Google is shutting down its chatting service Google Talk. It will now replace it with Google Hangouts. The move will come to effect from June 26, after which Gtalk service users will be switched to Google’s another service, Google Hangouts. Gtalk was started in 2005 and the beginning of the end started from 2013. When it was launched, Google introduced it as a simple chat experience for Gmail service users. Hangouts, meanwhile, is now being used by Google as a business application, now that the company has several new messaging services like Google Duo and Android Messages. Before this, Gmail users had the option of switching between Gtalk and Hangouts. Google, in a blog post, said, “Talk users within Gmail will receive a prompt in the next few weeks, inviting them to switch to Hangouts.”
Users will have the option of switching to Hangouts till June 26, if they are still using Gtalk. Google has put out a series of topics, comparing the two features between Google Hangouts and Google Talk, on the website: ‘https://support.google.com/a/answer/4564211?hl=en’. Meanwhile, Google wants to turn its old Hangouts app into an enterprise-oriented application. Google, recently said that it is ditching SMS service from Hangouts to take on Slack. The rebranding was announced earlier, and now in a mail to G Suite administrators, Google informed about the change which could take effect from May 22. Google is also showing keen interest on Android Messages, so it is not surprising that Hangouts’ SMS service is being phased out.
Also read | Google is ditching SMS service from Hangouts to take on Slack
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Google says that the move its directed towards improving the most popular features of the app, and those are video conferencing and group chat. For consumer-friendly alternatives, Google is moving towards Android Messages. This move comes as Google is shifting the focus of Hangouts towards repositioning the messaging service to counter workplace communications tool Slack.
