Google Chat has just received a major update for Android and iOS apps, which dramatically changes how users navigate the app.
It used to be split into two pages, Chat (direct messaging) and Space (larger chat rooms). Users would switch between these with a navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
The new update presents four navigation buttons, including Home, Direct Messages, Spaces, and Mentions. Also, to the right, is another new compose button, which allows users to start new messages.
There are also screenshots of what the new Chat app looks like when using it through the Gmail app. This setup brings forth two sets of navigation bars.
The four new buttons, along with the compose button, appear as floating bubbles above Gmail’s navigation bar, which has three other navigation buttons. The menu is also still in the top left corner for extra navigation options.
The floating navigation bar will only roll out to Google Chat, however it does bring to mind questions on if Google will implement this in other apps in the future.
For those who use Google Chat, the company has revealed it’s rolling out to Android and iOS “over the new few weeks.”
