Google Chat will officially replace Hangouts within weeks
Long-delayed switch to Google Chat is coming for enterprise users
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Googlehas finally confirmed the date when it will be closing its Hangouts instantmessaging servicefor good.
The company has revealed that enterprise and business users on “Classic Hangouts” will be upgraded to the newGoogle Chatservice by March 22, 2022.
In ablog post, the company added that the move will ensure allGoogle Workspacecustomers will be using the same platform, with anyone trying to access Hangouts being redirected across to Google Chat.
Farewell Google Hangouts
The news brings an end to a rather protracted saga for Google that saw it extend the deadline for Hangouts' retirement several times.
News of a move first emerged in October 2019, withHangouts officially rebranded as Google Chatfor what was then G Suite enterprise users back in November 2020, and user migration over to the new servicebeginning the following month.
The news came as Google also revealed it would rebrand itsvideo conferencingservice (then Hangouts Meet) toGoogle Meet.
Now, the “final phase” of the migration will be complete within weeks, with Google noting that “it is not possible to opt out of this change”, and that all classic Hangouts applications will also be disabled, including the Android and iOS apps.
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However, users will be able to export their historic Hangouts and Chat data using a special Google tool.
Google Meet takes its first step towards the metaverse>There’s an all-new free version of Google Workspace for work>Google is closing one of its least-loved Workspace apps
The change will not affect Hangouts users with only personal Google accounts, but it’s likely that they will see a similar change soon.
For now, if your organization’s Google Workspace Admin console setting is set to “Chat and classic Hangouts,” the automatic upgrade to the new platform will occur “over the course of three weeks starting March 22, 2022.”
Customers with the “Classic Hangouts only” setting will be upgraded over the course of five weeks, starting April 4, 2022.
Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK’s leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he’s not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.
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