Google Hangouts is Shutting Down in November

Google is currently starting the transition of free, individual Hangouts users to Chat. Google said those who are still using the Hangouts mobile app will receive a suggestion to switch to Chat in a blog post. Users using Hangouts in Gmail on the web will not be prompted to switch to Chat until July, according to Google.

Google said that it will notify customers “at least one month” in advance before it starts redirecting the Hangouts site to Chat. Hangouts will still be accessible on its desktop site until November. Google Chat and GChat (or Google Talk), which Google permanently stopped supporting earlier this month, are not the same thing. (Hangouts was meant to replace GChat initially, but here we are.) In 2018, the firm made its intentions to move customers from Hangouts to Chat more apparent. In 2020, the service became available to all users without charge.

Google ought to move all of your current Hangouts discussions to Chat automatically if you still use that service. Before Hangouts is formally retired in November, the firm also provides you the chance to get a copy of your data via its Takeout service. A few new capabilities are being rolled out, according to Google, including the ability to share and see multiple photos, make direct calls, and start in-line conversations in Spaces (the rebranded version of Rooms).

Users using the Hangouts Chrome extension must switch to Chat on the web or download the Chat web app. According to a blog post by Google, Chat will replace Hangouts for users using Gmail on the web in July. Google noted that Hangouts on the web will still be accessible through the end of this year. The discussions will transition from Hangouts to Chat automatically. Before Hangouts is discontinued, users may also download their data using Google Takeout.