[How To] Enable Right-Side Chat in Gmail for More Consistency With Google+

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By default in Gmail, the chat roster is underneath your labels and settings, resulting in a very cluttered looking interface. Read on as I show you how to move the Gmail chat roster to the right for easier access and better visual consistency between Google products:

As you know, I'm a heavy Google+ user and I tend to switch between +Gmail and Plus often, and because of this, the Google Chat box jumps from left (Gmail) and right (Google+) as I switch back and forth between them.

As well as making your +Google experience more consistent between products, more contacts in your chat roster can be displayed and you may find that it's much easier to access and use than when it is tucked away in the bottom-left of the Gmail interface.
Consistency is key
If you would like to enable this feature for yourself, the option is only a couple of mouse-clicks away. Here’s how:

Step 1

Open up your Gmail inbox and hit the cogwheel drop-down menu, then click “Settings”.

Step 2

Select the Labs tab and scroll down until you see the “right-side chat” lab. Alternatively, type in “right-side” in the search box to bring up the relevant result.

Step 3

Click the “Enable” radio button and don’t forget to save changes. Gmail will then reload itself and you should see the chat roster appear on the right-hand side of the screen. Much better!

Do you have any labs enabled in Gmail? If so, we’d love to hear which ones you use and why in the comments.