Google says goodbye to Hangouts: the instant messaging service will close by the end of the year, but the “Meet” and “Chat” alternative is coming.
Google Hangouts closes: the app and instant messaging platform will end its functions during 2019, with a goodbye marked by various modes. But is there anything to worry about?
The news of the closure of Hangouts has been in the air for some time but now Google clarifies the timing with which it will proceed to the final shutdown of the function appreciated especially by those who use it to communicate in the workplace.
Hangouts will not be properly closed, as will happen with Google Plus (the social network of Google never took off), but will change the form and mode of use compared to those known until today.
Does Google Hangouts close? Two new apps are coming soon
The first users that will be affected by the closure of Google Hangouts are those belonging to G Suite, or those who use Google’s paid services (such as personalized email addresses, without the classic @gmail).
Hangouts will stop working for premium users from October 2019: the service will cease to exist even for normal users, but there are no certain dates yet (a similar swan song is likely to be expected in the last quarter of the year or at most in 2020).
All orphaned customers of Hangouts will have to switch to two new services designed by the big G: Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.
What is it about exactly? Chat and Meet will be two apps, daughters of Hangouts, which will split into two separate platforms the functions of instant messaging and Audio/Video call (today available in a single software). Forced migration will take place in April, when new apps will be available, and you can wait until the end of September before adjusting.
The change is due to recent updates by Mountain View regarding its services, see also the closure of Allo: the goal is to increase the use of the features offered by Google, unifying in few software the main features of some apps today still separate.
So do not worry: consumer users will have more time to make the transition, while those business will find a viable alternative to improve their user experience (and their work). For skeptics, there is still plenty of time to adapt or find an alternative to what Google offers.