Google to Shift Users From Hangouts to Google Chat Early Next Year

Recently, Google has announced that it will shift users from Google Hangouts to Google Chat. This will be done under the new Google Workspace which was previously known as G Suite. The transition will take place in the first half of 2021.

Users should know that the new Google Workspace comes with Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Sheets, Docs, Meet, Slides, and Chat. All the applications are integrated within a unified space. 

Until now Google Chat was accessible only for users with premium G Suite. But now it will be made available for everyone and that too for free. It will be made a standalone app and free service within Gmail.

Right now, Google Workspace is available only for business users. Google in a blog post said that they will include everyone else earlier next year. 

The company also mentioned that Google Chat will have some similar features to Google Hangout. For example, direct and group messaging will be there in Google Chat as well. According to the tech giant, the new Google Chat will use the same phishing technology as Gmail. This means attachments and links sent via Google Chat will run through real-time data from Google Safe Browsing. 

The company has also assured users that all their conversation history on Google Hangouts will automatically migrate to the new Google Chat. This new chat application is expected to be introduced by the first half of next year. Right now no fixed date has been updated by the company. Once everything is finalised and ready, the company will let everyone know.

According to reports, video calls on Hangouts will use Meet from the coming month, November. Users will no longer be able to call phone numbers from Google Hangouts from the starting of next year.

The company has said that they are going to start calls and directing text messages from Hangouts to the Voice app this month. They are going to remove Voice support from Google Hangouts within this year. 

Just so you know Google Fi users will no longer be able to manage calls and text messages from Google Hangouts from next year.

Users should be informed that the transition will be gradual. Both Chat and Hangouts will be available for some time. Once the transition is complete, Hangouts will get removed. All the message history from Hangouts will be shifted to Google Chat.