Google suspends long-term service: users will soon have to adapt

Like Google recently did in a blog post AnnouncedMany users will have to adapt to a change starting next month: the Google Hangouts chat tool will be completely replaced in the workspace by the Google Chat service.

Google had already planned this change at the end of 2019, but it was delayed, so the plans only started in June 2020. The full change to Google Chats should go into effect on March 22, 2022.

Since the middle of last year, the “Preferred Chats” setting has been adjusted by default for organizations that use the “Classic Chat and Hangouts” setting. Until now, administrators still have the option to disable customization. However, as of the March deadline, this will no longer be possible.

From Google Hangouts to Google Chats: the migration will start soon

Google writes: “All remaining Hangouts customers will be migrated to ‘Preferred Chats’ starting March 22. We will be replacing classic Hangouts with chats. Notice will be sent to affected customers prior to migration.”

According to the blog post, classic Hangouts will also be replaced by chats in Gmail from the deadline. Whoever has not activated the chat in the mail application will not notice any change. You can still use the regular Hangouts web interface, at least for now; however, the Android and iOS apps will be removed.

As Google writes, the switch from Hangouts to Chats for organizations still using “Classic Chat and Hangouts” will roll out over the next three weeks starting March 22. Anyone who still has “Classic Hangouts only” selected will be migrated over the next five weeks starting April 4.