Google pulls out its death hammer once again -- YouTube messaging is the next victim

Google has announced that it is killing off yet another of its messaging tools. This time rather than terminating a standalone messaging tool, it is the direct messaging feature of YouTube that is for the chop.

The cut-off date is less than a month away, but Google warns that some messaging elements -- including the sharing of videos through messages -- may vanish before the ultimate end date of September 18.

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Google has given no reason for the decision to get rid of the messaging feature, but its passing is unlikely to be mourned by many. The company says that it was focused on improving public conversations.

An email sent out to YouTube users says: "We're writing to let you know about an update to YouTube features. After 18 September 2019, you will no longer be able to use the YouTube messaging feature to exchange messages directly on YouTube. While this feature will no longer be available, you can continue to share YouTube videos".

On an updated Help Center page, Google explains the closure and details how to go about backing up messages you may want to keep:

After September 18th, you'll no longer be able to send messages directly on YouTube. Some parts of this feature may go away before this date, such as sharing a video as a message.

If you'd like to save a copy of your messages:

1. Go to https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout/custom/youtube.
2. In the YouTube section, select "All data included" to choose which data you want to keep.
3. Deselect all data except "Chats".
4. Select OK.
5. Select Next step.
6. Select "Creative archive".
7. You’ll receive an email when your archive is ready.
8. Download all of your chats as a .zip file.

Image credit: Ronnie Chua / Shutterstock