You deserve the best apps to get your work done. And that is exactly why we completely revamped our Windows app to give you the best HipChat desktop experience yet. Not only will you see visual differences in the interface and design, but you’ll feel a smoother, faster experience altogether.
So, what’s different? We’ve added features that help you work more easily with your team, like an organized chat list and a quick search function. Visual differences help you absorb more information at a glance, like adding avatars and cleaning up the interface for a stress-free feel.
We began rolling out the new Windows app last week, and some of you may already be rockin’ and rollin’ on it. Please forgive our stumbles during that process. You can learn more about what happened in this blog post.
Continue on to see what we’ve changed, added, and polished.
More than a coat of paint
The first thing you’ll notice about Windows 4.0 is that it got a makeover. And that’s true. We’ve added white space, clean lines, and thoughtful re-orientation of the search box and the new chat button, along with other important actions.
We’ve also added avatars to the chat feed so you can easily see who is chatting. Because, after all, communication is personal.
Not interested in seeing your teammates’ pearly whites? No problem, you can turn this off anytime.
Smarter & more beautiful ![(whynotboth)]( "(whynotboth)")
The newest Windows app is easy on the eyes, but also delivers best practices in user experience that we’ve learned from interviewing hundreds of teams that rely on HipChat for team communication.
The chat list is now organized by rooms and people so you can find what you need faster.
We also introduced unread message counts next to your groups and chats. When the bubble is grey it means chats are taking place in a room you aren’t focused on. When they are blue it means you’ve been mentioned by name or someone has something to say worthy of an @-all message. At a glance, you’ll know the rooms that need your attention.
Finally, starting a new chat is easier than ever. Just use CTRL+N to search for any person or chat room in your HipChat group. You can also start a new chat without ever clicking on your mouse.
All this new goodness makes for an all-new desktop chat for 
fans. We couldn’t stop there. We’re also adding in the hottest features from our HipChat web app.
New setting to customize the app
For the first time in our desktop app history, HipChat offers per-room notification settings. For each room you participate in, just click the grey bell in the top right corner. You can choose loud, normal, or quiet notifications.
HipChat prides itself on encouraging easy room creation for short-term projects, time-boxed decision-making, and also for socializing.
But we know that all rooms are not created equal. Stay focused by turning social rooms quiet and setting the most critical rooms to loud. (Or, shoot, do the opposite.)
Note: For Server users, you must be on version 1.3.4 or higher for per-room notifications to work.
If this look doesn’t tickle your fancy, that’s okay. You can now control HipChat’s appearance settings from the app itself.
Switch into dark mode if that’s your jam.
If you don’t love looking at your teammates’ faces, then switch back to name-view. We also allow you to configure text spacing.
Try it, and spread the love!
To get the new HipChat for Windows app, just restart your app. If you don’t yet have the Windows app, download it here.
And make sure to let your team know! Don’t hog it all.
