Google has issued a number of streamlining actions over the last few years for its disparate video and chat products. In 2022, it moved its Duo video calling app into Meet as it looks to have a single video conferencing solution.
However, there was a period of time in which there were two different Meet apps available— the original Hangouts Meet app, rebranded as Meet, and the newer version with the inclusion of Duo's codebase and userbase. This had the effect of somewhat confusing the consumers who had parallel apps with similar names.
Now it seems Google has made the decision to fully discontinue the original Meet app. Users of the old Meet (original) app are now prompted to uninstall it when trying to join a video call. A pop-up message directs them to download the newer version of Meet from the Google Play Store instead.
If you try to access a meet.google.com video call link using the original Meet app now, you'll see an error message stating "You can't use this version of the Meet app anymore." The message encourages users to get the updated Meet experience available on the Play Store.
The original Meet app listing remains on the Play Store for now, but attempts to open the app result in the termination prompt. It seems Google has quietly pulled support and is herding users across to its consolidated video platform.
Of course, the upgrade may take some time to reach each and every Meet user. So hang tight, and wait for the new update to land on your device.
Meanwhile, the company remains focused on continuing to enhance the new Meet app with features such as attendant reactions, direct calling capability, audio-only mode, live captions, and more. By killing off parallel apps, Google avoids confusion and can devote all of its development energies to a single product.
Source: 9to5Google
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