Can You Still Use YakYak on Linux?

An old YakYak Linux download may still appear when you look for a desktop app for Google Hangouts. YakYak is an unofficial desktop client for Google Hangouts, a service Google retired.

I’ll show you how to check an old YakYak download and use Google Chat for current conversations.

TL;DR: YakYak cannot restore Google Hangouts

YakYak is an unofficial desktop client for the old Google Hangouts service, which Google retired. Installing a YakYak package does not bring that service back, so use Google Chat through its current official web interface instead.

• YakYak’s own repository identifies it as a Hangouts client, not a Google Chat client.
• Its downloadable Linux files are legacy releases, not proof that login still works.
• Google Chat is available at chat.google.com.

What is YakYak?

YakYak is an open-source desktop chat client built to connect to Google Hangouts. The project’s README says plainly that it is not Google Hangouts Chat, now called Google Chat, and that Google neither built nor endorsed the client.

That distinction matters because a desktop program and the service it connects to are separate pieces. YakYak supplies an interface on your computer, while Google’s servers supply account access and conversations. A local package can remain downloadable after the remote service changes or closes.

Google’s Workspace Updates announcement said Hangouts on the web would redirect to Chat starting November 1, 2022, after which Hangouts would no longer be accessible. That retirement is the key limit here. A YakYak window might still open on a computer, but opening an old app is not the same as reaching the service it was designed to use.

The original repository lists messaging, desktop notifications, image attachments, conversation management and audio or video links among its features. Those are descriptions of the project’s intended behavior, not a promise that they work with current Google accounts. The README also warns that YakYak is unofficial and may appear to Google as an iOS device during authentication.

YakYak is also unrelated to Yik Yak, the similarly spelled social app that appears for the same search term. Here, YakYak means the GitHub project for Hangouts.

A desktop client is the software you open on your computer to access a service. The service can change independently of the client, so the age of an installer cannot answer whether the service still accepts connections. In YakYak’s case, Google’s retirement notice settles that question for Hangouts.

The application, package and online service answer different questions:

Part	What it tells you	What it cannot prove
YakYak application	The local desktop program and its interface	That Google still supports its connection
Linux package	How files are installed on a distribution	That the app can sign in or send messages
Google Hangouts	The remote service YakYak was built to use	Current access, because Google retired it
Google Chat	Google’s current chat service and web entry point	That a third-party client is an official Linux app

How to check an old YakYak download safely

Check the program’s identity, release history and destination service separately before opening an old installer. This tells you what the file is, but it cannot turn an unsupported client into a working Google Chat app.

Step 1: Confirm which product the project targets

Read the description and README at the YakYak repository. It labels the program as a Google Hangouts client and explicitly distinguishes it from Google Chat. If your goal is to use Google’s current chat service, that description means YakYak is not a direct replacement.

Check that the repository URL is exactly the project’s own GitHub page before following a download link. Search results can mix the desktop client with unrelated projects that share the YakYak or Yik Yak name. A matching name alone does not establish who made a binary or what service it connects to.

Step 2: Read the release status and date

The release page shows which files were published and whether an entry is labelled a pre-release. Its current listing includes a v1.5.12-beta entry and a stable v1.5.11.5 release whose Linux DEB assets date from 2021. A beta label is not a stable recommendation, and an available download is not proof of current maintenance or successful sign-in.

Look at the release publisher, version, date and exact asset name before trusting a file. A package’s file extension tells you its distribution format, not whether the application is maintained or whether its server-side connection still works. Do not use a third-party download mirror when you can inspect the project’s own release history.

Step 3: Identify the package format before installing

YakYak’s release page lists several Linux formats. A DEB is intended for Debian-family distributions, RPM is used by distributions such as Fedora, and a tar archive generally needs its own extraction and launch steps. Installing a file successfully only tells you that the package operation completed.

If the file is a DEB on Ubuntu, follow a current guide to install a local DEB file. Inspect the package name before confirming.

For other formats, first check the distribution’s supported package manager. Our guides explain the different boundaries for RPM files on Ubuntu, Pacman packages and AppImages. None of those package workflows confirms that YakYak can authenticate.

Avoid entering a Google password into an unofficial client unless you have reviewed and accepted its authentication risk. The repository itself discloses that the app imitates an iOS device to communicate with Hangouts APIs. That notice is relevant to trust, but it is not a security audit of every binary or a guarantee about how Google will handle a login attempt.

