![]() Google Chat is functionally the same as Hangouts. Google's previous efforts to replace Hangouts, such as Google Allo, have been woefully inadequate in terms of missing features and client support. I've had early access to Google Chat for a while now, and if you're wondering what the difference is between the old Google Hangouts and the new Google Chat, the answer is "not much." That's actually a good thing. Presumably, we'll eventually see prompts in the old Hangouts clients to switch to Google Chat, while Google Hangouts will finally undergo the promised shutdown that has been delayed several times now. Rolling Google Chat out to everyone is the first step in that process. Google Chat is already cross-compatible with Google Hangouts-your contacts and messages in one app will show up in the other-Google just needs to kick users off the old Hangouts clients and get them running on the new Google Chat clients. The original Google Talk user base from 2005 was upgraded to Google Hangouts in 2013, and now those Google Hangouts users will be upgraded to Google Chat at some point. ![]() Google has launched (and shut down) many chat apps over the years-Google Talk, Voice, Buzz, Disco, Google+ Messenger, Hangouts, Spaces, Allo, etc.-but one user base has kept it all running throughout this chaos. It was Google's competitor to Slack, the $27 billion enterprise chat app, and was renamed three years later to "Google Chat." Starting today, Google Chat is also being drafted into service as a consumer chat app and will eventually replace Google Hangouts, Google's most popular chat product. It was first announced in 2017 as "Hangouts Chat" and was exclusive to Google Workspace/GSuite. Google Chat has had a long and eventful life as a service. AdvertisementĪlso in today's batch of announcements: Google Chat, Google's latest messaging app, is rolling out for all consumer accounts. ![]() Normally, this status says "Active" and has a green dot next to it, but you can switch to "Do not disturb" or "Invisible" so you can get some work done. Chat has to be shown in a full-screen interface for the button to appear.Īnother new widget you'll probably spot in the Gmail UI is the selectable Google Chat status in the top right corner. The interface also doesn't work if you have Chat in a pop-up window. "Open in Chat" seems like an odd name for this button since it's opening the document inside, but this split-screen interface does not actually work if you receive the link via email. A split-screen interface with Google Chat on the left and the Google Doc on the right will also appear. If someone pastes a Google Docs link into Google Chat, you can mouse over the thumbnail and click "Open in Chat," which will open the Google Doc inside a new, multipane interface inside Gmail, with your navigation sidebar on the left. With today's change, there are new sections with a spot for Google Chat "rooms" (or group chats, which are now separate from regular contacts) and a section for Google Meet (so you can make video calls).Īlthough it's not in the sidebar, Google Docs also have Gmail integration. Gmail has long featured a segmented sidebar that includes a chat program-first Google Talk (from 2005), then Google Hangouts (2013), and currently Google Chat (2018). The "unified" Gmail UI mostly takes the form of a segmented sidebar design with all sorts of Google apps in it. Today, though, Google is officially making the feature available to all Google users. ![]() In August, this change started rolling out to paid Google Workspace accounts, and it has experimentally appeared on some consumer accounts. And Gmail's big merger with Google Chat, Google Docs, and Google Meet (Google's Zoom competitor) is also coming to consumer accounts.Īlmost a year ago, Google announced a significant change for Gmail that would turn it from a simple email app into a "single, integrated experience" where you could send email, chat, work on a Google Doc, and make video calls, all from one browser-based super-app. Google Chat, the company's latest messaging app, is now open to everyone. Google is moving two big features from Google Workspace (Google's paid tier of business Google accounts, formerly called "G Suite") to free, consumer Google accounts.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |