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Google is one of the most influential tech companies in the world, with products and services ranging from search engines, email, cloud computing, maps, and more. But when it comes to messaging apps, Google has a history of launching, changing, and shutting down various products over the years. In this article, we will take a look at some of the major messaging apps that Google has introduced since 2005 and how they have evolved over time.
Google Talk (2005-2017)
Google Talk, also known as GTalk or GChat, was Google’s first-ever instant messaging platform. It launched on August 24, 2005, as a desktop application that allowed users to chat with their Gmail contacts using text, voice, or video calls. It was based on open protocols such as XMPP and SIP, which enabled interoperability with other services like AOL Instant Messenger and Jabber.
Google Talk was also integrated into other Google products such as Gmail, Google+, Android, and Chrome OS. It ran Android’s entire push notification system until 2018. It was widely used by millions of users around the world for personal and professional communication.
However, Google Talk also faced some challenges and limitations. It lacked features such as group chat, emojis, stickers, read receipts, and file sharing. It also had to compete with other popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and Skype. In 2013, Google announced that it would replace Google Talk with a new app called Google Hangouts. Google Talk was officially discontinued on June 26, 2017.
Google Voice (2009-present)
Google Voice is a service that provides users with a phone number that can be used for voice calls, text messages, and voicemail. It also offers features such as call forwarding, blocking, screening, transcription, and integration with other Google products such as Gmail and Calendar.
Google Voice was launched on March 11, 2009, as a successor to GrandCentral, a company that Google acquired in 2007. It was initially available by invitation only in the US and Canada. It later expanded to other countries and became publicly available in 2010.
Google Voice has been praised for its functionality and convenience, especially for users who want to manage multiple phone numbers or devices. It has also been criticized for its privacy and security issues, such as data collection, third-party access, and law enforcement requests. In 2017, Google Voice received a major redesign that improved its user interface and added support for group messaging and photo sharing.
Google Wave (2009-2012)
Google Wave was an ambitious project that aimed to reinvent email and online collaboration. It was described as “a new web application for real-time communication and collaboration”. It allowed users to create and edit “waves”, which were documents that could contain text, images, videos, maps, polls, gadgets, and more. Users could also invite others to join their waves and collaborate in real-time using chat-like features.
Google Wave was announced on May 28, 2009 at the Google I/O conference. It was developed by a team led by Lars Rasmussen and Jens Rasmussen,
the creators of Google Maps. It was initially available by invitation only to a limited number of developers and testers.
Google Wave generated a lot of hype and curiosity among the tech community and the media. However,
it also faced many challenges and criticisms. Some of the main problems were:
– Nobody knew what Wave was for or how to use it effectively
– Wave was too complex and confusing for most users
– Wave had poor performance and reliability issues
– Wave lacked integration with other popular services
– Wave had limited adoption and user engagement
In August 2010,
Google announced that it would stop developing Wave as a standalone product due to its low usage. In April 2012, Google shut down Wave completely and deleted all user data. Some of the features and technologies of Wave were later incorporated into other Google products such as Docs, Drive, and Hangouts.
Google Buzz (2010-2011)
Google Buzz was a social networking service that allowed users to share updates, photos, videos, links, and more with their Gmail contacts or the public. It was integrated into Gmail and also had a mobile version that supported location-based features.
Google Buzz was launched on February 9, 2010 as an attempt to compete with other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It was integrated into Gmail and also had a mobile version that supported location-based features.
Google Buzz was launched on February 9, 2010 as an attempt to compete with other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It was integrated into Gmail and also had a mobile version that supported location-based features.
However, Google Buzz also faced a lot of backlash and controversy. Some of the main issues were:
– Google Buzz automatically created public circles of friends based on users’ email contacts, without their consent or control
– Google Buzz exposed users’ private information such as email addresses, locations, and contacts to the public or unwanted followers
– Google Buzz violated users’ privacy and security expectations and preferences
– Google Buzz generated a lot of noise and spam in users’ Gmail inbox
In response to the criticism and complaints, Google made several changes and improvements to Google Buzz, such as allowing users to disable it, control their settings, block followers, and delete their posts. Google also faced legal actions and investigations from various authorities and organizations over its privacy violations. In October 2011,
Google announced that it would shut down Google Buzz and focus on its new social network, Google+.
The Google+ Era (2011-2019)
Google+ was a social network that allowed users to create and join “circles” of friends, family, colleagues, and other groups. It also offered features such as “hangouts” for video chat, “huddle” for group messaging, “sparks” for content discovery, “stream” for news feed, and more. It was integrated into various Google products such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Photos, and Blogger.
Google+ was launched on June 28,
2011 as a major challenge to Facebook’s dominance in the social media space. It was initially available by invitation only to a limited number of users. It later became publicly available in September 2011.
