According to Google, starting December 3, 2020, there will be two updates to group conversations in Google Chat:
- Add and change members: You’ll be able to add and change members of new group conversations you create after December 3.
- Compatibility with classic Hangouts: Group conversations and their history in classic Hangouts will begin to appear in Google Chat over the coming weeks. New group conversations and unthreaded rooms in Chat will also begin to appear in classic Hangouts.
Add and change members
Any new group conversations created in Google Chat after December 3 will allow you to add or change new members in the group. When a new member is added to a conversation, all members will see a message posted in the chat announcing the new member. It is important to note that the new member will be able to see the entire conversation history upon joining, even messages sent before they were invited.
Note: You will not be able to add or change members in group conversations created in Google Chat before December 3. You will have to create an updated conversation with the same people using the “Start a new chat” option in the settings menu of the conversation.
Compatibility with classic Hangouts
Group conversations and their message history in classic Hangouts will begin to appear in Google Chat over the coming weeks. In addition, updated group conversations and unthreaded rooms from Chat will begin to appear in Hangouts. (Threaded rooms in Chat will not appear in Hangouts.)
Note: We are currently investigating how various features work regarding the new interoperability between classic Hangouts and Google Chat. For example, it is unknown how group conversations with external users will transfer over from Hangouts to Chat. As we know more, we will continue to update the university community and our U-M Google resources as needed.
According to Google, these updates should begin showing up in U-M Google on December 3, 2020, and could take 15 days or longer to become fully visible.