Google will be removing the call history reports and the Chat and messaging features within Google Business Profiles on July 31, 2024. Google said, "We acknowledge this may be difficult news," but added, "We occasionally have to make difficult decisions."
I wondered if Google removed this over privacy issues, but Google said it was because the features had "relatively low usage and we're prioritizing focus on higher-impact features for merchants."
Google added call history reporting in 2020, it was missing data for most until the following year but was teased as a way to preview calls.
The chat feature launched as messaging back in 2017. Here is the help document on this change.
Starting on July 15th, Searchers won't be able to start new chats with you, but existing chats will still work. July 31st, chatting will be fully disabled.
Google is giving you a way to download the historical call history and chat history for now...
I received a combined email that says "Business Profile chat and call history are going away," but some received individual emails about individual features going away.
Here is a comment on this from Google's Ad Liaison:
While call history is being deprecated, note that you can use Google Takeout to save the chat history and call history when signed into the business' Google Account. More on Takeout here: https://t.co/TsmCKQYDJU
— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) May 28, 2024
cc: @AnthonyHigman @DcDigitalUS @ChelseafaninFl
These features have relatively low usage and we're prioritizing focus on higher-impact features for merchants.
— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) May 28, 2024
Jason Brown posted a screenshot on X of the email he received from Google about this news. Here is that screenshot:
It reads:
We're reaching out to share that on July 31, 2024, you will stop seeing call history reports in Google Business Profile. We acknowledge this may be difficult news - as we continually improve our tools, we occasionally have to make difficult decisions which may impact the businesses and partners we work with. It's important to us that Google remains a helpful partner as you manage your business and we remain committed to this mission.Please note, customers will still be able to find and contact your business via Google Search and Maps - and learn more information about you from your website links, business description, photos, and anything else you share on your Business Profile.
You will also continue to be able to receive calls from your Business Profile and track other engagement metrics for your business, including web traffic or directions requests.
If you have questions about this change, you can learn more here. It's important to us that your Business Profile continues to be a helpful tool for you to manage your business.
Sohan Jain posted a screenshot of the chat email on X:
It reads:
We are reaching out to share that we will be winding down Google's chat feature in Google Business Profile on July 31, 2024. We acknowledge this may be difficult news - as we continually improve our tools, we occasionally have to make difficult decisions which may impact the businesses and partners we work with. It's important to us that Google remains a helpful partner as you manage your business and we remain committed to this mission.Google will stop creating new conversations after July 15, and chat functionality will fully end on July 31. Please note, customers will still be able to find and contact your business via Google Search and Maps - and learn more information about you from your website links, business description, photos, and anything else you share on your Business Profile.
If you have questions about this change, you can learn more here. It's important to us that your Business Profile continues to be a helpful tool for you to manage your business.
Key dates:
* Starting July 15, customers will no longer be able to start new chat conversations with your business from Google. Customers in existing chat conversations will be notified that chat will be phased out.
* Starting July 31, chat functionality will end. This means you'll no longer receive new chat messages.
What to do next
* If you'd like a record of past Business Profile chats, you can download your chat history of past customer conversations via Google Takeout.
* Consider inviting your customers to alternative chat solutions to continue conversations there.
Also, it seems like Chat and Messaging are not the same because Google has a different email about "messaging" going away via Francastro on X. It says:
We are reaching out to share that we will be winding down Google's Business Messages on July 31, 2024. We acknowledge this may be difficult news - as we continually improve our tools, we occasionally have to make difficult decisions which may impact the businesses and partners we work with. It's important to us that Google remains a helpful partner as you manage your business and we remain committed to this mission.No action is required for any brands and partners who only use Google entry_points for Business Messages. Brands and partners using brand-managed entry_points, such as a URL or web widget, should remove the entry point or replace it with an alternative messaging option by July 15. Google will stop creating new conversations after this date, and chat functionality will fully end on July 31.
If you have alternative chat channels, consider inviting your customers to continue conversations there.
If you have questions about this change, you can learn more here.
Here is the combined email I received on this news:
Forum discussion at Local Search Forum.
