Hangouts was one of Google's instant messaging apps announced in 2013 as a replacement for another messaging service called Google Talk. While the app is technically still in use, Google has pulled the plug on it and is pushing users towards a new service called Google Chat. However, there are other alternatives that users can switch to.
Google has a poor history when it comes to instant messaging platforms. Its plan is constantly changing, resulting in services being killed off or completely revamped after some time. Among its many attempts, which now live in its infamous Google Graveyard, are Google Talk, Google Voice and its WhatsApp competitor, Google Allo.
In 2016, Google announced Allo and Duo, a chat app and video app, respectively, as consumer-focused apps tied to a phone number like WhatsApp instead of a Google account. It is essential to mention that Google killed Allo shortly after. With the launch of two new consumer messaging apps, Google announced that Hangouts, which combined several features such as instant messaging, video calling, and even SMS, will become more enterprise-focused. It planned to create two apps from the original Hangouts while killing the original. These apps launched in 2017 as Hangouts Chat (for messaging) and Hangouts Meet (for video meetings) but are now known as Google Chat and Google Meet.
It Is Time To Move On
Even though Google technically pulled the plug on Hangouts years ago, a fair share of users is still using the app. Last year, it tried to migrate enterprise users to Google Chat automatically. It also released multiple features to make Google Chat more enjoyable, such as support for Gifs. At the moment, Hangouts is still working, but certain features are already being disabled such as the inability to add friends or receive invites. The Play Store listing is filled with complaints from people who still use the app. Google says it will stop working soon, so users should migrate to other apps.
There are a plethora of messaging apps Hangouts users can switch to. For example, the Meta-owned WhatsApp is a popular messaging platform with messages and video calling features. Another option is Telegram which boasts even more features than WhatsApp, and there is Google Duo, an excellent app for those who want a platform for video calling.
Source: Google