Mystery Contacts in Google Chat? Understanding Frequent Contacts and Your Google Workspace Experience

Unraveling the Mystery of Google Chat's "Frequent Contacts"

Ever found an unexpected face in your Google Chat's frequent contacts list? You're not alone. The automated nature of this feature can sometimes lead to perplexing situations, as highlighted in a recent Google support forum thread. Understanding how these contacts are generated—and the current limitations on managing them—is key to navigating your Google Workspace experience.

The User's Dilemma: An Unwanted Frequent Contact

A concerned user, identified as User 17987841531550953107, posted on the Google Chat help community about a peculiar issue. A person they claimed to have "never chatted with" was persistently appearing in their Google Chat frequent contacts. What made the situation even more puzzling was that this individual was not listed in their Google Contacts or even 'Other Contacts'.

The user attempted several troubleshooting steps, including deleting all activity across Chat, Gmail, and Hangouts. Believing it to be an "interaction graph corruption," they suggested a "backend reset" on their account as a potential solution.

The Expert's Insight: Automation Rules

Google expert PeggyK provided a clear, albeit somewhat frustrating, response. She confirmed that Google Chat's frequent contacts are entirely automated. Crucially, there is currently no user-facing way to reset or manually remove individuals from this automated list. Google does not publicly disclose the precise algorithm used to determine these frequent contacts, making it difficult for users to understand why certain individuals appear.

PeggyK also noted that simply deleting Gmail emails or other activity might not resolve the issue, especially if there was any prior, perhaps forgotten, interaction. The core message was that users lack direct control over this specific feature.

Key Takeaways for Your Google Workspace Experience

• Automated Feature: Google Chat's frequent contacts are generated by an undisclosed algorithm and are not manually editable by users.
• No Reset Option: Unlike some other settings you might find on your www googleworkspace dashboard, there is no button or setting to clear or reset your frequent contacts list in Google Chat.
• Activity Deletion Limitations: While deleting chat and email history is a good practice for privacy and managing your gmail space usage, it may not impact the frequent contacts algorithm if the system has already registered an interaction or connection.
• Undisclosed Logic: Google keeps the exact criteria for frequent contacts private, making it hard to predict or influence.

What Can You Do? Send Feedback!

Given the current limitations, the most impactful action users can take is to provide feedback directly to Google. PeggyK strongly recommended this, as it's the primary way to communicate user needs and feature requests to the development team. If enough users request the ability to manage or remove contacts from this list, it increases the likelihood of such a feature being implemented in the future.

To send feedback in the Google Chat app:

Open the left menu > Help & Feedback > Send Feedback

While the immediate solution for removing an unwanted frequent contact isn't available, contributing your voice through feedback is vital for shaping the future of Google Chat and enhancing the overall user experience across Google Workspace services.