How to Save Your Gmail Chat History

• Return to: Gmail Tips
  

Gmail Chat

• Gmail Chat is a convenient feature of Gmail that allows users to instant message anyone on their contact list just a touch of a button. Simply locate one of your contacts who is currently logged into Gmail, click on their name in your contacts list, and then start talking (well, typing really). No more waiting for your friend to respond to your email. It's that easy. But wait! What if you need to remember something important that you discussed in one of your instant messaging sessions? Is that information lost forever? Fortunately, you can configure your Gmail settings so that every instant messaging conversation you've ever had is recorded and saved so that you can access it at any time. Here is how to do it:

Saving Your Gmail Chat History

1. Click on the Settings button in the top right-hand corner of any page in Gmail.
2. Click on the heading Chat.
3. Click on the circle next to where it says "Save Chat History In My Gmail Account" if you want your chats to be saved.
4. Click on the circle next to where it says "Don't Save Chat History In My Gmail Account" if you don't want your conversations saved.
5. Click on Save Changes to reconfigure your account.

Retrieving Your Saved Chats

1. Click on the Chats button in the left hand column of any page in Gmail.
2. Scan through all of the saved chats and click on the one you would like to view.