Service Alert: Photo Sharing in Hangouts Chat

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The photo-sharing functionality in Hangouts is changing. Going forward, the ability to share photos and other multimedia in Hangouts Chat will be set by the Picasa Web Albums service rather than by the Google+ service.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • If Google+ is enabled in your domain, no further action is necessary. Google+ requires Picasa Web Albums so you can continue to share photos using Hangouts Chat just like you always have.
  • If Google+ is not enabled for your domain and you want to use the photo-sharing functionality in Hangouts Chat, you must turn on the Picasa Web Albums service in your Admin console.

Please note that Google+ and Picasa Web Albums are additional services and aren’t subject to the core terms of service for your Google Apps account agreement. The functionality change will take effect in the next few days.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to visit the Google Apps Help Center or contact us immediately to learn more about using Hangouts in your organization.