Google Hangouts Will Not Be Shut Down, Said A Company’s Executive

Some reports in the last few days have claimed that Google planned to shut down its Hangouts service by 2020. This rumor has been covered by many online publications.

Google Hangouts is a unified communicating platform that enables users to send messages, SMS, chat via video. It also provides VOIP features. Many people claim that this app bears a striking resemblance to Slack. However, Hangouts has not been able to compete effectively with Skype, Slack, and other competitors.

In reaction to this piece of news, Scott Johnston, leader of Google Real Time Communications product, has confirmed that this was merely a rumor. In his tweet, Johnston referred to 9to5google, an online news publication, said that there was no decision about shutting down Google Hangouts and the site’s source was “severely misinformed.”

In his reply to Stephen Hall, an author of the site, Johnston accused 9to5goole of spreading just half of the story, which was the primary cause for the concern about Hangouts being closed.

He also revealed that Hangouts users could expect an upgrade from Google. In details, this improvement includes Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet. This would be one aspect that rumor was actually right about. Google Hangouts will be no longer an independents app.

However, according to Tech2, the transition would not be as smooth as Chat and Meet focus on enterprises and to use them, holders must have G Suit Accounts.

Google has not been giving Hangouts any major updates lately but Johnston, in defense of Hangouts, said that users of these platforms were not limited to enterprise or corporate, but individuals frequented there too.

Google is currently providing other apps that have similar features. A few titles here are Allo, Messages, and Google Duo, just to name a few. There is a suggestion that Google had better combine them and form a single platform only.