Google Chat is replacing Google Hangouts both on Android and the web and, as expected, the new service is much like its predecessor. Sadly, it doesn’t seem as reliable as Hangouts as some users have had issues with Google Chat from the get-go. The “Unable to connect to chat” error in Google Chat seems quite prominent on the web where users can’t seem to send messages. We have some suggestions for you on how to fix Google Chat if it’s not working and you can find them below.
Table of contents:
- Check the network
- Clear local data from the app or browser and check permissions
- Remove and add your Google Account again
Unable to connect to chat in Google Chat? Here’s the fix
If you are unable to connect to Google Chat or the app is not working, clear the app data in Settings > Apps > Google Chat. In addition, check the network, check browser permissions, and remove and add your Google Account anew.
1. Check the network
The prompt itself points towards connection issues so, before doing anything else, you’ll need to check a few connection-related things. First, make sure that you are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network. This doesn’t only apply to you, but to the other side, as well.
Force close the app or close the page in the browser, open it again, and try sending messages. If that doesn’t help, restart your smartphone or PC and try again.
2. Clear local data from the app or browser and check permissions
Another thing you can try is resetting the app or web client by clearing the cached data. We already explained how to clear the cache for a specific website. What you want to do is click on the padlock in the address bar (Omni bar) and open Site settings. Clear all data, close the browser, and check if Google Chats work or if the Unable to connect to chat error keeps popping up. In addition, make sure that Google Chat has all browser permissions and disable extensions.
On the other hand, on your Android, you can clear local data from Google Chat or the Gmail app (if that’s where you start chats). Here’s how to clear data from the Google Chat app on Android:
- Open Settings.
- Select Apps.
- Choose Google Chat.
- Open Storage.
- Clear data and restart your device.
- Make sure that the app has all the necessary permissions.
3. Remove and add your Google Account again
Finally, the only thing that comes to mind is removing and adding your Google Account. Once you add your account again, the chat should start connecting and you should be able to exchange messages. Even better, you can use the Incognito mode to sign in without removing your account and check for improvements. You can open a new Incognito window from the 3-dots menu.
On your Android, open Settings > Accounts > Manage Accounts and remove/delete your account. Restart the device and add the account again. If you still experience issues with Google Chat on Android, make sure to report the problem to Google Chat from the app under the hamburger menu > Help & feedback.
Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share alternative solutions that worked for you but weren’t on the list. You can do that in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in May 2022. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
