Addons to Make Google Talk Better

Dec. 24th, 2007 By Shankar Ganesh

It’s been a long time, and there’s been no new features added to one of favorite, and modest instant messengers, Google Talk. If you can’t wait for the Google Talk team to update their product and need more features desperately, there are a number of third party GTalk add-ons you can use. Here are a few of them:

gAlwaysIdle

At the time of writing, there’s nothing like ‘invisible mode’ on Gtalk that can keep the annoyers at bay. But most people desperately need it. Here’s where gAlwaysIdle comes in.

gAlwaysIdle Image - GTalk Addon

Download it , install it and from then on you can control your Google Talk idle status.

Use the ‘Always Idle’ mode to keep your status idle, so that your status appears away even though you’re really online. ‘Never Idle’ mode works the other way, and will never put you on idle status - even when you’re away.

GPlus

GPlus is another third party addon for Google Talk. You can spicy tools to your minimalistic instant messenger with this little tool.

GPlus - Google Talk Add-on

GPlus can spice up your chats by replacing smiley codes with graphical emoticons, and also play ‘Emotisounds’ to express what you’re feeling. GPlus can also log your chat conversations in HTML format. (via)

Extended Talk

Using Extended Talk, you can add a lot of very useful stuff to Google Talk. For instance, you can create shortcuts for frequently used phrases, so that you can save time by not typing them entirely. You can also put a shortcut on your desktop that instantly starts a conversation with the friend specified when activated.

Extended Talk - Google Talk Add on

Other features include: make your chat window transparent, close all active windows at once, text commands (/signout), underline support, dynamic status changer, file transfers, smileys, and more.

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14 Comments Add Comment
2007-12-24 00:27:18

Good compilation Shankar. G-Talk does need a bit of spicing up.

Although I use a Multi Protocol messenger - pidgin to integrate G-Talk, Yahoo Messenger, AIM and Msn, all together as I have accounts and friends on all the networks. :)

2007-12-24 10:24:48

Shankar, these are awesome! GTalk definitely needs some of these built-in. Great finds and thanks for sharing! Stumbled. :-)

2007-12-24 22:33:56

@Vikram: Hehe, multi protocol IMs are great too, but there’s something in Gtalk that makes it convenient for me :D
@K-IntheHouse: Thanks for stumbling buddy! Glad you liked the tools.

2007-12-31 06:22:43

Never know that Shankar is a poster here. Nice article btw.

2008-01-05 01:31:30

Yeap, he is one of MUO guys now. ;-)

2008-01-04 21:09:22
Amogh

Shankar !!!

Awesome addons. Brilliant compilation

I love the always idle one.

I googled the following phrase “how to keep google talk on idle” and this was the first result to come up :-)

Thanks a ton !!!

Amogh

2008-01-31 09:56:21

It feels great to hear that it helped you :)

2008-03-10 02:50:37
John

Is there a way to be always online in google talk. I mean you never get Idle.
That way, Nobody will know that I am not infront of the computer.

Thanks.

2008-07-29 18:20:34
idle

thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks
thanks

2008-12-31 10:16:42
angel

superb!!!!!!!

2009-02-25 08:01:20
CodeMonkey
Subscribed to comments via email

Shankar, seems like ‘gAlwaysIdle’ is no longer available…
nice article though!!!

keep it up

2009-03-03 20:10:32
Subscribed to comments via email

i am unable to find galwaysidle it says that the link apears to be broken
without software can’t we do it
tell me or email me the software
to vamsidragon@gmail.com
its not possible in gmail exe files in google talk when i am added as ur frnd then it is possible

2009-03-21 11:22:34
bez

I don’t seem to be able to get gAlwaysIdle :(

please tell me how i can get it, it’s really unfair friends can hide from me, it’s only fair i can return the favour! pleaseee help xx

2009-03-29 14:05:44
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