External Users

[adminfurlangrou]

Are there any plans to add the ability to add external users to Google Workspace - Chat & Spaces? 

We use outside vendors for a lot of our day to day operations and need to be able to communicate with them "live" vis Google Chat & Spaces. I Changed all the setting as instructed on the Administration screen - but I still cannot chat with an external user. 

[KAM]

@cryptochrome has been going through this exact process to setup a chat space with external users.  -KAM

[cryptochrome]

Can you share some more details? How do you invite external members into the space? And what exactly happens when you try to chat with them? 

[CloudGuardians]

You can add external users, but only to spaces that have been created after Google started allowing it.
You're probably trying to add them to a space that existed before that. And, obviously, I'm assuming that those external users have Google/Gmail accounts.

If you also can't add an external user to a new space, let me know.

[StephATF]

Are you saying that currently Google Workspace allows for external users to take part in Rooms or Spaces? We work with quite a few people who do not have any Google accounts. We are about to upgrade our workspace acct but this is a major bummer. What work arounds are available?

[CloudGuardians]

Yes, Google allows chatting with external users. But they do need a Google/Gmail account.

This is the same as any other platform. You cannot chat and have a chat history without having an identity provider. In this case, that's Google.

You can't also chat on slack without a slack account, or have a zoom call without a zoom account... Or WhatsApp, or Telegram, or signal...

In any case, Google accounts are free, so if chat is the preferred contact method, it's easy to create one and be included in the ecosystem. 

[icrew]

Also, it's not commonly known that you can create a Google account for any email address you can receive mail on, not just an @gmail.com or one that's a Workspace account. So, for example, it'd be entirely possible to have an @hotmail.com or @yahoo.com Google account. See the "Use an existing email address" section of https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en for details.

Hope that helps,

Ian

[StephATF]

THIS HELPS IMMENSELY! THANKS, IAN. Wondering why this isn't a well-known fact??

[icrew]

That's always puzzled me, too. It is indeed very handy for exactly the use cases you describe. Google could/should do far more to publicize this. 

[StephATF]

I see on MS Teams that their version of workspace rooms allows for external users/participants without an MS account, so I was hoping that Google Workspace would have that option as well. I see that the pricing for Workspace- Business Standard and above -offers the chat messaging option with guest user capabilities. Does this mean the guest must have a Google account as well? Are there any plans for Google to provide guest access to those without a G acct? Are there currently any workarounds to this issue?  Ref pricing https://workspace.google.com/pricing.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA2-2eBhClARIsAGLQ2Rlifg4RntWelNtXLI4_Q6SB-JLQ...

[jsabes]

I have Workspace Business Basic, have enabled or authorized external users in chat, but still cannot add people outside our company domain to the space... 

This must be a service plan issue.. but there is no guidance... super frustrating...  I cannot find anything that suggests the Business Basic wont support external users in Spaces, or what service level will....  

[jsabes]

I just upgraded my service to Business Standard, attempted to add an external user to Space, and this is what I got:

[jsabes]

seriously... 

[jsabes]

Where can I access this? I am not provided the option when I create a SPACE?!!!

[uptownben]

I'm experiencing the same exact situation. I have a business standard account and I can chat with external users individually, but I can't create a group chat with more than one external gmail user and I that "external members" checkbox is also disabled for me when I attempt to create a space.

Anyone have any luck with this?

[CloudGuardians]

3 things are needed:

• At least a Business Standard license (Starter won't work)
• Admin settings to allow external chats (and, obviously, having chat enabled...)
• A new space, created after the upgrade to Standard (if applicable) and after enabling external chats