Google to Eliminate SMS Features from Hangouts (Update: Fresh Version Rolling Out) – Android
News : Google to Eliminate SMS Features from Hangouts (Update: Fresh Version Rolling Out)
It’s fair to say that Google’s messaging services are in a bit of a heap at the moment, and to make matters worse, Hangouts is removing its SMS capacities. Hangouts version eighteen is now being spinned out, but doesn’t emerge to incorporate any functional switches.
However, the fresh update includes code which will inform users that "SMS is moving out of Hangouts," and suggest that they switch to a different SMS app. 9to5Google suggest that the company will spin a server-side switch in a few days removing all SMS functionality, with the exception of Google Voice.
This news comes after Google had been attempting to thrust the corporate aspect of Hangouts with the newly-launched Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Talk. We were very first made aware of the emerging SMS removal when a Reddit contributor collective an email sent by Google.
Last year, we announced several improvements to the most popular features of Google Hangouts, such as the fresh movie meetings practice and better group talk messaging. As part of that ongoing effort, we will be removing carrier SMS text messaging from Hangouts on Android after May 22, 2017.
On Thursday night, the G Suite administrator with the username thereisonlyoneme said they received this email, confirming that there would be "no more carrier texting from Hangouts" after May 22. However, the tech giant stated that SMS messages sent from Google Voice would remain after that date, and that Google Voice "will proceed to be supported."
The email went on to say that in-app notices would begin to show up from March 27. However, if you don’t use SMS in Hangouts, you will not see said notice, as it won’t apply to you. Additionally, Project Fi users, whose SMS messages are routed through Google Voice, will not be impacted by this switch.
Users will be prompted to choose another default messaging app already installed on their phone. If none exists, they will be directed to the Google Play store to find a fresh SMS messaging app. Choosing a fresh messaging app will not influence existing SMS messages. All messages will be accessible in the fresh messaging app.
The news comes only months after Google commenced pushing the Rich Communication Services (RCS) Universal Profile, which hopes to substitute SMS with a feature-rich, iMessage-like practice.
The aim of Google’s RCS Universal Profile thrust is to get all major players on board for a rich texting practice from any phone, which would permit you to send Hangouts-like messages from your regular phone number.
To accomplish this, the tech giant bought a startup called Jibe in 2015, which was focused on the same issue. From there, they created the Universal Profile and incorporated the tech into the Android Messages app, so now, it’s just a matter of getting the carriers to implement it before RCS messages will be a reality.
And it looks like Google’s efforts to unify mobile messaging seem to be working: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and many international carriers are all on board with the Universal Profile already, however some are still in the process of implementing it.