On Monday, February 8, 2021, Murray State will migrate from Google Hangouts to Google Chat. For MSU, this means an improved browser experience as well as a new mobile app experience. Information Systems has provided this FAQ article to answer questions you may have, details on how Google Chat works, instructions to make the transition easier, and images of what you will see on February 8th.
Why are we changing from Hangouts to Chat?
Google has been slowly migrating their user base from Hangouts to Chat. To give the Murray State community time to prepare, we have chosen to make the change on Monday, February 8th, 2021.
What are the differences between (classic) Hangouts and Chat?
Google has provided a great article that lists and explains the differences between Hangouts and Chat! We recommend looking through the comparison article to understand what’s new and how to do things like edit text in conversations, add styles and emojis, share photos, and manage notifications.
How do I access Chat from a computer browser?
After the transition on February 8th, you may need to refresh your browser to see the update. A “Chat” area will be available from the left-side menu when accessing RacerMail. Below “Chat” you will also see “Rooms” and “Meet.”
How do I access Chat on my phone?
On Monday, February 8, 2021, you will no longer be able to use the Hangouts mobile app for your @murraystate.edu account. Instead, those using the Gmail mobile app will see new icons at the bottom of the app called “Chat”, “Rooms” and “Meet.” This is where you can access your conversations. If you do not wish to use the Gmail mobile app, you can download the Google Chat mobile app.
Please note that if you use both the Gmail and the Chat mobile apps, you may receive double notifications for conversations. You can turn off notifications for either app, or just use one app.
What is the difference between Chat, Rooms, and Meet?
Chat is intended for conversations between individuals and small groups of users..
Rooms are intended for a group of users to share threaded conversations, files, tasks, and much more.
Meet (formerly called Hangouts Meet) is Google’s video conferencing tool.
Where are my old Hangouts conversations?
You can continue recent conversations from classic Hangouts in Google Chat. Over time, Google will transition older conversations from classic Hangouts to Google Chat.
All previous chat history from classic Hangouts are accessible in Gmail. During our transition, classic Hangouts can be viewed at https://hangouts.google.com/.
Can I still search Chats?
Yes! The search bar at the top of the Gmail window will continue to search through emails and chats! Even better, Google has improved it’s search capabilities within Mail. These improvements include being able to filter search results by email or by chat, searching for specific file types (docs, slides, links, etc.) much faster, and quick buttons to find email that contains attachments. To access these and more new search features, just enter some text into the search bar at the top of the Gmail window.
What about Google Voice?
Google Voice (and Google Fi) are not available through Chat. If you already have a Google Voice account, you can access Google Voice at https://voice.google.com/, downloading the Google Voice app, or from the list of Google apps at the top of your browser’s Google interface.
What if I need more help?
Google has a lot of support articles that provide more detailed information. We have provided links to those articles below. The Service Desk can also assist with issues by creating a ticket, emailing msu.servicedesk@murraystate.edu, or calling 270.809.2346.
Additional Resources
Get Started with Google Chat: What can you do with Chat? - Google’s support site for Chat that lists and describes how to get the most out of chat with all its features.
Google Chat training and help - Google’s article covers Chat basics, cheat sheets, productivity guides, tips, and additional resources.
Google Chat cheat sheet - Google’s article provides a quick reference guide of the main features of Google Chat.
FAQ: Google Meet, Google Chat - Google's article explains the difference between Google Meet, Google Chat, and Hangouts
Switching to Chat from classic Hangouts - Google's article provides a comparison of the two products as well as tips for using the new Chat.