Search engine giant Google is detailing its plans to bid farewell to classic hangouts and when exactly users can expect it to stop working as a whole. This includes the company shedding light on how it plans to migrate to chat which will reportedly be free of cost.
During the earlier part of this year, we saw the firm shift all of its customers from Workspace towards Google Chat, and today, it’s claiming that Hangouts won’t be available anymore for free users, starting from October of this year.
The news isn’t too surprising as Google mentioned in 2019 how chats would be replacing hangouts soon. And while Enterprise consumers were the first to make the transition, it was only completed as early as last week.
This means the company’s full focus is now more on personal accounts which still get some access to hangouts.
From today onwards, you’ll be seeing the old mobile app for Google Hangouts get replaced with an icon to use the Chat as a part of the Gmail app. Therefore, once a user receives an email that mentions ‘it is now time for Chat in Gmail’, you can soon expect your Hangout to stop working as before. And there’s nothing to worry about because your conversations will automatically get migrated.
But the news does come with a warning to somehow a few chats or a part of them will not magically migrate. Instead, affected users will be given time to adjust with a detailed report of instructions to follow soon, perhaps in September of this year.
On the other hand, the company says that users who are currently in the midst of using the Chrome extension for Hangouts are instructed to carry on chatting through the web. Another option would be to go on board with Progressive Web Application installation.
By July, we’’ be seeing the Hangouts sidebar be converted to one with Chat In Gmail so do keep a lookout for that.
Last but not least, Google says that the deadline for the change entailing Google Takeout to get a Hangout copy will probably be November. And in case you need some more information in this regard, do feel free to visit the Help Center.
For the future, Google has some interesting projects such as direct calling lined up and even a cool feature that lets you share several pictures and view them too. In addition to that, Space threading will be launched so do keep an eye out for these in the coming months.
Read next: Google Proposes New Plan That Prevents Political Campaign Emails From Reaching Spam Folders
During the earlier part of this year, we saw the firm shift all of its customers from Workspace towards Google Chat, and today, it’s claiming that Hangouts won’t be available anymore for free users, starting from October of this year.
The news isn’t too surprising as Google mentioned in 2019 how chats would be replacing hangouts soon. And while Enterprise consumers were the first to make the transition, it was only completed as early as last week.
This means the company’s full focus is now more on personal accounts which still get some access to hangouts.
From today onwards, you’ll be seeing the old mobile app for Google Hangouts get replaced with an icon to use the Chat as a part of the Gmail app. Therefore, once a user receives an email that mentions ‘it is now time for Chat in Gmail’, you can soon expect your Hangout to stop working as before. And there’s nothing to worry about because your conversations will automatically get migrated.
But the news does come with a warning to somehow a few chats or a part of them will not magically migrate. Instead, affected users will be given time to adjust with a detailed report of instructions to follow soon, perhaps in September of this year.
On the other hand, the company says that users who are currently in the midst of using the Chrome extension for Hangouts are instructed to carry on chatting through the web. Another option would be to go on board with Progressive Web Application installation.
By July, we’’ be seeing the Hangouts sidebar be converted to one with Chat In Gmail so do keep a lookout for that.
Last but not least, Google says that the deadline for the change entailing Google Takeout to get a Hangout copy will probably be November. And in case you need some more information in this regard, do feel free to visit the Help Center.
For the future, Google has some interesting projects such as direct calling lined up and even a cool feature that lets you share several pictures and view them too. In addition to that, Space threading will be launched so do keep an eye out for these in the coming months.
Read next: Google Proposes New Plan That Prevents Political Campaign Emails From Reaching Spam Folders
