Initially, Google should have started the migration from the classic version of Hangouts to Chat in October 2019 for users of Workspace (formerly G Suite). The switch has been delayed and the plan only started in June 2020, with the final phase set for end of March.
Google says that as of the March 22, 2022will turn on the “favorite chat” setting for anyone who hasn’t already done so by rendering Google Chat the default chat application. This means that when users visit the classic version of Hangouts in Gmail on the web or the mobile apps of the classic version of Hangouts, they will be directed to Chat.
Google claims that “this change cannot be undone“. Said this, hangouts.google.com will continue to workbut Android and iOS apps will be disabled. The vast majority of the conversation history from the classic version of Hangouts is already in Google Chat. Google says that as of mid-March 2022, newly created spaces in Google Chat within the domain will not appear in classic Hangouts, but messages sent in these spaces will only appear in Google Chat for affected users.
If the setting of the Workspace Organization Admin Console is still set to “Classic Chat and Hangout”, the automatic upgrade to “Favorite Chat” will take place “over the course of three weeks starting March 22, 2022”. Organizations with the “Classic Hangouts Only” setting will see the transition begin in a five-week period starting April 4th. This upcoming transition from classic Hangouts to Chat takes effect on paid Workspace users only And not on free personal Google Accounts. The company previously reported that the migration would take place after all Workspace users have passed.
