Beginning July 15th, 2020, the Chat in Gmail will transition from classic Hangouts to Google Chat. Google Chat still has chat functionality plus editing messages, reactions, and team rooms that support better team collaboration.

What’s staying the same and what’s changing

Same: You will still have chat in Gmail, and chat messages between you and one other coworker (1-to-1) will work exactly the same. You can even continue recent 1-to-1 chats.

Different: The new Google Chat has expanded functionality, including Rooms for better team collaboration. Group messages from classic Hangouts (including their history) will not be migrated to Google Chat, but you can recreate the group messages as Rooms in Chat.

What you need to do

Before July 15th, 2020, when the classic Hangout apps will stop working:

• Preview Google Chat on the web at chat.google.com
• On mobile devices, download the new Google Chat mobile app for Android or iOS
• Download the new standalone desktop app if you've been using the classic Hangouts Chrome extension or app. You'll be able to access the desktop app from a prompt that will appear inside chat.google.com

On July 15th, 2020, refresh your Gmail to get the new Chat in Gmail experience

Learn more about Google Chat and Questions

Visit the Google Chat service page to learn more. If you have a question, create a help ticket at service.stonybrook.edu or contact Customer Engagement and Support at 2-9800.