tl;dr: after pushing rcs so hard for years, killing hangouts well after forgetting about it, & hiding it from gmail, google now wants you to use its (and google allo’s) successor, google chat.

  • I mean, the page you linked even says:

    What’s new
    Current version, for Google Workspace Customers only, includes direct messages, group chats, and platform integration with Google Apps

    So I don’t know what to think.

    • Maybe they should update their description:

      About this app

      Collaborate seamlessly with Google Chat, part of Google Workspace

      Google Chat is an intelligent and secure communication and collaboration tool, built for teams. From ad-hoc messaging to topic-based workstream collaboration, Chat makes it easy to get work done where the conversation is happening.

      • Group collaboration that allows Google Workspace content creation and sharing (Docs, Sheets, Slides), without having to worry about granting permissions • Side by side editors, one click meetings, scheduling, document creation, and shared files, tasks, and events

      make it easy to get work done

      • Google search functionality, with options to filter for

      conversations and content that you’ve shared • Ready for Enterprise, with the full benefits of Google Workspace security and access controls including Data Loss Prevention, Compliance, Admin Settings, Vault Retention, Holds, Search, and Export

      • Whatever they think they are doing is absolutely incomprehensible. We use Google workspace where I work and a year or two ago Google was actively trying to kill the Chat app as a separate item and merge it into Gmail. I have no idea whether the Chat they’re pushing now is the same thing they were trying to get rid of not too long ago, or a new thing with the same name.