Google Chat gets a standalone app, but it only works with Chrome

Google has a long tumultuous relationship with messaging apps and its latest fling is with Google Chat. Previously known as Hangouts Chat, Google Chat is the company’s Slack-like team communication platform for G Suite. It’s not to be confused with “Classic” Hangouts or the long-dead “GChat.” Google is finally releasing a standalone app for Chat, but it’s limited in use.

The new Google Chat app is a progressive web app (PWA) and it replaces the old Electron client. Electron apps are essentially web apps with a wrapper and they aren’t super well-liked. A PWA, on the other hand, is basically a webpage that integrates with the device’s OS, making it feel more like a native app. Google has long been a big advocate for PWAs, so it’s no surprise to see this development.

The Google Chat app has wider compatibility as it can work on Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and Linux. However, you must have Chrome 73 or higher installed to use it. Chrome doesn’t need to be your default browser, but it still has to be installed on your device. Google does mention, however, that they are working on that limitation.

While Google Chat is limited to G Suite customers right now, the company has shown signs of making it available to everyone. Google recently opened up its Zoom competitor, Meet, to anyone with a Google account. It also recently made it possible to view Classic Hangouts conversations in Google Chat. The groundwork could be in place to make it available to all Google users.

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Source: Google

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