Google+ generated a lot of interest and enthusiasm among the tech community and the media. It attracted millions of users who praised its design, features, and functionality. It also received support from celebrities,
brands, and organizations who created their profiles and pages on the platform.
However,
Google+ also faced many challenges and criticisms. Some of the main problems were:
– Google+ failed to differentiate itself from Facebook and other existing social networks
– Google+ forced users to sign up and use it for accessing other Google products and services
– Google+ had low user engagement and activity compared to its rivals
– Google+ had privacy and security issues such as exposing users’ real names,
photos,
and contacts
– Google+ had technical issues such as bugs, glitches, and outages
In October 2018,
Google announced that it would shut down Google+ for consumers due to a data breach that exposed the personal information of up to 500,
000 users. It also cited the low usage and engagement of the platform as a reason for its decision. Google+ was officially discontinued on April 2,
2019. It still exists as an enterprise product for internal communication and collaboration.
The Google Hangouts Era (2013-2021)
Google Hangouts was a messaging app that allowed users to chat with their contacts using text, voice, or video calls. It also supported features such as group chat, stickers, emojis, GIFs, and file sharing. It was integrated into various Google products such as Gmail, Google+, Android, and Chrome.
Google Hangouts was launched on May 15, 2013 as a successor to Google Talk and Google+ Messenger. It was designed to unify Google’s various messaging services under one brand and platform. It was initially available as a web app,
a mobile app, and a Chrome extension.
Google Hangouts was widely used by millions of users around the world for personal and professional communication. It was especially popular among educators, students, businesses, and organizations who used it for online learning, meetings, webinars, and events.
However, Google Hangouts also faced some challenges and limitations. It lacked features such as end-to-end encryption, SMS integration, read receipts,
and status indicators. It also had to compete with other popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and Skype.
In 2016,
Google announced that it would split Google Hangouts into two separate products: Hangouts Chat for team communication and Hangouts Meet for video conferencing. These products were later rebranded as Google Chat and Google Meet in 2020.
The Google Allo and Duo Era (2016-2019)
Google Allo and Duo were two messaging apps that Google launched in 2016 as a reaction to the growth of WhatsApp and other competitors. Allo was a smart messaging app that used artificial intelligence to provide features such as Smart Reply, Google Assistant, stickers, and incognito mode. Duo was a simple video calling app that offered features such as Knock Knock, which showed a live video preview of the caller before answering, and low-light mode, which improved video quality in dark environments.
Google Allo and Duo were announced on May 18, 2016 at the Google I/O conference. They were initially available by invitation only to a limited number of users. They later became publicly available in September 2016.
Google Allo and Duo received mixed reviews from users and critics. Some praised their design, functionality, and innovation, while others criticized their lack of integration with other Google products, their redundancy with existing messaging apps, and their low adoption and usage.
In March 2019, Google announced that it would shut down Allo and focus on improving Messages as its primary texting app for Android. Allo was officially discontinued on March 12, 2019. Duo, on the other hand, continued to receive updates and new features from Google. It also became integrated with other Google products such as Nest Hub Max, Chrome OS, and Gmail.
The Google Chat and Meet Era (2020-present)
Google Chat and Meet are the latest messaging apps from Google that aim to provide a unified and seamless communication experience for users. Chat is a team communication app that supports features such as direct messages, group chats, rooms, bots, file sharing, and integration with Google Workspace apps such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Meet is a video conferencing app that supports features such as screen sharing, live captions, noise cancellation, breakout rooms, polls, Q&A, and integration with Google Calendar and Gmail.
Google Chat and Meet were originally launched in 2017 as part of Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Google’s paid tier of business Google accounts. They were intended to replace Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet, which were rebranded versions of Google Hangouts for enterprise users. In 2020,
Google announced that it would make Chat and Meet available for free to all Google users as part of its effort to simplify and streamline its messaging products. Chat and Meet also replaced Hangouts as the default messaging apps for Gmail and Android.
Google Chat and Meet are currently available for web, mobile, and desktop platforms. They are also compatible with other Google products such as Nest Hub Max, Chrome OS, and Gmail. They are designed to offer secure, high-quality, and accessible communication for everyone, whether it’s for personal or professional purposes.
Google has a long and complicated history of launching, changing, and shutting down various messaging apps over the years. While some of these apps have been successful and popular among users, others have been failures and flops that have frustrated and confused users. Google has also struggled to create a consistent and coherent messaging strategy that can compete with its rivals and meet the needs and expectations of its users.
However, Google has also shown its willingness to learn from its mistakes and improve its products and services over time. It has also demonstrated its innovation and creativity in developing new features and technologies that enhance communication and collaboration. With its latest offerings of Chat and Meet, Google hopes to finally achieve its goal of providing a simple, helpful, and smart messaging experience for everyone.
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