Understanding the Discontinued Google Hangouts Service

Google Hangouts was discontinued in 2022 and replaced by Google Chat. Likeother online meeting tools , you could use Google Hangouts to conduct meetings or host web conferences. It also let you send messages and make video and audio calls withGoogle Voice , which is still in service.

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Google Hangouts Features

In its basic form, Google Hangouts was a text messaging platform. From a computer or phone, you could call and text people, send emojis and media files, and browse videos with its built-in video search function.

Here are some other notable features offered by Google Hangouts:

• Voicemails could be stored in your account.
• Up to 250 people could exist in a group text conversation.
• A video chat could consist of 25 people.
• Texting was supported during calls.
• A link to a Google Hangouts call could be shared with anyone you wanted on the call.
• The app let you send your current location.
• Conversations could be favorited and listed first for easy access.

Is There a Google Hangouts Replacement?

Google has other similar services likeGoogle Chat and Google Voice. Both are free and share lots of the same features as Google Hangouts. You can make free calls to any phone with Voice and text with other Google users with Chat. There’s alsoGoogle Meet for one-on-one or group meetings.

If you want to move away from Google’s options, countless apps serve as a great Google Hangouts alternative.Facebook Messenger andSnapchat are well-known messaging and calling apps, but there are plenty of other options. Similarly, we keep alist of the best texting apps which includes options like WhatsApp and Telegram.

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FAQ

• Is Google Hangouts still available online?
  Yes, but group calls and many other features have been removed. For video conferencing, useGoogle Meet or Zoom .
• Are Google Hangout conversations private?
  Yes, but Google maintains records of online text conversations in compliance with federal law. These records are protected by Google’s privacy policy and can only be obtained with a court subpoena as part of a criminal investigation. Otherwise, Google uses top-notch encryption, so no one outside of the conversation can view your messages.

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