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Archived notice. This article was first published on 28 May 2024, when Google announced the change, and it describes events that have since taken place. The features discussed here were discontinued in July 2024. We checked the dates against Google's Business Profile Help on 3 October 2026.
In 2024, Google announced that it would retire the chat and call history features in Google Business Profile. This notice records what changed, when it changed, and what is still available to business owners today.
What Happened and When
- 15 July 2024: Customers could no longer start new chat conversations with a business from Google Search or Maps. Customers who were already in a chat conversation were notified that chat was being phased out.
- 31 July 2024: The chat feature and the call history feature in Google Business Profile became unavailable. Businesses stopped receiving new chat messages and could no longer view their call history in Business Profile.
- 30 August 2024: The deadline Google gave for downloading records of past chats and call history through Google Takeout. Records that were not downloaded by this date should no longer be assumed to be available.
Google's help page also lists related items that were removed with chat, including chat FAQs, the quote request feature and the chat conversations metric in the Business Profile Performance API.
What This Means for Your Business Today
The retirement applies to the native Business Profile chat and call history features. It did not remove every way for customers to contact you. According to Google, customers can still find and contact your business through Google Search and Maps, and they can still learn about it from your website link, business description, photos and other profile details. Your business continues to receive calls from your profile, and you can still track other engagement information, such as website visits and direction requests.
Google's help page notes that text messaging and WhatsApp are available as options for eligible accounts, and that a booking option may be available in some regions through Reserve with Google. Eligibility depends on your account and location, and these options can change, so check the current instructions in your own Business Profile and in Google's help article on the chat and call history changes.
Sensible Steps Now
- Do not rely on old chat or call history data. The Google Takeout download window closed on 30 August 2024. If you saved an export at the time, keep it in a secure place. If you did not, it cannot be assumed to exist.
- Offer other ways to reach you. Make sure your profile shows a direct phone number and website link, and consider a chat function on your own website, a messaging app you already use or email. Check which messaging options your own Business Profile offers, since eligibility varies.
- Keep your profile accurate. Your business description, contact details, website link and photos should be current, because customers use them to reach you.
- Use the metrics that remain. Web visits, calls and direction requests still give you an idea of how customers interact with your profile.
Additional Information and Support
Google's help article on this change is the source for the dates above. If you need help reviewing your profile after these changes, feel free to reach out to us directly.
