Learn more about the end of Hangouts support for Fi

• Hangouts will become Meet & Chat. Learn more about Google Meet, Google Chat, and Hangouts.
• Starting January 19, 2021, you won’t be able to use Hangouts to:
  • Send or receive text messages
  • Make or receive voice calls and voicemail

• You can transfer your Hangouts text messages to Messages by Google to:
  • Text, make calls, and check voicemail online with Messages for web. These features work even when your phone is off. Learn more about Messages for web with Fi.

  • Sync your texts across Hangouts and Messages. Until January 19, 2021, text messages that you send, receive, or delete sync across Hangouts and Messages.

    • After you sync, any new messages you send in Messages before January 19, 2021 will also show up in Hangouts.

    • If you start a new conversation in Messages, this conversation will appear in Hangouts with the contact name you save to your Google Account contacts.

    • With syncing turned on, Messages for web will also display the contact name for conversations you have in Google Contacts, using the phone number for these conversations. Learn how to stop new messages from syncing with Hangouts.

• Messages is only available for Android.

Important: If you don’t switch to Messages before support for Hangouts text messages goes away:

• You can still retrieve your old texts that you got on Hangouts.
• Your phone’s default SMS app will automatically get new text messages.

• When support for Hangouts goes away, your phone’s default phone app will automatically get new voice calls and voicemail.
• If you transfer your Hangouts text messages to Messages, your voicemail and call records automatically sync between:
  • Messages mobile app
  • Messages for web
  • Before support ends, the Hangouts app
• You can now make voice calls on Messages for web. Learn more about Messages for web with Fi.
• Messages is only available for Android.

To download the Messages app:

1. On your phone, open the Play Store .
2. Search for Messages by Google.
3. Tap Install.

To make Messages your default SMS app:

1. Open the Messages app . Learn where to find your apps.
2. To change your default message app, follow the on-screen instructions.
   • If you’re not prompted to make Messages your default app, you can do so from your phone’s Settings app. Learn how to set or clear default apps.

Learn how to transfer or sync your Hangouts text messages.

When you use Messages, you can make calls, send texts, and check voicemail on the web. After setup, to use these features on the web, your phone doesn’t need to be turned on or connected to the web.

Important: You can only transfer your SMS/MMS data from Hangouts to Messages until August 1, 2021. Learn how to retrieve your text messages (SMS/MMS) from Hangouts. Transferring your SMS/MMS data does not delete your data from Hangouts and it can still be retrieved. Learn how to download your data.

To stop sync between Hangouts and Messages, turn off SMS text message sync:

1. Open the Hangouts app .
2. Tap Menu   Settings.
3. Select your Google Fi account.
4. Under "Google Fi calls and SMS," turn off Messages.
5. Tap Disable.

When you delete your text messages in either app, that deletion happens in both apps. On all of your devices, your text messages are deleted from Hangouts and Messages. Even after Hangouts becomes Chat, you can delete your Hangouts text messages from Gmail.

If you move your texts to Messages, you can delete them from Messages.

If you get 2 notifications for one text message, turn off SMS text message sync.

If Hangouts isn’t available with Fi any more, you can retrieve your messages in 2 ways:

• If you want to get your texts with Messages by Google, make sure you install the Messages app. Then, learn how to transfer your Hangouts conversations to Messages.
• If you want to download your texts, learn how to download your data.