Your Tech Story

Google Hangouts

hangouts

Hangouts Is Shutting Down Soon, Download Your Old Chats Now: How It Works

The Tech Giant and American browser Google has declared that it will be shutting down its hangouts Platform. The company will upgrade it and replace it with Google Chat as its default application. Users are getting mail from google to download their old chats because all the data will be wiped out if not done. Many Hangout users have already shifted to Google Chats. Just in case you have not, you should download your data before it gets inaccessible.

It is informed that Hangout on the web will be switched from Google Chats as of November 1, 2022.

Google is asking the users who want to back up their Hangout chats to make use of Google takeout and download their data like chats, media, etc. before 1st January 2023. All the Hangouts Data will be deleted by then. It assures the users that Hangouts on the Web and their conversations will be available till 1st November 2022.

Why is Google shifting from Hangouts to Chat?

Google is replacing and preferring Chats over Hangouts because it provides better and close integration with other Google workspace products. Also, there will be advanced and new features available too like a gif picker and Spaces, a steadfast place for the topic-based association. Hangouts App was getting outdated with its current feature set and chats are like a reasonable upgrade to the platform.

hangouts
Image Source: i0.wp.com

How can Users Download Their Data?

If the user wants to back up or store their data, Google is advising users to use Google Takeout and download a copy of their data like chats, media, etc. before 1st January 2023, as the data will only be available till then. There is a sync established between user chat and Hangouts so that the chats will be deleted if the Hangouts data is deleted. You must be wondering how to download the data from Takeout. You can follow the following steps:

  • Go to Google Takeout Application and Sign in with your Hangouts Google Account.
  • Select Hangouts and unselect the rest options in the available applications.
  • Tap on “Next Step”
  • Choose how often you want to download the backup in the delivery method. It is recommended to select a one-time download since Hangouts is being replaced by Google chats soon.
  • Select the File type.
  • Tap on “Export”
  • There will be a message on your screen, telling you Google is creating a copy of files from Hangouts and you will get an email when the takeout process is complete. Download the file in order to save your Hangouts Data.

For the people who have already migrated from Google Hangouts to Google Chats, the conversations are automatically migrated. So, users can seamlessly pick up from where they left off. They can search for their old messages or media in the new Chats App As well.

What Happens to Deleted Data?

Google states that if the user deletes any of their chats or other data from Hangouts then the data will be deleted from the chat also.

What if the User Doesn’t use Google Chat?

Many Users have switched from Hangouts to Google chats but there are also those people who do not want to. Those people who don’t like the idea of using Google Chats are being advised to stop using the platform entirely. Furthermore, they can delete their chats or their Google account on Hangouts itself. Google is also giving warnings to those who want to delete their account that the deletion will lead to the removal of all the content belonging to the user including their files, photos, emails, and other data.

Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts Is Shutting Down After Nearly 9 years.

Google Workspace users were transferred to the more modern “Google Chat” software in February, replacing the outdated “Hangouts” feature. Later this year, the company intends to completely phase out older Hangouts and transition all current users to Google Chat. Google indicated in a recent blog post that users of Hangouts on desktop and mobile devices will be encouraged to move to Google Chat before Hangouts is withdrawn in November 2022. Users will be able to export all of their Hangouts data before the platform is retired, and conversation data from the Hangouts platform will be instantly available on Google Chat. After nine years, Google is ending support for its multi-platform instant messaging service. The internet giant is urging users to transition to Google Chat, which will debut in October 2022. Hangouts Chrome extension users will also be invited to switch to Chat on the web or download the Chat web app. Chat in Gmail will also be available to users of Hangouts on Gmail’s web platform beginning next month.

Hangouts, which debuted in 2013, will be discontinued in November of this year, and Google wants users to download all of their data before that time. Although most users’ discussions will be automatically transferred from Hangouts to Chat, the firm nevertheless urges customers “who prefer to save a copy of their Hangouts data to utilize Google Takeout to retrieve their data when Hangouts is no longer available in November” to use Google Takeout.

Starting today, people using Hangouts on mobile will see an in-app screen asking them to move to Chat in Gmail or the Chat app. Similarly, people who use the Hangouts Chrome extension will be asked to move to Chat on the web or install the Chat web app. In July, people who use Hangouts in Gmail on the web will be upgraded to Chat in Gmail,” according to a blog post by Google.

Source: techzimo.com

Hangouts users will continue to get in-product notifications for at least one month prior to the termination of Hangouts web. Following that, Google Chat web will begin automatically redirecting visitors from the Hangouts web.

Google Hangouts
Image source: cybernews.com

According to Google, users of Hangouts in Gmail on the web will not be prompted to switch to Chat until July. Google said it will tell customers “At least one month” before moving the Hangouts website to Chat. It will remain available on the desktop site until November. If you still use Hangouts, Google should automatically migrate all of your current conversations to Chat. When Hangouts is formally retired in November, the firm had given the chance to download a copy of your data using its Takeout service.

Compared to Hangouts, Google Chat offers a number of new features, including side-by-side editing of Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Additionally, it has a location designated -for cooperation on specific topics called Spaces. Through chats, teams and groups may collaborate on documents, manage projects and files from a single spot, and share ideas.

Additionally, Google is advising users to download their data via Google Takeout, the company’s data exportation service, before Hangouts is discontinued in November. Google is also providing new features like direct calling, establishing in-line threads in Spaces (formerly known as Rooms), viewing and sharing multiple photos, and more to make things interesting and draw users.

As we take this final step to bring remaining Hangouts users to Chat, we hope users will appreciate our continued investment in making Chat a powerful place to create and collaborate,” google mentioned in the blog.

Source: indiatoday.in