Google gives Workspace users an eviction notice for the old Desktop Chat app

As we previously covered back in February, Google Chat has been preparing itself to become the new home for Hangouts users. As it’s Google’s new pet project, it’s gotten a lot of love and attention. With that, the Chat web application (PWA) has become so good that there is no longer a need for the original electron-based desktop application. As such, the company is shutting it down. Today, Google has dished out an eviction notice for Workspace users and organizations that are still utilizing it.

If you fall into the aforementioned category of users, you have only until March 30, 2021 – that’s 20 days from now – to migrate your users to Google Chat on the web! If you look in the old desktop app, you’ll probably have already seen the banner at the top telling you to switch, but yes, time is finally running out.

The shiny, new Chat application is faster, more reliable, and more engaging – it’s also all done without the need for any of your students or employees to download anything since it’s all done right through the Chrome browser. To get started (if you’re a Workspace admin), simply visit the Support Page for deploying the new Chat app for your organization.

The new Google Chat is already available to all users, so the process of transitioning everyone should pose little to no friction. The Cliff Notes of the process entail you going into your admin console’s Chrome policy management settings and adding https://chat.google.com/download/exactly like that into the Apps & extensions section and forcing it to open in a ‘Separate window’ (hence, a standalone app). Alternatively, you can just allow your users to install extensions themselves and tell them to go and add it from the Chrome Web Store.

All Google Workspace customers
G Suite Basic
G Suite Business

Availability

If you’re a Workspace admin, tell us – have you migrated everyone in your organization over to the new Google Chat web app? If not, is there something it’s missing compared to the old electron-based application? I’d personally love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!