Google Chat is the recommended messaging app for the university. Within Google Chat, there is functionality for direct messaging (1:1), group messaging (2 or more people), and chat rooms. Rooms are typically used for ongoing, long-term chats. For example, you can create a room for chats with your team or for a committee or project group.
Starting July 1, 2020 with the move to Google Chat, all message history will be automatically deleted, on a continual basis, after 30 days. This also applies, retroactively, to all chat history if you have been using Google Chat prior to July 1, 2020. The history deletion also applies to your Hangouts messages - both direct and group messages
If you want to save any/all of your message history, no matter the type, you should copy/paste what you want into a document for future reference. Unfortunately, there is no method to export the history and put it into a Google Doc. Cut/paste into a document is your only option. Please be aware that for Hangouts/Chat history, Google will collapse older messages. You may see a number in a circle such as 99+. To copy all the history, you would need to open the collapsed history, then cut/paste.
Additional Notes
- The chat history for direct messages to an individual in Classic Hangouts will be migrated to Google Chat. This will remain accessible and searchable in Gmail only if you enabled history for each individual in your Classic Hangouts
- Group messages from Classic Hangouts will not be migrated to Chat group messages
- Classic Hangouts has no comparable feature to Google Chat Rooms; no content will be migrated to Chat Rooms
- Group messages and chat room history are searchable within Chat for the last 30 days; they are not available for search in Gmail
For additional information on how to use Google Chat for direct messages, group messages, or chat rooms, please see this knowledge article.