Step 4: Test the current service through Google

Open Google Chat in a browser and sign in with the account you use for Chat. Google’s help page explains that features differ between personal Google Accounts and paid Workspace accounts, so an option missing from one account type may be unavailable by design.

Check the account type and the specific feature you need in Google’s Chat account comparison. If Chat works in the browser, you have confirmed access to the current service through its official entry point. That does not certify a separate Linux wrapper or native desktop program.

You can keep the Chat page open in a browser tab. Some browsers also let you create a site shortcut or install a web app, depending on the browser and its current features. That shortcut still opens Google’s web service, it does not revive Hangouts or make YakYak its client.

What should you use instead of YakYak?

For current Google conversations, go to Google Chat in a browser rather than trying to revive a client built for Hangouts. Start at the official site, then check Google’s feature list for the account you use.

• Check the project source and the exact release asset before installing.
• Choose a package procedure for your Linux distribution, not just the file extension.
• Verify the current Google service through chat.google.com rather than an old YakYak window.

Keep three checks separate: whether the installer is genuine, whether Linux can install that package format, and whether the remote service accepts the client. The first two can succeed while the third fails. This distinction applies to desktop applications that depend on an online account, not only to YakYak.

If an old YakYak package is already installed, do not assume that removing it will delete every preference or conversation file. Package removal and user data cleanup are separate operations. Deleting configuration can remove settings you may want to keep.

Check the package manager’s installed-app list first, then use the appropriate removal method for your distribution. For Ubuntu, see our guide to uninstalling packages before removing files manually.

For security, distinguish source visibility from assurance. YakYak’s code is public on GitHub, but public source alone does not establish that an old binary is safe, maintained or compatible. Its own README says Google does not endorse the app and describes its unusual device identification during authentication.

If that disclosure is outside your risk tolerance, do not use the client with an account you care about. The repository’s notice is useful context, but it is not a security audit of every binary or a guarantee about how Google will handle a login attempt.

A package manager can report success without checking whether an application’s remote service still exists. It handles local files and dependencies, while sign-in and message delivery depend on a server the package manager does not control. That is why trying a different package format cannot fix the Hangouts retirement.

If you are looking for old conversations rather than a new desktop client, keep that as a separate task. The YakYak README describes client features, not a supported method to recover a Google account’s historical data. Do not delete profile folders or local settings until you know whether they contain information you need.

Google Chat may not expose every option to every account. Google’s comparison distinguishes personal accounts from paid Workspace accounts, and an administrator may control some Workspace settings. When a feature is missing, check the account type and Google’s current help before concluding that the browser or Linux installation is at fault.

Do not treat a successful browser sign-in as proof that an unrelated client is compatible. The browser uses Google’s supported web application. A desktop wrapper may use a different codebase, login flow or update path, so its author must document those details and keep them current.

The YakYak repository’s release list is useful for identifying what was published, but it does not provide a current Google compatibility statement. If a third-party project claims to restore YakYak or offers a repackaged installer, verify the maintainer, source repository and release notes independently before installing it.

Also separate login trouble from local installation trouble. A missing library or wrong package architecture points to the local system. A retired or rejected service endpoint is a different failure, and reinstalling the same build cannot repair it.

Google Chat in the browser is the practical check for whether the current Google service is available to your account.

If you only need a shortcut on your Linux desktop, use your browser’s own site-install option if it offers one. This gives you a launcher for the official Chat website while leaving the account session and network connection with Google’s supported web client. It does not create a native YakYak replacement, so describe it as a web shortcut.

Common errors with YakYak

YakYak can fail for reasons that look alike but need different checks. Separate a local package or launch problem from a rejected login, and do not expect reinstalling the same legacy build to restore Google’s retired Hangouts service.

• If the package manager rejects the file, confirm its format and architecture against your distribution.
• If the app opens but cannot sign in, verify access through Google’s current Chat website instead.
• If you need historical conversations, do not delete local profile data until you know whether it contains anything you need.

Conclusion: use Google Chat for current conversations

YakYak is a legacy Hangouts client, and downloading or installing it does not restore Google’s retired service. Use Google’s current Chat website for account access, and check its help page for differences between personal and Workspace accounts.

Resources: YakYak on GitHub, YakYak releases, Google Chat, and Google Chat account features.