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Status only · Nothing to install in your Google Workspace · Off outside your hours

Keep Google Chat Active With Your Laptop Closed

Set your work hours once, for example Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00. OnlineHours keeps your Google Chat status Active from our servers while you work, step away or close your laptop, and stops when your workday ends.

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5.0/56 ratings · Chrome Web StoreOnlineHours Connector · As of Oct 28, 2026
  • Status onlyWe update your presence status only. We don’t read, store or send your messages or files.
  • Nothing to install in your workspaceNo Google Workspace Marketplace app to install. You connect your own signed-in browser session with a private code and can disconnect any time. Your organization’s session policies still apply.
  • Your hours, not 24/7It pauses automatically outside your schedule, and you can switch it off any time.
Google Chat
Preview · not connected
YouLaptop closed
Active
Your work hours

Choose your days and type any start and end time.

Stay online longerThen back to your usual hours.

Laptop closed. Preview online.OnlineHours runs on our servers.

Preview only. Connect your app to control its real status.

Connection details

After connecting, you can see activity, replace your connection and disconnect in your dashboard.

Try it. Changes to your hours are saved for sign-in.

Your hours. Your time zone.

A connection code from your browser

Open standalone Google Chat in Chrome, select Google Chat in OnlineHours Connector and create a private code. Paste it into Apps → Google Chat. The connection starts paused; see the setup guide for the steps and current release requirements.

This connection uses your signed-in session rather than installing a Google Chat app or asking for a separate OAuth permission. Availability depends on your account and organization’s session policies. Use Connector 0.6.8 or later and check your connection before relying on a full-day schedule.

Your hours run on our servers

Once started, the server checks your account and sends activity during your chosen hours. A compatible connection can keep running with your laptop closed. The extension is needed for setup and reconnection, not continuous execution.

The code contains a Google session. We encrypt stored credentials and use this connection only for account checks and online status. We do not request messages, Gmail or Drive content. Read the privacy details before connecting and keep the code private.

Clear stopping behavior

Stop ends OnlineHours activity and sends an inactive signal when the connection permits it. Your dot may stay active if you are using Google Chat elsewhere or while its last activity signal expires.

If Google rejects the session, the dashboard asks you to reconnect. This is not a guarantee of indefinite access or compatibility with every company policy.

Set it up in Chrome on your computer

Already started your trial? Add the connector and connect Google Chat from your dashboard, or here:

Add to ChromeOnlineHours Connector · freeCloud connection options

Common questions

Can I connect any Google account?

Compatibility must be checked for the selected account. Organization policies and session expiry can prevent server use; we do not promise support for every personal or work account.

Does Stop immediately mark me Away?

Stop ends our activity. Google may still show activity from another client or a recent signal, so it is not a guaranteed immediate global Away transition.

Where is Google Chat in my dashboard?

Choose Apps → Google Chat in your dashboard and use OnlineHours Connector 0.6.8 or later. The older free browser experiment requires an awake computer and is a different connection method.

Related

Official sources