Google Chat to let you chat with Slack, Microsoft Teams users, but there's a catch

Google Chat users can now message contacts on Slack or Microsoft Teams, enabling cross-platform messaging for some of the most popular chat apps professionals use. The functionality is not entirely now, but it is now available to everyone. Previously only a handful of beta testers could access it. While that is good news for all Google Chat users, there is one condition that they must meet to chat with Slack and Microsoft Teams users.

The new cross-platform messaging on Google Chat is a paid service. That means only Google Workspace users with a paid account can access it. If a user has a free account, this feature will be unavailable.

How to enable cross-platform messaging on Google Chat

Sending messages to users on Slack and Microsoft Teams may be easy, but the process to set the functionality up is not. Here is how to get through:

— Download an app called Mio, which will work as a bridge between Google Chats, Slack, and Teams.

— Buy an additional license on Mio for the functionality to work.

— Once that is done, users can sign into their preferred accounts and access contacts from a different service such as Slack or Teams.

The setup is meant for admins since this is a paid Workspace feature and is likely to be available for professionals.

What is Mio?

Mio is an interoperability service that enables chat and file sharing between Google and Microsoft, primarily. It helps teams on one messaging platform discover and communicate with another on a different platform by relaying messages in real-time. Customers can synchronise users, chats, and files across platforms with the help of Mio, while unified collaboration is also possible. Mio also claims it offers secure messaging and never stores any messages or files. However, Mio is a premium service, which your organisation must buy.