Google launched its video conferencing service Mate for free to all users in April this year.
Google will soon be rolling out another important service to free users via Gmail.
Yes, Google is once again changing its messaging app strategy and making Google Chat free for everyone in early 2021, which will replace hangouts in Gmail.
Google Chat is the company's enterprise chat app that was introduced to businesses.
Its features are very similar to Hangouts, but it also has additional features like reactions and reply sessions.
But from the beginning of next year, the availability of Google Chat will not be limited to businesses using the Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite), but will be available to all users using the upgraded chat app Gmail.
Google said in a statement that "next year, chat will be available as a free service, also with Gmail and as an independent app."
The company said that this will allow users to upgrade during the first half of 2021, while the hangout chat history will be automatically transferred to the chat.
This update, along with a few other changes, will affect people who currently use hangouts outside of jail mail.
In other words, the call option in Hangouts will now be transferred to Messages or Voice app and the company wants to completely end the voice support of Hangouts sometime in 2021.
Google also plans to remove Hangouts from the workspace by the end of next year and will gradually replace it with new messaging services.
