We’re excited to share that we’ll be transitioning everyone at Humboldt to Google’s newest enterprise-grade collaboration tool, Google Chat. Chat has a modern user interface, team rooms that support better team collaboration, emoji reactions to make work fun, and bots to help you be more productive, and much more. 

Beginning 11/5/2020, all of Humboldt will be using Chat for individual or group discussions. Classic Hangouts apps will be turned off. You’ll still be able to chat in the Gmail workspace.

How do I get Google Chat?

It's important to do the following before 10/29/2020 as classic Hangout apps will stop working:

• Explore the new Web experience at chat.google.com

• If you use Hangouts on your phone, download the new Chat mobile app for Android or iOS (you can start using this now)

• Download the new standalone desktop app if you've been using the classic Hangouts Chrome extension or app or prefer to keep your chat out of your mail. You'll be able to access the desktop app from a prompt that will appear inside chat.google.com

• On 10/29/2020, refresh your Gmail to get the new Chat in Gmail experience.

Again, please make sure you install the Chat mobile app (Android or iOS) before 11/5/2020 to minimize chances of missed messages.

Where do I find my old chats?

• You will be able to continue recent 1:1 direct messages from classic Hangouts in Google Chat, but group messages from classic Hangouts (including their history) will not be migrated to Google Chat.

• All previous chat history from classic Hangouts will be accessible in Gmail.

• The classic Hangouts web interface for chat, hangouts.google.com will remain available during this transition in case you need more time to access and move certain group conversations. Users cannot chat in classic Hangouts by visiting hangouts.google.com in a mobile browser. 

• The classic Hangouts bot in Chat will also notify you of missed group messages from classic Hangouts.

What are the limitations of Chat?

• Google Voice and Google Fi are not currently available through Chat:

• Users who already have a Google Voice account can access Google Voice at voice.google.com, by selecting Voice from the App launcher, or by downloading the Google Voice app (Android, iOS).

• Google Fi users must use the default SMS app on their mobile device to send and receive SMS messages.

• Group messages from classic Hangouts (including their history) will not be migrated to Chat. Users can still access these group messages in hangouts.google.com.

If you have important group messages in classic Hangouts, we recommend that you recreate them as Rooms in the new Chat.

• Group direct messages and rooms that are started in the new Chat will not send messages to users who are still on the classic Hangouts apps.

Where do I go for help?

G Suite Learning Center for more information about the new Chat

Our support desk is ready to answer your questions (create a support ticket at humboldt.edu/tech-help or call 707-826-4357)