Come November 2022, Google Hangouts will be removed from both Android and iOS devices. The move is part of Google’s effort to modernize its workspace suite.
Google Classic Hangouts was upgraded to Google Chat on March 22, 2022
Google hangouts can be argued to be one of Google’s most successful yet most ignored messaging platforms.
The transition from Hangouts to Google Chat is now happening in earnest, with many even reporting that their group conversations have moved between the two platforms. It’s just a matter of time until Hangouts itself is retired.
A workspace user said, “Google Hangouts did truly bring together what was otherwise a series of disconnected services. Back then, Google had Google Talk, Messaging, Google+ Messenger, and a separate Hangouts feature which was built into Google+ the company’s now-dead social networking service.”
Google’s Statement
Google stated that people using Hangouts on mobile will see an in-app screen asking them to move to Chat in the workspace Users persisting with using Hangouts in Gmail on the web will be upgraded to Chat in July.
“Google workspace users will receive plenty of warning about a switch, seeing an in-product notice at least a month before Hangouts on the web starts redirecting to Chat on the web, and Hangouts on the web will also remain available to use until later this year.”
The History of Google Hangouts.
Hangouts debuted in 2013. It started as a means of unifying Google’s then-fragmented messaging approach. Ironically, this is the same justification for its demise now.
From 2014 to 2016, Hangouts enjoyed its golden era.
It wasn’t exactly ahead of the curve compared to apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or iMessage, and it slowly built a reputation for bugs as it added features, but it still had the right mix to secure its place.
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Google started decoupling parts of Hangouts from Google+, and users enjoyed a steady trickle of new features, from Hangout’s not-so-well-known animated Easter eggs, to Project Fi support, and even Google Now integration for voice commands. It didn’t get a drastic new redesign every year, but Hangouts accomplished what it needed to.
The first Hangouts was for video calls, and Google’s slightly different approach almost predicted the rise of upcoming services like Twitch, Clubhouse, and Zoom. With a Google+ Hangouts, you could open up a group video call that anyone in selected “circles” could drop into and out of at will. And, if you wanted, you could even blast a Hangouts on Air to the world at large.
The new Hangouts started life as a drop-in Google Talk replacement. Although SMS and Google Voice integration would come later, it didn’t start with either thereby, failing that goal of unification right at the beginning. Still, it was Google’s best messaging service to date.
The New Google Chat
The product manager of Google Chat, Ravi Kanneganti stated that;
“Google Chat offers a modern and integrated experience in Google Workspace. We have big ambitions for the future of Chat, and over the coming months you’ll see even more features like direct calling, in-line threading in Spaces, and the ability to share and view multiple images,”
“As we take this final step to bring remaining Hangouts users to Chat, we hope users will appreciate our continued investment in making Chat a powerful place to create and collaborate.”
Anyone using the Hangouts Chrome extension will also be asked to move to Chat on the web or install the Chat web app. Users persisting with using Hangouts in Gmail on the web will be upgraded to Chat in July.
Users who wish to keep a copy of their Hangouts data can download it using the Google Takeout service because the Hangouts platform will no longer be available by November 2022.