Google hangouts ending code#
Google hangouts ending free#

Google hangouts ending code#

The video chat alternative to Hangouts, Meet gives you access to your meetings calendar, so you can see what's up ahead, and you just need a simple code or link to enter others' meetings. If you've been part of a video conference at your G-Suite-enabled company, you've likely come across this platform. Obviously, the platform has not gained the popularity of Slack (who could?), but this change could help them regain some of the users that typically go elsewhere for their messaging needs. With individual and group chat functionality, the service has been perfect for teams looking to keep Google as their primary means of communication through G-Suite. To put it simply, Hangouts Chat is Google's answer to Slack. Let's take a look at what these two platforms are all about. While these platforms are currently exclusive for paying G-Suite customers, their enterprise facing selection, Google will soon start making them available to everyday consumers to alleviate the stress of losing Hangouts. “We’re fully committed to supporting Hangouts users in the meantime.”

“Hangouts Chat and Meet are primarily focused on team collaboration for G Suite customers and at some point will be made available for existing Hangouts users, too,” the company explained. As Scott Johnson so aggressively made clear, the platform won't really be going anywhere, as users will be redirected to other platforms, specifically Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.

Google hangouts ending free#

If you're a fan of using Google Hangouts as a free web conferencing option, have no fear. Hangouts Chat & Hangouts Meet: The Replacements However strange and confusing, this Twitter exchange was the main source of information about the Google Hangouts “shutdown.” That is, until the news actually broke, with Google officially announcing that they would be shutting down Allo and “classic” Google Hangouts along with it. Both seem to be saying the same thing, although Johnson is clearly more informed about the move than Hall, rightfully so. This seems like a classic case of miscommunication. You can do better.Īfter the original author defended their source and insisted that this information was credible, Johnson continued to clarify, essentially breaking news typically found in a press release via a frantic Twitter exchange with 9to5Google reporter Stephen Hall.Ģ/ So while that will result in the eventual shut down of Hangouts classic (as we now call it), it doesn't imply we are ending support for the use case supported by the product: messaging and meetings. Hangouts users will be upgraded to Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet. No decisions made about when Hangouts will be shut down. Hey I run Hangouts and this is pretty shoddy reporting. Once that gained some traction on Twitter, Scott John, Google's Senior Director of Product, chimed in with a less than amicable response. A report from 9to5Google made the rounds, claiming Google was planning a Hangouts shutdown by 2020, citing an unnamed source. News of Google's decision to scrap the classic Hangouts platform came in a less-than-traditional way. Unfortunately, their most recent move seems like little more than a Band-aid for a convoluted messaging strategy that has gotten pretty out of hand.

Unlike other popular messaging apps, the sheer number of Google messaging platforms creates an inherently unenjoyable experience for users looking for something a bit more comprehensive. This ongoing confusion seems to be the driving force behind Google's move to shutdown Google Hangouts. In 2017, they shut down Google Hangouts API, but the app remains available for individuals users, in addition to Duo, Allo, and Google+ (for now).Īre you confused yet? Because we certainly are! Again these arrived with no plans to shut down Hangouts, insisting they were separate products. Then, in 2016, Google announced Allo, a messaging app, and Duo, a video-calling app, separately. In 2013 though, Google Hangouts launched at the Google I/O event- though it came without any announcement to shutdown Google Talk (until 2015) and eventually Google+ (earlier this year). From Google+ to Google Talk, the innovative company simply didn't have the consolidated platform it needed to truly compete with the likes of Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Before the catch-all communication platform launched, Google's messaging options were scattered across a number of tools within their armada of online resources. To understand this news, you have to understand the storied and complicated history of Google Hangouts.