrey sent last month
. - If the interpretation isn't quite right, click the Show results for the original querylink.
For details, visit Use everyday words to search .
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Activities Q&A.
- Next to Allow questions, click Turn on.
For details, visit Ask questions in a video meeting .
- In a meeting, at the bottom right, click Activities click Polls.
- Click Start a poll.
- Enter a question and add options for the poll.
- Tip:You can let users respond anonymously to Polls. Before you save or launch your poll, turn on Responses appear without names .
- Choose one:
- To post your poll, click Launch.
- To save your poll so you can launch it later, click Save.
Tip:Polls you save remain listed under Pollsfor the duration of the meeting. After the call ends, all polls are permanently deleted. Meeting moderators are emailed a polling report at the end of the meeting.
- After a poll is launched, to vote on your own poll, select one of the optionsclick Vote.
For details, visit Conduct a poll during a video meeting .
- Start or Join a meeting.
- At the bottom right, click Activities Whiteboarding.
- Select an option:
- To create a new Jamboard: Click Start a new whiteboard.
- To open an existing Jamboard from your drive, shared drives, or computer: Click Choose from Drive.
Tip:The Jamboard file will open in a new tab and a link is shared automatically via the in-call chat.
For details, visit Use a whiteboard in a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Raise hand or Lower hand.
For details, visit Raise your hand during a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Activities Breakout rooms.
- Click Set up breakout rooms.
- Choose the number of breakout rooms. You can create up to 100.
- (Optional) To move people into different rooms, drag a participant's name to another room.
- Click Open rooms.
You can also create breakout rooms from a Calendar event. For details, visit Use breakout rooms in a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- Depending on when you want to change your background, choose an option:
- To change your background before you join a meeting, on the bottom right of your meeting image, click Change background.
- To change your background after you join a meeting, at the bottom, click More Change background.
- Choose a background option.
* Note: The instructions in this guide are primarily web only. Get switching information for mobile devices .
Related topics
If you're ready to start using Google Workspace, or want productivity tips, try these guides instead:
- Get started with Calendar
- Get started with Chat
- Use Spaces
- Import message data from another service to Chat
- Get started with Meet
- Get more help with Chat
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