Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Use the new Google Chat app for fast and reliable communication

What’s changing

We’ve launched a new Google Chat standalone app. The app is a Progressive Web Application (PWA), which provides a fast, reliable, and engaging way to use Chat on any desktop device with the Google Chrome web browser.

See more details below, or visit our Help Center to learn more about the Google Chat PWA.

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

The Chat PWA offers a simple and powerful way to communicate through Chat. Once users install the app, it integrates with their device’s operating system to function like a native app and offer the simple and efficient Chat experience users know. For example, they can:

  • Quickly find and communicate with people, rooms, and bots through the app.
  • Communicate quickly with a simple and intuitive interface.

The Chat PWA also offers simple app deployment and management. It’s:
  • Secure: The app is kept up to date with Chrome, so the updated app has the latest security patches.
  • Fast and simple: Auto-updates also mean users have the latest version without extra process or keeping track of separate updates.
  • Easier to distribute: Admins can deploy the app to all of their users in the Admin console.
  • Broadly compatible: The PWA runs on any device with Google Chrome browser version 73 and up. Version 73 was released in March 2019. This means it works on Windows, MacOS, Chrome OS, and Linux devices.

Additional details

What happens to the existing desktop app? We recommend that admins uninstall the existing electron based app or ask users to uninstall it in favor of installing the new app.

New Chat PWA


Getting started

Admins: Visit our Help Center to learn more about the Google Chat PWA and understand the steps to deploy the PWA app to all users through the Admin console.

End users: This app will not be available until installed on a user’s device. Visit our Help Center to learn how to install the PWA.

Rollout Pace


  • This app is available now for all users to install.

Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources



Roadmap