Google Talk to step aside for Hangouts in Gmail

July 30, 2012

Google Talk to step aside for Hangouts in Gmail 4

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Ten heads are better than one, or so our friends at Google think as they have today unveiled that Google+ Hangouts will be replacing Google Talk as the embedded video chat service within Gmail. From today the service will be available for all users with a personal Google account, you'll need to sign up for Google+ to enable the video conferencing feature.

Google Talk has long been Google's messaging service since it launched on desktops back in summer 2005. It was also a mainstay of Android right from the very beginning, included as a core application in version 1.0 back in 2008. Google later added video calling to the application via the Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 update for the Samsung Nexus S.

Cue the launch of Google+ back in summer 2011. Google+ has had mixed success to date, although still very much a work in progress. All pros and cons considered, it's fair to say that Hangouts has been one of the stand-out features of the service. As soon as Google+ was launched many Android users questioned the need for both Hangouts and Google Talk. Could this latest move be a nail in the coffin for Google Talk? Check out the video below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Gmail Blog

Chris Stewart Author

Originally from Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland, I'm now living in the UK's second city, Birmingham. I've had a passion for gadgets from a very young age, it all started with my Commodore 64 at the tender age of 2 years old. I purchased my first mobile phone aged 17 and it was from there the obsession began. Having now gone through 33 phones in 13 years it's safe to say my passion for phones is alive and well! My current phone is the Galaxy Nexus as I'm a big fan of the pure Android experience. I've been working in the Banking industry for the past 10 years and I'm currently working in Human Resources for one of the World's largest Retail Banks. I spend my spare time with my wonderful wife and young family and when I'm not fiddling with phones and tablets I can be found playing football (soccer for you guys in the States!), watching Mixed Martial Arts, tinkering with cars or listening to music.