Google shuts down Hangouts: How to save data from this platform?

Google has shut down the messaging platform Hangouts. Starting November 1, 2022, Hangouts is no longer available on the Internet, and users are offered to switch to the Google Chat platform.

The decision to close Hangouts messenger (which appeared in 2013 by combining Google Talk and Google+ services) was made and announced by Google in the middle of this year. Recently, it was impossible to install or update the Hangouts mobile app from the App Store and Google Play, and the web version was shut down on Tuesday.

The Hangouts browser extension will stop working soon, too, and Gmail's built-in Hangouts-based corporate messaging service has already been replaced by Chat.

If you want to save and transfer your data from Hangouts, Google recommends using the Google Takeout app. A copy of the necessary data can be downloaded until January 1, 2023 - on which date all Hangouts data will be deleted.

Here's how you can backup and download Google Hangouts data through Takeout:

1. Go to Google Takeout and sign in with the Google Account you use in Hangouts.
2. In the available applications, select Hangouts and deselect the rest.
3. Click Next Step.
4. In the Delivery method, choose how often you want to download the backup. Since Hangouts is being upgraded to Google Chat soon, a one-time download is recommended.
5. Choose the file type.
6. Click Export.
7. A message will tell you that Google is creating a copy of files from Hangouts.

You will receive an email when the takeout process is complete. Download the file to preserve your Hangouts data.