Google Axing SMS Texting From Hangouts

If you use Google Hangouts as your main text messaging app, nosotros have some bad news.

In an email reportedly sent to GSuite admins, Google announced plans to remove SMS text messaging from Hangouts on Android. The message, posted to Reddit, notes that the change will go into outcome on May 22, at which indicate users will no longer be able to send and receive SMS text messages through the app.

Google will begin showing in-app messages well-nigh the alter on March 27 to ready affected users for the transition. If you've set Hangouts as the default messaging app on your phone, you'll exist prompted to cull some other. If yous don't accept any other messaging apps installed on your handset, you'll be directed to the Play store, where you tin can download 1 (similar Google's own Allo app).

"Choosing a new messaging app will not impact existing SMS letters," Google reportedly wrote in the notation. "All messages will be attainable in the new messaging app."

Note that this change will not utilise to Google Voice numbers, but SMS text messages sent and received from carrier phone numbers.

Google said the change is office of its contempo effort to revamp Hangouts. The company earlier this month gave Hangouts a business-focused update, splitting the service in two: Meet and Conversation. Meet is designed to "make joining meetings effortless so that people can be as productive as they are when they're confront-to-face," Director of Production Direction for Hangouts Scott Johnston wrote in a weblog post at the fourth dimension. The Slack-similar Chat service is an "intelligent communication app for teams that takes direct messaging in Hangouts and evolves it to reflect the manner modern teams talk business."

About Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo is PCMag's expert on fettle and smart dwelling house products. Teaching yoga for nearly 10 years has helped her in evaluating a range of connected health products including fitness trackers, middle rate monitors, rowers, smart scales, stationary bikes, strength training machines, treadmills, and more. Angela too tests smart home devices from her ranch in Florida, including air purifiers, kitchen appliances, and robot vacuums, just to name a few.