Google is permanently ending Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts, a text, video, and voice chat app built into Gmail, finally shut down today. As announced earlier this year, Google is switching Hangouts users to Google Chat, the Slack-like instant messaging app for business.
As of today, November 1, the Google Hangouts web app is no longer available. This was the last Hangouts offer available to users. Android and iOS apps died in July this year.
Hangouts arguably met a slow death, with Google allowing users to migrate to Chat in 2021. The company announced in June 2022 that it would encourage Hangout users to switch to Chat in Gmail or in the app.
Although most messages and contacts will be transferred automatically, not all data will migrate to Google Chat. The company notes that users should use Google Takeout to download and save a copy of their data. Users have until January 2023 to keep their Hangouts data.
Hangouts started out as a feature on Google+ before becoming a standalone app. The messaging service has had 5 billion downloads on the Google Play Store.
Although Chat can never completely replace Hangouts, it does provide additional functionality for group conversations as well as security and collaboration tools such as Spaces and editing documents, slides or sheets side-by-side with other users. Chat users can also send GIFs and use @mentions to notify a group member.
Google has previously said chat is a better way for users to connect with others. In June, Ravi Kanneganti, Google Chat Product Manager, wrote in an official blog: "As we take this final step to bring remaining Hangouts users to Chat, we hope users appreciate our continued investment in making Chat a powerful place of creation and collaboration. ."
Google Hangouts, a text, video, and voice chat app built into Gmail, finally shut down today. As announced earlier this year, Google is switching Hangouts users to Google Chat, the Slack-like instant messaging app for business.
As of today, November 1, the Google Hangouts web app is no longer available. This was the last Hangouts offer available to users. Android and iOS apps died in July this year.
Hangouts arguably met a slow death, with Google allowing users to migrate to Chat in 2021. The company announced in June 2022 that it would encourage Hangout users to switch to Chat in Gmail or in the app.
Although most messages and contacts will be transferred automatically, not all data will migrate to Google Chat. The company notes that users should use Google Takeout to download and save a copy of their data. Users have until January 2023 to keep their Hangouts data.
Hangouts started out as a feature on Google+ before becoming a standalone app. The messaging service has had 5 billion downloads on the Google Play Store.
Although Chat can never completely replace Hangouts, it does provide additional functionality for group conversations as well as security and collaboration tools such as Spaces and editing documents, slides or sheets side-by-side with other users. Chat users can also send GIFs and use @mentions to notify a group member.
Google has previously said chat is a better way for users to connect with others. In June, Ravi Kanneganti, Google Chat Product Manager, wrote in an official blog: "As we take this final step to bring remaining Hangouts users to Chat, we hope users appreciate our continued investment in making Chat a powerful place of creation and collaboration. ."
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