Google removed its original Hangouts app from the iOS and Android app stores at the end of the previous month. Unexpectedly, the soon-to-be-retired Hangouts app has made a surprise comeback to the iOS App Store—but only if you have the link.
Since a few years ago, Google has been gradually luring users away from its Hangouts app and onto its Google Chat (formerly Hangouts Chat), which is integrated into Gmail. The software was eventually withdrawn from the Google Play Store and the App Store last month as a result of this campaign.
In the instance of the former, Google has simply stopped allowing new users to download the app and has also removed it from search results. On iOS, Hangouts was merely removed from the App Store entirely, rendering it completely inaccessible to anyone who didn’t already have it installed. When it first happened, we saw that not even the straight link to the app listing worked.
An intriguing turn of events has resulted in the return of Hangouts to the iOS App Store as an unlisted app. Unlisted applications enable developers and businesses to distribute their apps without having them show up in search results for a larger audience, as described by our friends at 9to5Mac .
Because of this, you cannot just search for Hangouts in the App Store or find it in the list of Google’s apps if you want to reinstall it on your iPhone or iPad. You must utilize a direct link to Hangouts app listing , which notably continues to use the previous URL.
There’s no telling how long Google will keep the original Hangouts app available in the app store, so if you have any desire to stick with it on your iOS device and avoid switching to Google Chat, you might want to act immediately.
On the other hand, Google has made it plain that the traditional Hangouts app is on its way out and that the mobile version will soon stop functioning altogether. It won’t be long before the original Hangouts app is also disabled for everyone else. This is now the situation for individuals with Workspace accounts. However, the business hasn’t formally stated a timeframe for that shutdown as of yet.
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