Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.Google Chat has introduced Huddles, a new feature for instant audio meetings. The feature eliminates the need for external links, allowing users to instantly connect in audio-only calls within the Chat app. Huddles are available across direct messages, group chats, and Spaces, making collaboration seamless. Additionally, the name Huddles is recycled from a group chat feature in Google Plus, though the earlier version did not include audio functionality. Google Chat now has an instant calling feature called Huddles The company detailed the Huddles feature in a blog post on Google Workspace. Users can start a Huddle by clicking the telephone icon in the top-right corner of a conversation and selecting “Start a Huddle.” This launches an audio meeting immediately. Image: Google Once a Huddle begins, a floating control box appears on-screen, offering audio controls and the flexibility to resize or move it, enabling multitasking during discussions. Users can also transition to video calls or screen sharing via Google Meet, which operates in the background. This feature mimics Slack’s audio Huddles, introduced in 2021, which allow users to start lightweight audio sessions in any channel. The release of Huddles is part of Google’s renewed focus on Chat, a platform born from the merging of Gmail chat and Hangouts in 2017. Although it faced neglect in its early…Google Chat gets Huddles for instant audio calls