Google replaces Hangouts with Google Chat by November

Google Hangouts will close its doors permanently and irrevocably from November 2022, with Google Chat being its replacement for those who still use it for their chats.

Google had been phasing out Hangouts for the past five years, and only closed it last February for subscribers to the Workspace package. Note that all Hangouts chats and contacts will be automatically transferred to Google Chat, so users will have no difficulty navigating this transition.

From November, those who try to use Hangouts from the app's mobile apps or desktop website will be automatically transferred to Google Chat. Obviously the company will make sure to regularly inform users about the closure of the service.

In terms of Google Chat, it clearly offers more features and a cleaner user interface, with direct access to Google Meet for teleconferencing (and more), Google Spaces for easy collaboration with other users on common projects through Google Drive, and of course all the solutions of a modern messaging platform (photos, GIFs, videos, etc.). In Gmail, in fact, you can directly access Google Chat without opening a new window.

Note that Google has set up a separate website that describes the differences between Hangouts and Google Chat, which is worth a look.