If you were using Google Talk for a long then the date February 23, 2015, would have brought a shock in your life as Google shut down this service on this date. So, what now? How can you talk to your personal and private contacts? If you haven’t found any alternative to Google Talk yet, then I have listed a few of the GTalk alternatives for you.
You can try using these Google Talk alternatives on your Windows or Mac PCs. You will definitely love their interface and ease of use.
10 Google Talk Alternatives for Windows & Mac
Have a look at these alternatives to Google Talk mentioned below.
1. Pidgin
Pidgin is a pure delight for both Windows and Mac users after the death of Google Talk. Even, Linux users can use this application to chat with their friends from a desktop. It is a free application that is one of the best replacements for Google Talk. It even supports other chatting services namely- MSN, Yahoo, AIM, and lots more.
For Windows users, it is compatible with Windows 7 and above versions. The cross-platform compatibility of this application makes it the best replacement for the G Talk service of Google. You can visit the Pidgin app to know more.
2. Trillian
Trillian is very similar to Pidgin when it comes to using different instant messaging applications as well as cross-platform compatibility. Trillian performs equally well on Mac as well as Windows Desktop. Users can use different instant messaging services like XMPP, AIM, Yahoo, Google Talk as well as Twitter.
The free edition of Trillian is nice for personal use, but for business purposes, it is recommended to use its paid version. The business version of Trillian offers a wide range of features and other flexibilities. Although the free version of Trillian is available with hundreds of good features, the business version surely impresses everyone with its smart features.
Cloud backup is one of the most prominent features of this business version. It costs you just 20$ per year. You can easily download Trillian from its official site.
3. Adium
Adium is one of the specially built open-source multi-protocol instant messaging clients for Mac systems that supports MSN, GTalk, Yahoo, Jabber, and many other networks. You can perform all your conversations in a single account using Adium on your Mac OsX. It is yet to be developed for the Windows system. Adium is planning to launch its Windows interface by mid of the year 2016. If you wish to know in detail, then must visit Adium’s official site.
4. PSI
PSI is another great replacement for Google Talk and the best thing is that it is available for both Mac and Windows. You can easily use various chatting services like XMPP, Google Talk, MSN, and many others using PSI. PSI will provide you with all the features that you generally find in any instant messaging application.
You can feel safe and secure while using PSI as it provides you better security using end-to-end encryption for delivering your chat. If you are using a Windows system then make sure that your Windows should not be older than Windows XP. On other hand, if you are a Mac user then make sure that your Mac PC should have OS X 10.5 or a later version installed on it. The encryption feature of the PSI app makes it better than other similar applications.
5. Apple iMessage
Apple iMessage is an amazing client for Mac OS which is popularly known as iChat by name. You can send unlimited iMessages, documents, pictures, or any other media to iOS users. You can chat with your contacts on Yahoo, Google Talk, AIM, and many other instant messaging services. Apple iMessage is especially mended for MAC users and has no plans to come out for Windows users.
6. Google Hangouts Extension
Google Hangouts Extension is one of the best Google Talk alternatives if you’re a Google Chrome user. There will be no problems at all for you even after the demise of Google Talk. You can effortlessly download Google Hangouts Extension from the Google Chrome apps center. This extension runs on a Google Chrome background and makes it easy for you to chat with friends from your desktop.
The good thing is that It’s available for Windows PC whereas Facetime can’t be downloaded. So, if you are a Windows user and love to use Google Chrome then this extension will turn out to be the best Google Talk alternative for you. Instead, it is much better than Google Talk and you will love the emoticons and stickers option embedded in Google Hangouts. If you are looking for some other alternatives which are exactly similar to Hangouts and offer video calling features as well, then must check the following apps.
7. Talk.to
Talk.to is another similar application to Trillian that is built with cross-platform compatibility and is highly compatible with Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. You can easily use this application on your browser or on your smartphone. This is where Talk.to excels. You can connect with your friends, relatives, or clients from any remote location and through any platform. You can make use of different chatting services like Google Talk, MSN, Yahoo, XMP, and many others using this application.
8. Nimbuzz
Nimbuzz is another popular messaging app that comes with all the advanced features including video calling, messaging, and sharing files on various devices. Here, you can share everything with your friends for free such as wallpapers, music, videos, etc.
The additional feature is that you can share your current location while chatting with someone who wants to meet him physically. And, it lets you make international calls at cheaper rates. The application has millions of users worldwide and gaining more every moment. The stickers feature makes it unique and more appealing.
9. Jitsi
Jitsi is an emerging instant messenger that supports various networks for communication including Google Hangout, XMPP, Facebook, MSN Live Messenger, and Yahoo! So, you can make video calls, and audio calls along with a chat facility. It has some additional features such as desktop streaming, audio level display, call recording, noise suppression, echo cancellation, blind transfer, etc.
10. Digsby
Digsby is an all-in-one app offering one buddy list that includes mostly social networking sites such as Facebook etc. The app is designed very user-friendly and is capable to manage multiple conversations using tabbed windows.
Through this IM app, you can manage emails; SMS, etc. and receives each notification via popup.
It comes with some extended features like you can place its widget on your site or blog which allows chatting with visitors using directly.
Don’t kid yourself. Hangouts is not a suitable alternative to Google Talk. How can I possibly trust them to not axe Hangouts somewhere down the line? Popularity from users clearly doesn’t matter to them.