Google Chat 4+

New format update was upsetting, otherwise works perfectly

The new format is off-putting and unnecessarily dark. In an attempt to be modern, the app has been downgraded. It doesn't look terrible, but compared to the previous format it is far inferior. Said previous format was much more simplistic (though not oversimplified) and clean, it was essentially perfect. The new format, although still clean and simple, is not perfect. The "read" symbol just floats awkwardly at the side of a text, and as mentioned previously it's very dark. Most of my friend group uses google chat to communicate, and upon the update taking place we've all been quite unhappy with it. Of course, it's still the best way to communicate for us (we all possess different phone brands so for the two Apple users out of our large friend group, it's much more efficient to talk to the rest of the group and for them to talk to us. In short, although the function of the app is amazing, the modernization of it has ruined its aesthetic;It looks more like the default messages app or whatsapp and fails to stand out as a result. I suggest adding a setting to switch between formats perhaps, as I know not everyone is unhappy with it, but for those who are it's quite important. Thank you for reading this.

Developer Response ,

Hi there. Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We're sorry to hear that. We'll pass this along to the team so they can review and make the Chat app even better. Thank you!

Disappointing after Hangouts

Google Chat added the ability to have rooms where specific topic threads can be created. That’s really nice and a feature we were hoping for coming from Hangouts. Unfortunately, that’s about where the improvements end. Google Chat is at its best on the mobile app, but if you’re using it regularly, across mobile and in the desktop chrome extension, you’ll quickly see the questionable choices made by the developers. I used Hangouts and now use Chat in a professional environment, for more casual short form comms, and it’s clear after 6 weeks of heavy use that Chat wasn’t designed for anything more than light usage. It’s completely unwieldy with more than 20 active conversations. The alphabetical sorting of conversations means hunting down the person you were just talking to. The conversations are spaced relatively far apart and take up way too much screen real estate. The color scheme is blindingly bright. Et cetera.

If you’re only using the phone app and only for chatting with a limited number of friends socially, which is clearly the use case they have decided to laser focus on, you’ll be fine with it. If you’re on the mobile app only, ok. If you’re hoping to do more with it, you should look elsewhere for a more thoughtfully designed, and scalable, communication method.

Needs a little TLC

I use Chat as the main Communication platform between most of my friends and family. It’s missing some basic features. For example: ability to edit a message after it has been sent. Ability to delete images after they have been sent. Would love to be able to delete a gif that I mistakenly sent. Images are slow to load compared to hangouts. The new spaces feature is handy, but a little confusing. The app is slowly getting better. I can easily send messages from my mobile device or PC. The app easily manages multiple profiles. The search chat feature is nice. I love that I can make a video or voice call straight from the app. Currently on my pc the Chat app shows up as another chrome window rather than a standalone app. Making it really difficult to quickly check messages. Not sure it that is a bug in the app or a new feature. Overall this is a great app with a bug or two and some missing features. Nothing that cannot be fixed in an update.