Google has announced changes that may affect people using Google Meet, Chat, Duo, Hangouts, Currents and Spaces in 2022 and 2023. Andy Wolber explains what Google Workspace users need to know.
People who use Google communication systems have probably installed a variety of apps over the years. These apps range from tools to support video communication with friends like Google Duo to conversations with colleagues like Google Chat, Currents and Spaces.
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The future of Google’s various messaging solutions is now a little clearer. The number of apps users need to install is greatly reduced. And for Google Workspace admins, the management task and end-user training can be much easier. However, since some of these app transitions can raise some questions, we’ve tried to address some common concerns below.
TL;DR: Access apps from Gmail
Gmail is now a super app with many features. The Gmail app — on both mobile and web — not only provides access to email, but also to Google Chat for messaging, Google Spaces for team calls, and Google Meet for video conferencing, as shown in Figure A. Google Workspace admins will likely appreciate this consolidation: one app to install, monitor, and learn to use.
Figure A
If you don’t see either Chat or Meet as a tab in Gmail, check your settings. In Gmail on iOS, select the three horizontal lines at the top left | from Settings, then under the Apps heading in Gmail, tap either Chat or Meet and adjust the slider to show the Chat and Spaces tabs or the Meet tab respectively.
In Gmail on Android, select the three horizontal lines in the top left | from Settings, then tap your Google account address (e.g. [email protected] in my case). Check two boxes: one next to Chat to show the Chat and Spaces tabs, and one to show the Meet tab option for video calls.
What’s happening with Google Hangouts and Google Duo?
Google Hangouts disappears while Google Duo is subsumed by Google Meet.
At some point, Hangouts had grown into an all-in-one app for messaging, calling, and video conferencing. Since then, however, Google Hangouts functionality has moved to several different Google apps, including Chat, Meet, Messages, and Google Voice. Beginning November 1, 2022, Google Hangouts on the web will be redirected to Google Chat and the service will no longer be available.
Unlike the multi-faceted Hangouts, Google Duo focused on video and audio calls. Instead of walking away, people using Google Duo may find that the app gets Google Meet’s video conferencing capabilities. The current Google Duo app will be renamed to Google Meet.
Why have the icons for Google Meet and Google Duo changed?
If you had either the Google Duo or Google Meet app installed on an Android or Apple device, you may have noticed changes to the app name or color scheme. Google Meet features will be added to the current Google Duo app. Eventually the Google Duo app will be renamed to Google Meet and the Google Duo name will be retired.
During the transition period, you may notice that the current Google Meet app is listed as “Meet (Original)” with the Meet icon shown in different shades of green (as shown in Figure B, To the right). The Google Duo app, meanwhile, can be renamed and displayed as Google Meet (as shown in Figure Bleft), with the modern, multicolored icon to indicate that it’s part of the modern Google Workspace suite.
Figure B
Will Google Chat and Google Meet remain as standalone apps?
Both Google Chat and Google Meet can still be installed as individual apps on mobile devices. The Google Chat app provides access to Chat and Spaces, while Google Meet supports video conferencing. This is handy because some people using Workspace might prefer to access Gmail in other email apps, such as Google Mail. B. in Apple Mail on the iPhone. In this case, users could install the Google Chat and Google Meet apps to use these features separately from the Gmail app.
What will happen to Google Currents?
Google Currents serves as an internal communication channel for organizations using Google Workspace. People can access Currents on the web and in Android and Apple mobile apps. However, in February 2022, Google announced plans to migrate content from Currents to Google Spaces beginning in 2023. Stay tuned to Google Workspace updates for notifications on the timing and details of the transition.
What’s your experience?
The upshot of all this is that the simplest course of action for people using Google Workspace is to install the Gmail app and enable access to Chat and Meet.
What do you think of this consolidation of apps? Do you prefer an all-in-one app, or do you intend to install and configure the separate Gmail, Chat, and Meet apps? If you’re an admin, does it simplify onboarding and training since users now only have to install the Gmail app? Send me a message or mention me on Twitter (@awolber) to let me know what you think of these changes to Google’s communication and collaboration apps.
