Hangouts has been suffering from an identity crisis since Google launched it as a replacement for Gchat in 2013, and it’s actually been losing features in recent years as the company stopped updating the app and took away SMS messaging. This new Messages by Google functionality is coming in the “ next few weeks,” while end-users will start to see warnings in October to move away from Hangouts.The days of Google Hangouts for consumers may be coming to an end in 2020, according to a report from 9to5Google today. This will work even when your phone is off, with the ability to migrate existing Hangouts conversations also coming. To further drive that migration, Messages for web is adding support for making Fi voice calls and checking voicemail, to augment the existing capability to send/receive texts. Google says that Fi users over time have been moving away from classic Hangouts to the native dialer and texting app. When support is removed “ early next year,” Hangouts will no longer be able to make Fi calls or send SMS. Those integrations are being unwound, starting with Google Fi. Hangouts today is still intertwined with Google’s current messaging apps. In “late 2021,” there will be a “mandatory upgrade” where classic Hangouts is fully replaced by Chat. Starting in Q2 2021, all customers will be moved to Chat unless Workspace admins explicitly opt out.
#GOOGLE HANGOUTS GOING AWAY UPDATE#
Google also provided an enterprise update today. “More specific guidance” is coming before the process gets underway.
#GOOGLE HANGOUTS GOING AWAY FREE#
The migration from classic Hangouts to a free Chat will start in the first half of 2021, with users able to easily move conversations, history, and contacts. With Chat, you can more easily plan with others on goals and similar interests, share and collaborate on files, and assign tasks to help keep everyone on the same page.
In effect, Google is notably offering a Slack and Discord competitor. This includes access to Rooms, which are larger than group conversations and aimed at teams. Google is positioning the free Chat as helping you collaborate with others on personal projects.
That’s changing today to give users an early heads-up, though final “timing may shift.” Similar to Hangouts, the free version of Google Chat will be usable inside Gmail and as a standalone application.Ĭhat includes familiar Hangouts features like direct and group messaging, with helpful additions like send to inbox, faster search, emoji reactions and suggested replies.įunctionality in this upcoming version will not differ from what’s available to paying users today. What will be new to free accounts is Chat, with Google having yet to extensively detail its plans. Consumers are set to get this integrated offering next year but already have access to free versions of Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and - most recently - Meet.
This development follows last week’s Google Workspace rebrand, which is already available for enterprise customers. Google is now ready to start detailing how it will transition classic Hangouts users to a free version of Chat. The company later confirmed the news and has since been moving enterprise users to those two apps. At the tail end of 2018, we reported on Google’s plans to replace Hangouts with Chat and Meet.
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