Google seems to be preparing to erase their messaging and video app, Google Hangouts, according to a report from 9to5Google. The service will leave for good sometime in 2020, and its extinction is not very surprising.
In 2016, Google introduced Allo and Duo, two apps that were basically a breakdown of two main Hangouts features - Allo was intended for instant messaging and the Duo would serve for video calls.
At that time the firm said Hangouts would be more convenient for businesses, which eventually culminated in the Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet, two enterprise-focused applications that also featured video and video conversations in two different products. These will continue to exist, keeping Hangouts alive in some way. Google seems to have turned most of the attention to Rich Communication Services (RCS) and their Android Messages app, which has currently received important updates over the last few months, also launching in a web version.
Thankfully, the Duo has gained a bit more attention, with closer integration into Android and availability on some Chromebooks, so it's likely to stay longer. With the close of Hangouts, it remains to be seen whether Google will bring anything new to Allo. Last year, it was speculated that Allo could replace the Hangouts integration in Gmail.