Hangouts demoted in Google Apps package, Duo gets nod

Hangouts won't be mandatory on Google partner phones soon, Duo will be.

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Google recent sent out an e-mail to its Mobile Services partners indicating Hangouts will no longer be required to be bundled with hardware. Rather, video calling app Duo will take its place.

Hangouts demoted in Google Apps package, Duo gets nod | TweakTown.com

"Duo will replace Hangouts within the suite of core GMS apps, and Hangouts will become GMS Optional for telephony products," it reads. "This change will take effect on December 1, 2016."

What's also interesting is Google's text messaging app Allo isn't getting the nod alongside Duo; for whatever reason, the company is content to not push the text side of their new communication apps in this regard, at least for the time being.

In any case, Google will continue to support Hangouts; it simply won't be mandatory anymore on partner hardware.

NEWS SOURCE:androidpolice.com

Sean has a background in journalism, and has been using that to write about gaming and tech since 2008 - first for Neoseeker, then Rage3D, and now, TweakTown. As Weekend News Editor, Sean's job is to supply regular stories on the latest happenings in the tech world over the weekend.

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