Google Maps Business Profile Chat to be Discontinued by July 2024: Say Farewell to Convenient Messaging Feature”.

A recent discovery on my part led me to learn about a feature on Google Maps that allowed users to message businesses directly through the app. This feature, known as business profile chat, was an incredibly convenient way for users to ask questions, schedule appointments or request quotes without having to call the business.

The feature was easy to access; if a business had it enabled, users could see a “Chat” option next to the “Call” and “Directions” icons in Maps or Search. It seemed like a valuable tool for communicating with businesses on-the-go.

However, Google has announced that they will be discontinuing this feature on July 15th, 2024. Existing conversations through business profile chat will be cut off on July 31st, 2024 and businesses have until August 30th, 2024 to download their conversation history through Google Takeout. After this date, users will have no other option but to use other messaging services such as Apple WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger to communicate with businesses directly through the app.

It is unfortunate that this useful feature will no longer be available as it provided a convenient way for users to interact with businesses through Google Maps and Search. Users must now find alternative ways of communicating with businesses through other messaging platforms.