After introducing half a dozen communication apps over the past several years, Google is now back with another app called Google Chat. As usual, Google claims that Google Chat offers modern and integrated chat experience when compared to its previous offerings.
Yesterday, Google announced that it will migrate Hangouts users to Google Chat. Hangouts mobile users will see an in-app screen asking them to move to Chat in Gmail or the Chat app. Hangouts Chrome extension users will be asked to move to Chat on the web or install the Chat web app. By July, Hangouts in Gmail on the web users will be upgraded to Chat in Gmail. However, Hangouts on the web will continue to be available until later this year.
When you migrate to Google Chat, conversations are automatically migrated. Users can also use Google Takeout to download their data before Hangouts is no longer available in November 2022.
Here’s what you get when you migrate to Google Chat:
- Google Chat users can edit Docs, Slides or Sheets with side-by-side editing, making it easier to collaborate while continuing the conversation.
- Google Chat also includes Spaces, a dedicated place for topic-based collaboration.
- The new integrated view in Gmail makes it easier to use Chat alongside your Gmail inbox, Spaces, and Meet.
- Google Chat supports emojis with skin-tone selections, rich text editing to give your chats emphasis, @mentions to notify someone in the group or sending a GIF.
