Google Is Killing Gtalk On February 16; Why You Shouldn't Be Worried?
Google Will Shut Down Gtalk This Month, But It's Not Such A Bad ThingREUTERS/Chris Helgren

Google is making advancements all the time, but this journey has witnessed the demise of some great services. The web search titan put an end to its renowned messaging service, Gtalk, on all major platforms while integrating its features into Hangouts. Now, Google is shutting down Gtalk entirely in the next two weeks to push users to switch to Hangouts. According to Gizmodo, Gtalk will no longer be operational on 16 February.

Google originally started replacing its Gtalk with Hangouts on Android platform in May 2013. Soon after, iOS version of the app was delivered a similar fate. But Google kept the desktop client live for users who did not wish to use Hangouts over Gtalk. The option will not exist any longer, as Hangouts will be the only way to communicate with friends and colleagues from 16 February.

Google's decision does not come as a surprise, but disappoints those users who are still accustomed to Gtalk's simple interface. The Internet search titan showed signs of Gtalk's demise when it ended security support for the desktop app. Also, Google announced last year that the app for Windows would work for approximately two months before going dark.

The news of Gtalk's death comes via system messages that some users started receiving earlier this week.

"Google Talk app for Windows will stop working on Feb 16 2015. It is replaced by the new Hangouts Chrome app," the message read.

What Are The Changes?

Gmail users can switch to Hangouts without changing their entire email interface. Google is offering an option to upgrade to Hangouts just for the chat window on the left panel while the other Gmail interface remains the same. The switch from Gtalk to Hangouts will not be tough with this minor switch. Contacts will appear on a transparent background unlike a dark theme in Gtalk. All contacts will be displayed with a green dot for users who are available and nothing will be seen against the names of offline users. There are two tabs at the bottom that let you switch between people you have already contacted, and all your contacts.

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