Google has been in the process of shutting down Hangouts for some time, and now, the app is losing its Voice and Fi integration.
Currently, users can only use Hangouts to message individuals or groups with text. Video calling has essentially been removed and transferred over to Google Meet.
Google outlined its plans to phase out Hangouts in a blog post that was released back in October of last year. The company aims to make way for an upgrade to Google Chat in the very near future, and the removal of voice and Fi features in Hangouts is part of that plan. Google Fi isn’t actually available in Canada though, so that’s one less change to worry about.
Users are now being asked to completely switch to Google Voice as part of the company’s upgrade plan by using the Voice app found on iOS, Android, or the web. You won’t lose anything by switching over. Your number and message history data will be transferred automatically.
It’s important to note that users will only be able to export their current Hangouts data until July 2021, so it might be better to make the transition sooner rather than later. With the risk of losing your old data, moving forward with the upgrade plans is your best option.