Google Hangouts For Android And iOS Stops Working For Many Users: Here's Why

Google Hangouts for Android and iOS is not working for many users.

Google announced some time ago that the classic Hangouts will be shutting down for free customers. Image: Getty

Google Hangouts for Android and iOS is not working for many users and here's the reason: Google announced some time ago that the classic Hangouts will be shutting down for free customers and as a result, many users on Android and iOS are reporting that they can no longer access Hangouts. This is the first stage of Hangouts shutting down for free customers and it affects the old Hangouts mobile apps.

Hangouts free customers upon trying to open the app are seeing a prompt that reads: “It’s time for Chat in Gmail”. It is a forced upgrade for Android and iOS users who are being dedicated to Google Chat apps or the Gmail tab, says a report by 9to5Google.

Several iOS and Android devices globally are said to be impacted by this change today and most users until last week were still able to see conversations and send new messages on Hangouts, the report added.

To recall, earlier in June, Google announced it was shutting its messaging app Hangouts before it officially pulls the plug on Google Hangouts in November. According to the tech giant, users still on the Hangouts mobile app "will see a prompt" to move to Google Chat.

"Moving to Google Chat opens up new and better ways to connect and collaborate. For example, users can edit Docs, Slides or Sheets with side-by-side editing, making it easier to collaborate while continuing the conversation. Google Chat also includes Spaces, a dedicated place for topic-based collaboration. Groups and teams can share ideas, work on documents, and manage files and tasks, all from a single location. And, the new integrated view in Gmail makes it easier to use Chat alongside your Gmail inbox, Spaces, and Meet," Ravi Kanneganti, Product Manager, Google Chat, had written in a blog post.

Earlier in October 2020, Google had announced that Google Chat would be available for everyone. Since then, people could continue using Hangouts or upgrade to Google Chat -- available as its own app or within Gmail -- to take advantage of its features and integration with other Workspace products. Hangouts or Classic Hangouts is a separate platform from Hangouts Chat and the rebranded Meet. Google's Hangouts is just like any messaging platform with features like video calling, while Hangouts Chat is just for messaging and Meet is for meetings.