Is Google Chat copying WhatsApp with these features?
In a bid to expand its horizons, Google Chat seems to be transitioning from a purely business-centric platform to encompass more social elements. This shift appears to be an attempt to position itself on par with giants like WhatsApp. But the crux of this transformative wave lies in the introduction of seven new features that seek to enrich the user experience.
The majority of these new elements align with standard tools commonly found across various chatting platforms. While some might say this is Google playing catch-up, it’s a welcome development for those looking to integrate their personal and professional communication within one app. Notable among the recent upgrades is the ability to edit or delete messages—a staple feature in most of its counterparts. Users can now quote messages, providing clarity within busy group chats, and hide inactive conversations, thereby decluttering the chat space.
These new features are readily available and easily accessible via a patch that can be installed on your desktop or smartphone.
Yet, Google’s ambitions for Google Chat don’t end here. Upcoming weeks will see further enhancements aimed at refining the user experience. Among these is the expansion of read receipts from direct messages to group chats. Furthermore, the much-needed hyperlinking feature will finally find its place in the Google Chat ecosystem, available both on the web and Android platforms.
Notably, the inclusion of work-centric features like the AI-powered Smart Compose adds a touch of sophistication to Google Chat. Already a prominent part of Gmail, Smart Compose provides contextually aware suggestions to improve writing and reduce grammatical errors. Available in five languages including English and Spanish, it's now rolling out to all web users.
Additionally, Google Chat will soon support third-party business applications such as Asana, broadening its horizons beyond mere communication. We have reached out to Google for comments on potential partnerships with streaming services or game platforms, in the vein of Zoom’s party game offerings, and will update the story as more information becomes available.
However, this abrupt shift in focus raises questions. Why does Google feel the need to expand Chat beyond its work-centric model? While a redesigned, professional-oriented UI is on the horizon, these updates seem to blur the platform's primary purpose. The real challenge lies in Google Chat's attempt to compete with WhatsApp and its billions of users. We can only hope that these enhancements are part of a strategic vision for Google Chat's future, and not merely an attempt to bloat the platform, repeating the same missteps that led to the downfall of Google Hangouts.
Read also: Silence unknown callers on WhatsApp with the last update
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Thanks for the tip Martin.
It is for these kinds of posts that I follow GHacks.
What’s up with the generic comment, are you a bot?
2G?
Where on the planet is that still in use? I was forced to give up using my RAZRV3 years ago because 2G was phased out by AT&T.
Everywhere 3G has been turned off and you don’t have LTE coverage, and believe me there are many developed countries where this is the case and if it weren’t for 2G you wouldn’t even be able to make a phone call.
Maybe I missed it, but I don’t believe tha term “2G” is in the article. Perhaps you are referring to “AGM G2”??
@Martin
Your website has gone insane.
When I the post button I then saw my comment posted on a different article page. When I opened this article again, it is here.
@Tachy @Martin Brinkmann
” Your website has gone insane. ”
Same here. Has happened several times.
@Tachy,
@Martin P.,
For over two weeks now,
I’ve been seeing “Comments” posted by subscribers appearing in different, unrelated articles.
https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-update-stuck-fixed-for-good/#comment-4572991
https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-update-stuck-fixed-for-good/#comment-4572951
For the time being,
it would be better to specify the “article name and URL” at the beginning of the post.
@tachy a lot of non-phone devices with a sim in them rely on 2G, at least here in europe.
Usually things reporting usage or errors/alarms on something remote that does not get day to day inspection in person. They are out there in vast numbers doing important work. Reliable, good range. The low datarate is no problem at all in those cases.
3G is gone or on its last legs everywhere, but this stuff still has too much use to cancel.
Anyhow, interesting that they would put that in. I can see the point if you suspect a hostile 2G environment (amateur eavesdroppers with laptop, ranging up to professional grade MITM fake towers while “strangely” not getting the stronger crypto voip 4G because it is being jammed, and back down to something as old ‘stingray’ devices fallen into the wrong hands).
But does this also mean that they have handled and rolled out a fix for that nasty 4G ‘pwn by broadcast’ problem you reported earlier this year? I had 4G disabled due to that, on the off chance that some of the local criminals would buy some cheap chinese gear, download a working exploit and probe every phone in range all over town in the hope of getting into phones of the police.
>”While most may never be attacked in stingrays, it is still recommended to disable 2G cellular connections, especially since it does not have any downsides.”
The downside would be losing connectivity. I spend a lot of time way out in the countryside where there’s often no service or almost none. My network allows 2G, and I need it sometimes. I have an option on the phone to disable 2G, I may do that when I’m in the city and I have good 5G connectivity, but not out in the country.
I would imagine that the stingray exploits, like most of the bad things in this world, are probably things you will run into in the crowded big cities.
I stopped using it in a mobile (Wi-Fi line) environment, so I’m almost ignorant of the actual situation,
But the recent reality in Japan makes me realize that “the infrastructure of the web is nothing more than a papier-mâché fiction”.
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/17/google-chrome-to-enable-https-first-by-default-for-all-users/#comment-4572402
It is already beyond the scope of what an individual can do.
What we should be aware of is the reality that “governments and those in power want to control the world through the Web”, and efforts to counter (resist and prevent) such ambitions are necessary.
Why do you want people to disable the privacy features? Hmmmmm?
Now You: do you plan to keep the Ads privacy features enabled?
I’d like to tell you, but apparently if you make a post critical of Google, you get censored. * [Editor: removed, just try to bring your opinion across without attacking anyone]
@Martin
You website is still psychotic. Comments attach to random stories.
@Martin please do fix the comments, it’s completely insane commenting here! :[
@Martin
The comments are seriously messed up on gHacks now. These comments are mixed with the article at the below URL.
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/18/android-how-to-disable-2g-cellular-connections-to-improve-security/
And comments on other articles are from as far back as 2010.
What does this article has anything to do with all the comments on this article? LOL I think this Websuite is ran by ChatGPT. every article is messed up. Some older comments from 2015 shown up in recant articles, LOL
The picture captioned “Clearing the Android Auto’s cache might resolve the issue” is from Apple Carplay ;)
How about other things that matter:
Drop survival?
Screen toughness?
Degree of water and dust protection?